Kookaburra
Life studies of a more-or-less obliging kookaburra (Dacelo novaeguineae). Charcoal pencil and watercolour on paper.
Done on a field trip some time ago in preparation for a scraperboard illustration project. I did a lot of animal sketches from life at this time and often preferred these necessarily quick, imperfect sketches of the ever-moving animal than the more careful, laboured final illustrations.
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/c5f46eae-51a3-4569-842e-eff2e0c3fbac/e5db428c-7383-468c-84e4-98bfbd0244d3_rw_1920.jpg?h=d5600a7ade6610a9601ec757e8ce1aea)
Kookaburra
Life studies of a more-or-less obliging kookaburra (Dacelo novaeguineae). Charcoal pencil and watercolour on paper.
Done on a field trip some time ago in preparation for a scraperboard illustration project. I did a lot of animal sketches from life at this time and often preferred these necessarily quick, imperfect sketches of the ever-moving animal than the more careful, laboured final illustrations.
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/c5f46eae-51a3-4569-842e-eff2e0c3fbac/9ac828d0-5608-4a24-8f5d-ae272a9e9c2b_rw_1920.jpg?h=c80bdd864b87e840b05390048175ac69)
Australian bush-turkey (Alectura lathami) (watercolour and pencil on paper)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/c5f46eae-51a3-4569-842e-eff2e0c3fbac/62dbfb36-34a7-4c8d-b370-8e4da3ccd094_rw_1920.jpg?h=8b41de0c05219ae14b1c5f73e3fbb372)
Penguin study: 'If I were a bird'
Some preparatory sketches for the 'If I were a bird' series: Little penguin (Eudyptula minor) head (left); penguin foot on rock (right).
6B pencil on paper. Based on a combination of observations from life, photographs taken of live animals and museum skins.
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/c5f46eae-51a3-4569-842e-eff2e0c3fbac/f6fb1c63-eba2-4ec4-b4fd-6a072d950591_rw_1920.jpg?h=1807aacd76faa1d35b0fcb1f79c30d04)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/c5f46eae-51a3-4569-842e-eff2e0c3fbac/ad5128a0-cb90-4da0-ad25-bf9bcc550db1_rw_1920.jpg?h=15cc61395a67f342f829350f80b14f74)
Vulture impressions
A little impressionistic sketch of a vulture and some study sketches for a class project. Various media. Drawn using photographic references.
Felt pen on paper (left) and biro on paper (right).
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/c5f46eae-51a3-4569-842e-eff2e0c3fbac/ce210539-d7d1-4562-8066-ad84b0ab9266_rw_1920.jpg?h=07b0df081d7390028cb12a4a88179bfc)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/c5f46eae-51a3-4569-842e-eff2e0c3fbac/4fc3b622-8082-4692-a1b0-a004f2341a57_rw_1920.jpg?h=1786d2ff8c3637ab1c4ced8e9aabb50d)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/c5f46eae-51a3-4569-842e-eff2e0c3fbac/c234193d-123f-4824-a65f-281056c452c2_rw_1920.jpg?h=1a1501e8de4307daa530140c16a7819a)