I have spent a very happy week drawing bones for Beautiful Beasts. After sketching and printmaking it’s great to sit down for some concentrated observation. I started off with sketches and then looked for some particular aspect of the bone that appealed to me. Here are the drawings. For more explanations and photos etc click on the titles to go to the Beautiful Beasts blog posts.
Under the Skin 2: The Beautiful Labyrinth….
A long bone I found near the reservoir. At one end there is glimpse of the interior structure. That’s what I liked
A4 Sketchbook: pencil.
The whole bone: pencil
Detail of above… the part I liked
Pencil study of the beautiful labyrinthine structure. I could have gone on for days …
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Under the Skin 3 : Something of the Rabbit about it
A curious thing, I now know to be a rabbit’s jawbone.
Pencil with a stray piece of dry grass.
Watercolour study
Drybrush watercolour study
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Under the Skin 4 : Lucy’s Skull and the Tiny Corset
The lovely muntjac skull that my friend Lucy gave me.
A4 Sketchbook
Watercolour Study
Gouache study
The Tiny Corset
The last bone. It’s a small upturned skull which was casting a long eloquent shadow, or it’s a tiny corset for a fairy, whichever you prefer.
Pencil: 4 x 2 inches.
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Footbone note : The reproduction of pencil work has always been problematic. It still is. Scanning tends to reflect the shiny dark pencil and lightens the image. It becomes a poor thing in relation to its original, with many mid and light tones missing. It’s fine as a record but when I see fine pencil work on the internet I can appreciate just how good the original must be.
