I spent a very happy few hours at Woodwalton Fen [ part of the Great Fen project ] this week just sketching and enjoying the peace and quiet. It really was very good to be able to soak up the atmosphere, listen to the birds and watch the fish jumping out of the water in order to catch the hapless flies which were making them a tasty meal.
It was an opportunity to remind myself of the play of light and shadows on vegetation and even though I only used graphite pencils rather than any colour, the very action of sitting and staring at the plants and studying the way they grow and intermingle was really useful in trying to understand shape and tonal values. I was hoping to use the material as reference for another hare picture.
Having done all that work as a background for another watercolour of a hare, what did I do? Yes, of course, I came home and started on a watercolour of another hare with no background of vegetation at all! Never mind the practise and reference material is always useful.
Quick sketch of hare preening itself. As I drew out the image, the similarities to our lurcher, Poppy, became apparent to me. Both have muscular haunches with thin elongated legs which are built for lightness and speed and deep chests for the lung capacity they need when racing at speed. I often see Poppy in this position and it's useful to use her as a reference.....
Watercolour and pencil on tinted paper
Watercolour 38cmx28cm
The feet are a little different of course, with Poppy having much smaller looking pads without the long tufts of fur a hare has but the tendons are just as visible and help to explain the mechanics of movement. I love the rather oversized feet of the hare which are often emphasised in sculpture, but they must have them for a good reason - all part of a speedy escape I suspect.
I'll work on both watercolours and have no doubt an idea for a print will be bubbling up in my consciousness, it's often the way.......sometimes!!
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