I enjoy sketching and drawing as a hobby (though I could be more consistent in practicing more often). As a kid I always enjoyed drawing animals. For a while I was obsessed with cheetahs and most of my drawings revolved around them. Later on this branched out into other creatures, including mythical ones such as dragons and gryphons, which I tried to base on real animals as much as I could.
These days I still tend to draw animals and birds, though I have tried drawing flora and landscapes as well. Plants may seem simple enough to the untrained eye but they can be a real challenge!
Iād love to hear from fellow artists who enjoy nature as a pastime and even as professionals.
I love sketching and although portraiture is what I do the most, Iām trying to incorporate whatever is in my life, and hummingbirds are my current love. Why I picked one of the most restless creatures on earth is a mystery ā¦ ā¦ but they really are endlessly entertaining.
I agree with your observation about plant life being challenging, were I a little less concerned with detail it would be much easier, but the other side of my brain cringes at the thought of someone seeing my work and thinking ābut thatās not rightā¦ā.
How often do you draw?
I havenāt wandered too far from home with materials, but often have a 2B pencil and pad when I know Iām going to be sitting around a long time. Thanks to all of you for inspiring me to get out of my comfort zone - I live in an unusual place with lots of interesting things to sketch (Arizona, Sonoran Desert).
Iām very far from a professional artist and I donāt practice as often as I perhaps ought to. Iām admittedly self-taught, and I guess it shows in the composition of some of the below drawings Iāve done.
Like I said, there is vast room for improvement for myself (especially with regarding to shading and perspective) and currently Iām trying to learn and re-learn the basics, the art fundamentals, to help improve my skills.
Uploading: large-1.jpgā¦
I love to draw!!! The birds are all drawn from photos or images in bird ID guides, then I took the birds and placed them in a setting doing what I wanted them to do.
I used to draw all the time, but nowadays Iāve lost much motivation. I do enjoy working on nature subjects though. In high school art class I have made several works.
Nemastylis geminiflora (Prairie Pleatleaf), acrylic on canvas, unfinished. I will forever be bothered by the fact that the flower in the foreground has two stamens as opposed to the three it should have.
Unfinished watercolor, various plants portrayed: Quercus stellata, Fraxinus albicans, Ulmus rubra, Cornus drummondii, Veronica polita are visible. I found venation and shading on leaves in unified combination is particularly hard. I have looked through a few different methods of portraying venation in leaves, but havenāt quite practiced as much.
Otherwise, I do enjoy landscape painting as well. Back when I was younger, I made cutouts of butterflies and fish species, and maybe several sketches of birds. Now that Iām headed to college, Iām not sure how often Iāll be painting/drawing.
My art combines fantasy and reality. I will make the main subject a fantasy one ā fay-folk, perhaps, or people from an imaginary past ā and place them in a setting of real species of flora (and sometimes fauna). I might play with the relative scale, too.
I am inspired by nature quite a lot. Often, what attracts me to an organism is the graphic nature of it: the pattern on calligrapher flies, the variety of lady beetle patterns, a spread of seeds on stems.
I was creative for decades but never drew. When I went to school for graphic design in late middle-age, I had to take some drawing, illustration classes. I did okay and I was most engaged when I was drawing a leaf, seed pod, or still life of found nature items. My profile pic is one I did in color (most were in ink or charcoal).
Once out of school, Iāve rarely drawn much. Iām very creative at the moment and I do some drawing but not tons. But all my drawings are of nature in some aspect.
more recent work, Iāve been creating series of āart cardsā on the backs of old business cards. I do a wide range of stuff along with some slightly larger slow stitching / textile pieces.
For all of you who do create art of any type by hand: continue the practice even though you think you donāt ā have timeā . Make time.
Someday, through natural aging or accident you may no longer be Able. Itās difficult to adjust to the inability.
MAKE ART EVERY DAY.
Good for you, trying a lot of different animals. I tend to hammer on one thing for quite a while and havenāt branched out much.
Are you drawing from pictures or from life? It has always been hammered into me to draw from life as much as possible, but thatās a whoooolllllle different story when youāre talking about animals.
ā¦ but they really are endlessly entertaining.
