HowToDrawWildLife.Com

When I go to the zoo to photograph animals for my reference I go with an open mind with the intent to photograph the animals, as I would imagine them living in their natural habitat.

While the animals at the zoo are not living in their natural habitat I look for some extra help from books and the Internet to inspire me to create the environment and even the ‘mood’ of that environment through the use of colour in order to create a ‘whole’ drawing.  I usually mix and match several references until I come up with the right background and/or foreground while much of the time my imagination comes into play, particularly with clouds and leaves.

However, sometimes ‘less is more’ where I use very little background or foreground if I am focusing more on the animals face. In this case I am intending to draw the viewer to the animals eyes in order to aspire a connection with its soul. If the actual animal takes up more space on the page I tend to show just a hint of its natural environment like some long grass in front of some lions for instance.

Most of the time I have a fairly set idea of how I would approach the background or foreground yet sometimes it turns out completely differently as I work along.

With my “Gentle giants” that I photographed at the Western Plains zoo, initially I was to draw them showing a typical African day with the full sun shining but it just wasn’t working. Something within me inspired me to draw clouds. I trusted this ‘voice within’ and ended up with a unique drawing that portrayed their natural habitat yet with a different mood that complimented the elephants perfectly.

After many years of drawing I now approach each drawing with a completely open mind and trust my creativity to guide me. In life I’ve learned that sometimes my biggest ‘mistakes’ turn out to be my biggest ‘gifts’.

I am always in awe of the diversity of wildlife that is a part of our world and for the unique traits and strengths each species exudes that inspires me.

If I’m not drawing a commission I can choose any animal to draw yet sometimes that is not as easy as it sounds. What do I do when I look at a blank piece of paper and nothing comes to me? One thing I do is to travel back in time in my mind and recall my visits to the zoo, seeing wildlife in my own area and even better still recall when I witnessed them in the wild. I remember their beauty, power and their intelligence. However, sometimes I need a more specific direction and this is where knowing more about animals is useful.

I believe it really helps to know everything about the animal or the animals that I am drawing because when I know about an animal I develop an even deeper respect and see those qualities mirrored in me as I aspire to communicate that to the viewer.

What has helped me to become inspired by wildlife is to learn more about their behaviour and how they survive in their habitat by reading about them and even watching the occasional nature show on TV or DVD that I borrow from the local library.

Another means that I use to learn more about the unique traits and strengths of animals is to visit animal spirit sites online that are based on the ancient Shaman way of life where animal spirits have guided Shamans for thousands of years. One of these sites is http://animalspirits.com and there’s a really good book on this subject too called ‘Animal Speak’ by Ted Andrews that I refer to quite often.

I believe each species possess certain characteristics and strengths that we can draw on in order to enhance our living experience and hence help others as we learn more about ourselves. Depending on what is going on in my life at a particular time is what leans me towards a certain species as I call on their power and intelligence to propel me forward in my life or sometimes it may simply be their beauty that inspires me.

I was so happy with everything I had drawn so far. The composition was great and every part of my koala, the proportions and even the soft furry feel was portrayed perfectly.

I was eager to finish the initial stage of my drawing that’s in lead pencil so I could start adding some colour, only one thing was stopping me. I just couldn’t get the leg that was hanging down behind the tree branch to look right. Drawing the foot was especially tricky.

I was thrilled with the photograph I took of this koala for my reference. Everything was perfect only the foot just didn’t’ show quite enough detail in order for me to get it right.

I studied the angles and the area surrounding the foot, the shape and how the toes were formed and their relation to the whole foot but after many attempts I just couldn’t draw it.

I took some deep breaths and had a stretch to help calm me down. Things started to get better when I noticed that I hadn’t drawn the leg quite thick enough. This is the case where it is important to have all of the proportions correct showing that one small thing can effect a larger area, being the actual foot.

Now that I had figured that out, it appeared to be working really well and I finished, yet to my dismay I discovered that when I looked at my drawing as whole, the leg and foot overall was too small. My frustration was really beginning to boil! At that stage I thought it would be best to walk away, have some lunch and go back to it later.

After having a break an idea came to me. I typed in ‘koala’s foot’ into Google images and the perfect image came up for me to study. Although it wasn’t at the same angle as my own reference photo  it was enough to give me an understanding of how the foot is formed and how the different parts relate to each other. In the Internet photo I could see that one toe had two claws attached to it whereas in my photo the angle of the foot made it look like that one toe was two separate toes.

