CURIOUS CUB  |   DOUBLE TROUBLE  |   EYELASHES  |   EYE TO EYE  |  
FAMILYPORTRAIT  |   FOCUSED FELINE  |   LEAP FOR JOY  |   LOOKING FOR LUNCH  |   SIBLINGS

CURIOUS CUB (220mm x 285mm) (8 11/16" x 11 1/4") Drawing the spotted cats is a nightmare. It takes forever and making a spot look like black fur and not just a dirty black smudge on a nicely drawn cat is insanely hard work. This little guy has just woken up and he's watching his sibling below. His eyes are wide and now his ears are up. He's waiting for his chance, a moment later he leaps.	DOUBLE TROUBLE (164mm x 328mm) (6" 1/2 x 12" 1/2) This is one cub drawn twice and if they look familiar it's not surprising, its the same leopard I drew in 'Curious Cub'. This will make a fine companion piece and is drawn with the same manic attention to detail. It remains simple and clean in its composition and I'm sure this cub is a star in the making! I've got another planned.
BACK TO TOP
EYELASHES (333mm x 222mm) (13 1/8" x 8 3/4") Everytime I look at this threesome (two Ladies and a Gent I believe) I imagine a microphone in the middle and they are the backing singers in a jungle trio! If I had my commercial head screwed on of course I could have made this into a tryptic of 3 seperate studies,sold them as a set and cashed in! As it is I didn't and this should now be considered a third of the price and an absolute bargain.	EYE TO EYE (193mm x 331mm) (7" 3/5 x 13") This is the face of a wild tigress and yes she really was peeking round a clump of bamboo. There is some artistic license in re-arranging the bamboo but it reflects the truth of seeing her only 20 feet (7m) away! If you want to see a wild tiger then head for Bandhavgarh National Park in India, you are almost guaranteed a close encounter!
BACK TO TOP
FAMILY PORTRAIT (230mm x 235mm) (9 1/16" x 9 1/4") These monkeys are called Black Shanked Douc Langurs and are critically endangered. I saw them when I visited a breeding project run by Frankfurt Zoo in Coq Phuang National Park, Vietnam. They were breeding well and this mother and baby decided to sit and pose for me.	FOCUSED FELINE (193mm x 331mm) (7" 3/5 x 13") I don't suppose that many people have heard of a Marguay, this is a pity as they are simply stunning. I think it's fair to describe these cats as smaller versions of an ocelot. They have a similar distribution, they are native to Central and South America. This is a classic cat profile. Her gaze is focused on dinner and every muscle is tensed for an sudden strike.
BACK TO TOP
LEAP FOR JOY (180mm x 338mm) (7" 1/10 x 13" 5/16) How do you draw a dolphin in a way that hasn't been done to death? It isn't easy. My attempt involved drawing a simple strong vertical composition using the water trail to bring your eye up the page. It was my hope that this picture would be easy to draw but as usual my obsessive personality got in the way. It took an age to perfect all that splash.	LOOKING FOR LUNCH (161mm x 196mm) (6 5/16" x 7 11/16") I needed a squirrels eye view to get this composition. There I was in the park, on my belly with a packet of broken biscuits bribing my models to come ever closer. I was a little self conscious with the locals looking on in high amusement but dignity can't get in the way of art.
BACK TO TOP
SIBLINGS (314mm x 178mm) (12 3/8" x 7") On a visit to a temple near the desert town of Bikaner in Rajastan I noticed these guys warming themselves in the morning sun. They looked to be well fed as temple dogs should and posed rather elegantly I think. It is difficult when dealing with a subject such as this not to tip over the dividing line into sentimentality. Hopefully I’ve succeeded in capturing the charm and not the goo! I am personally very pleased with the results.
BACK TO TOP