Birds of the shore
Be inspired by Richard Allen as he demonstrates a watercolour sketch of birds on the shoreline, and shares his secrets for drawing birds from life
Be inspired by Richard Allen as he demonstrates a watercolour sketch of birds on the shoreline, and shares his secrets for drawing birds from life
I’ve always been fascinated by nature and wildlife and I have drawn and painted the natural world around me since I was a small boy. I was particularly inspired by the illustrations by C.F. Tunnicliffe in the Ladybird Books What to Look for in Spring, What to Look for in Spring Summer, What to Look for in Spring Autumn and What to Look for in Winter. The images of a countryside filled with stoats, butterflies and grebes encouraged me get out into the woods and fields around my home in Berkshire, and it seemed natural to take my sketchbook and record what I saw.
These days I am fortunate to make my living from illustration, printmaking and painting. I live near the Colne estuary in Essex, which teems with a variety of waders and wildfowl all year round, is on my doorstep and provides a wealth of potential subject material.
Drawing from life
I am often asked how I sketch birds from life as they are always moving but with careful observation it is possible. The starting point is to watch closely and study a particular bird or group of birds, then get down on paper as much as I can of a certain posture before the bird moves or my memory fades. I do this again and again, ending up with a page of half-drawn birds, but eventually patterns and regular shapes appear. As you get to know the subject the whole form takes shape. A good place to try this is at a pond at the local park; there will be ducks, geese and gulls, all tolerant of people and often in groups loafing, preening and sleeping. Pick a subject, look, start drawing, when it moves start a new study. You soon become absorbed, not realising how fascinating the plumage of a Canada goose could become. Take a special note of the angle of legs and bills, as these give the birds balance and movement; it’s especially important with long-legged wading birds, but also note how small birds grip their perch.
Field work
When doing a watercolour in the field I usually do a few preliminary pencil sketches to warm up. Often, however, a particular individual or group of birds will appeal to me and I will sketch the scene in pencil as quickly as I can. Avocets, lapwings and shelduck are favourite subjects of mine – their bold markings help to define their form. In winter there are always some around feeding and roosting, whatever the weather or state of tide, and I’m drawn to the shapes of these birds against the patterns of light, mud and water found on the estuary. Of course the birds move and the light constantly changes, but I try to fix the image in my mind and get it down on paper.
When opportunity allows I like to travel with my sketchbook. One particular favourite destination is the RSPB reserve at Minsmere in Suffolk; here I can sit in the comfort of a hide and sketch marsh harriers quartering the reedbeds to my heart’s delight, and I might even catch a glimpse of a bittern. Another regular trip is to the west coast of Scotland where the light is amazing and there are divers and eagles to sketch, as well as the incredible landscape.
These sketches often form the ground work for linocuts or oil paintings, sometimes many years later. Photography is a useful tool, but you cannot beat the live, in-the-field experience you get from studying and recording the birds in their element.
The step-by-step watercolour (pages 26-27) was undertaken by the River Colne in late afternoon in early spring; the sun was low and the tide was coming in fast, covering the mud flats. It was a scene of high activity, as birds feed excitedly in advance of the tide. It seemed all confusion and action, so where to start? There is order, however, and a few moments of observation revealed this. With their longer legs, the avocets scythe through the deeper water chasing shrimps, while in the nearby shallows knot and dunlin were scurrying along the edge of the creeping tide. In the foreground lapwings roost facing into the wind with their crests trailing behind them. Estuary scenes are usually a balance of blues, greys, golds and blacks and the limited palette I used reflects this.
In field paintings like this I try to capture the essence of my experience at that moment: the light, weather, tide, season and the birds hopefully all come together on the single sheet of watercolour paper.