After studying both photos and with a better understanding of how the foot is formed this helped me to get it right.

Taking a break and having a clear head helped me see things in a whole new way.

Now things were really starting fall into place.

Regards,
Geri

One of the most awesome things about being a wildlife artist and living in suburban Sydney is the opportunity to connect with wildlife. I feel so blessed that I am able to experience the beauty and wonder of the national park that’s only about a 40- minute bike ride away from where I live.

As I ride uphill and as dawn breaks I take a deep breath in feeling energized and inspired by the pure energy of nature that surrounds me. The echoing sound of a whipbird’s song so crisp and clean uplifts me like a spring clean for my soul while the cool wind brushes against my face and over my arms and legs as I zoom downhill.  It makes me feel so alive.  Riding on some flat road again and to the side of the road I catch a glimpse of a lyrebirds’ long, soft brown tail feathers. He scratches around the dirt a little and reluctantly pokes his head out from behind a bush and then quickly darts back in again. Lyrebirds are a rare sight as they are such shy creatures.

Riding up another hill I catch a glimpse of what looks like something hopping around with rusty dark brown fur and a long black tail appears from behind a bush. As I take a closer look I see it’s a wallaby. He avoids eye contact and quickly hops further back into the depths and safety of the bush. Even though for just a short moment I feel so energized and blessed for witnessing wildlife in its natural habitat.

On my way home I imagine that I am the leader of a bunch in a bike race. That picture quickly fades as I soon realize I am in the slipstream of a flock of rainbow lorikeets right at the level of my helmet. Now I am really flying! I feel like I am one of them as though my bike has become my wings. All I see is a blur of glorious colour as they flutter their wings in front of me while the high piercing shrill of their call almost deafens me. That soon fades away as they fly up disappearing further into the sky onto a new destination. Now I’m focusing on my cycling again while I keep a mental note of the brilliant colours from those rainbow lorikeets for another drawing.

As I leave the national park and approach the urban environment there are still plenty of wild birds about. I always know if sulphur crested cockatoos have been around as they leave a trail of destruction with torn, tattered twigs and tufts of leaves strewn across the road after their boisterous play at feeding time. His deafening squawk is so loud that it goes straight through me and echoes for miles, yet it makes me feel so glad to be alive. On the other hand, the sweet and gentle flute sound of a magpie leaves me with a feeling of comfort and warmth as she pecks away at someone’s lawn intent on catching a worm for breakfast.

Closer to home and at night a lone tawny frogmouth will visit occasionally, while brush tail and ringtail possums run along the fence or along the branches of trees in our front or backyard. Quite often ringtail possums look as though they are performing a circus-balancing act where from a great height and with great agility and skill they run across telegraph wires. This makes great entertainment for my kids!

With all the wonderful wildlife that’s around me I feel such deep appreciation and respect for all of earths creatures as well as mankind because I believe we are all interconnected. It is through my drawings that I aspire others to see their own essence mirrored by the qualities and strengths of the animals that I draw and hence inspire a deeper connection with all living things as well as with each other.

Regards,
Geri

Tawny Frogmouth

Like owls Tawny Frogmouths are nocturnal and it was after returning from an evening walk on a spring night that this wise bird caught my eye.

The evening was warm, still and silent and although he sat motionless perched high on a telegraph wire, it was his yellow eyes, as bright as the stars surrounding him that caught my attention.  I gazed into his eyes for what seemed like a couple of minutes yet it is was as though time stood still. I too felt like I was motionless and blending into the stillness and the darkness of night. It didn’t feel scary. I and everything surrounding me became as one, it felt awesome!

He was looking at me as though he knew everything about me and the whole the universe. He was telling me in his silent language that I am more than my body and mind.

When I retired to bed that night I carried the feeling of stillness and felt safe after the realisation that I am more than my body and mind. I lay still and motionless, as a gentle wave of deep peace swept over me, wherein I felt like I was blending into the peace as a part of it. It was a kind of inner peace that I had never experienced before. Words cannot describe it. After the peace came the joy. Again, this was like nothing I had ever experienced before. I cried and cried, rejoicing for simply living and being. It was as though the layers had been peeled back to reveal the ‘real me’; my soul.

Its awesome experiences like these that will stay with me for the rest of my life and I feel so grateful and blessed to be living in such close proximity to wildlife and to be a wildlife artist.

Many people may not be aware of what a Tawny Frogmouth is.  Although they look very similar to an owl, a Tawny Frogmouth is a native bird found in Australia and is more closely related to the Kookaburra and nightjar. There are many found where I live in suburban Sydney, New South Wales.

Tawny Frogmouths hunt at night and unlike owls, instead flying high and swooping down on their prey they sit very still and upright, roosting very close to a tree trunk on a low perch waiting for their food to come to them.  They feed on small prey such as moths and insects where they will often catch them in flight. When the time is right they can pounce down from their low perch and feed on things like worms, slugs and snails.

Tawny Frogmouths are so well camouflaged that they blend in with the colour and texture of the tree bark with their sliver-grey, streaked and mottled plumage. They could even look like a dead tree stump so that even if you are very close to them you may not notice them.

One of the great highlights of being a wildlife artist has been the great people I have met and hence the wonderful opportunity to travel overseas and see wildlife in their natural habitat.

I would like to share my amazing 6-day trip to Tanjung Putting National Park in the island of Borneo where FRIENDS of the NATIONAL PARKS FOUNDATION is stationed. My relationship with FNPF began when I donated a drawing of an orang-utan and I was invited to visit and witness for myself, the tireless and relentless work of the volunteers.

FNPF is an Indonesian non-government organization whose mission is to protect animals and their habitat. Their work is comprehensive and includes:

>Rehabilitation of Orang-utans, Sun bears and other animals rescued from the illegal trade.
>Breeding of the endangered Bali Starling
>Reforestation and environmental conservation
>Community development projects to provide the natives an alternative to logging and poaching.

When I first reached Borneo I was warmly greeted by some friendly FNPF staff and by my hostess Miow Yen Yap (known as ‘Yen’) who was the project manager (amongst other things) of FNPF. It was such a relief to see a smiling and welcoming face. I also met up with an English volunteer whose name was Jon Wild.

The first thing that hit me when I boarded the boat for my temporary home was the humidity. I believe it was around 95%!
On our way down the Sakonyar River we noticed an Orang-utan high up in a tree- top preparing his nest for sleep. This is quite a rare sight to see them in the wild like that as Yen told me they are quite shy creatures in the wild. When I arrived at my guesthouse I was taken to my room where I chose right away to put a Mosquito net around my bed! The bathroom called a “Mandy” had a “Bak” for bathing. This is an upright vessel containing the well water that you scoop out with a plastic container and then pour the water over yourself. Although not conventional for me I felt grateful to have experienced this “hands on” Indonesian way of life.

My first walk through an Indonesian forest was one of awe and wonder at how diverse it actually is. At one point I felt like I was walking in the deep jungle and then I came to a more open and sandy part. It is here that I witnessed the setting up of a “Camera trap” for identifying wildcats where we first noticed some wildcat footprints. As some wildcats are poached it is important to identify their numbers as this helps build a stronger case for protection.

Although Yen had planned something for me the next day we needed to put that plan on hold as a little emergency came up. Apparently a feral Orang-utan (whom we named Robert) came back to camp. It appeared that he had been in a fight with a more dominant male and he became injured with a tare in his back. The FNPF veterinarians observed that Robert was about 15 years of age and his cheek pads were just starting to develop. In order to operate he needed to be tranquillised. A bamboo blow- pipe did this. The FNPF field staff member was so accurate at using this instrument that Robert was hit right where the vets wanted. He slowly fell to the ground and was stitched up on the operating table. I had the opportunity of observing the whole process of tranquillising and operating on Robert from an appropriate distance. He was then taken to a cage a few meters away from the clinic to rehabilitate. After he recovered he was to be released back into the forest, however this was a slow process so as to make it a natural process as possible.

Illegal logging is unfortunately destroying orang-utan’s preferred habitat of peat swamp forest and it is not just in Tanjung Putting that illegal logging is out of control. It is all over Indonesia, including other National Parks. More than 70% of Indonesia’s original forest cover has been lost. Within the last decade, the wild Orang-utan population has decreased by 50%. Knowing these facts I was given the opportunity to observe how FNPF carry out their reforestation projects. The areas being reforested are part of the home range of wild and ex-captive orang-utans and contain rare species of valuable trees. Only native tree species are replanted in order to maintain the ecological balance.

On the final day of my visit I took a boat ride down the Sakonyar River to observe other wildlife along the way. I saw crocodiles, proboscis monkeys, hornbills and herons. The natural colour of the River is black. A process of tannin leaching into the water by the plants causes this. Where the water is not black (or green) is caused by illegal gold mining. Illegal gold mining removes the top- soil and therefore it takes centuries for the forest to recover. FNPF are doing everything in their power to maintain the ecological balance of those areas.

The “Grand Finale” of my trip was a visit to the local village across the river. Here I saw the local school and along my way a little boy ran out to greet me and to also see where I came from. Luckily I had a little Australian souvenir in my pocket to give him, which he was so delighted to receive! Many of the people employed in this village are working in FNPF’s rehabilitation and reforestation work. There is also an established batik workshop that teaches this ancient art of fabric design and manufactures products for sale. FNPF works in the villages to develop other sources of income including the ones I just mentioned.

I had a truly enriching, educational and unforgettable experience. It was an experience of a lifetime! Here’s the link:  http://fnpf.org

Regards,

Geri

Man of the Jungle

Many times people comment on how detailed my work is and are amazed at how I manage to do that with pencils and pastels yet sometimes I do struggle to see all the detail that I know is necessary to make my drawing look realistic.

Again, this is another ‘expectation’ that I sometimes put on myself and it’s not because my eyes are failing; it’s because I tell myself that my drawing ‘should’ look perfect. Sometimes I get stuck in certain areas and it feels like I am going ‘cross-eyed’! That is the point when I need to take a break.

After I come back from my break I even leave that area that I was struggling with before and start on a new area. Once I begin the new area I can see the area that I was struggling with in a whole new context because there are now new lines, shadows and forms that helps me see it in the right perspective and balance. For example I may be struggling with the position of a left eye, yet if I fill in more detail by expanding on the nose and the ears, the eyes have somewhere to ‘sit’ and are not an isolated area that I was trying to get right just on it’s own.

Something that I practice when I look at my drawing and it feels like nothing is coming together, is to walk away from my drawing completely and go outside. This is where I not only involve my eyes but more of my other senses. When I look at a flower or leaf for instance, I truly study it. I notice the form, the shape, whether there is symmetry and how many shades of one particular colour there would be. I look at how the sun shines on it or though it and where any shadows would lie. As well as that, I focus on the scent of it, listen to what’s around me and feel the texture of the petals or the leaf. This practice may seem a bit silly to some people yet it is wonderful for developing the skill of observation, which is essential for drawing detail.

There is also something innate that is a part of the detail yet goes beyond it and it is that ‘something’ that I aspire to capture in my drawings and help you develop.  By practicing the observation technique mentioned above, not only for when you become stuck but even before you start a drawing you are sure to develop that all important  “6th sense”. Drawing is not only about seeing but also about feeling.

Regards,
Geri

Hi and welcome to my blog.

I would like to share with you some of my insights and challenges in my experience as a wildlife artist so that I can help you along your journey of drawing wildlife. My mission is for you to enjoy your drawing as fully as possible.

I believe that if you truly love doing something that you will do it well anyway. Sure, there are going to be challenges yet I view them as something to ‘get through’ rather than a wall that stops you from going any further. From my experience of drawing animals I have noticed that when I do persevere through the challenges the whole process of drawing flows almost to the point of becoming ‘second nature.’

Although I have spent many years perfecting my techniques and developing my career I prefer not to focus too much on the time or how long it takes or where it is I need to ‘get to’. In hindsight I can truly see my experience as a wildlife artist as being an adventure rather than a destination, with each step unfolding in the perfect stage of my personal development.

I have learned that it’s fine to have goals with my art but not to the extent that my expectations take over from the actual process and then losing out on the full experience of drawing. I find that when I drop the expectation of how my drawing may look when it’s finished and stop worrying about what others might think, I end up with a better drawing anyway, sometimes way beyond what I ever “expected”. It’s like when you observe children playing. They just enjoy playing and that’s all there is to it.

Whenever I draw I choose to bring that childlike sense of wonder that brings me even deeper into the process. My wish is for you to allow yourself to experience that childlike wonder and be open to the experience of drawing and thereby establish a deeper connection to the animals that you draw and that will show in your finished work of art.

Regards,
Geri