Song of the Ice Wolf - Work in Progress 3

"Only a mountain has lived long enough to listen objectively to the howl of a wolf."
~ Aldo Leopold"

Slowly but surely this wolf is coming to life. I've rendered yet more layers over the darks. I've learned a lot from this composition and perhaps a little more about myself.

Song of the Ice Wolf - Work in Progress 2

We listened for a voice crying in the wilderness. And we heard the jubilation of wolves!”
~ Durwood L. Allen

Now I've managed to set the layers I've started to put more definition to the fur and the features of this wolf. It's taken some thinking and study plus a lot of patience to understand how this composition is evolving. So far so good. He still looks like a wolf. I've added in further tones of warm and cold greys, black, blue and a very light pink, plus a very light ochre then over laid again with warm grey and lots of white.

Song of the Ice Wolf - Work in Progress 1

"Anyone who has ever heard it when the land was covered with a blanket of snow and elusively lighted by shimmering moonlight, will never forget the strange, trembling wolf cry."
~ Unknown

The wolf has always held a place in legend. Revered or reviled this majestic predator has existed for millions of years. The wolf is considered a totem animal in many cultures. Wolves have been hunted and exterminated from many regions of the world. Man has a bad flaw of destroying anything our species cannot or does not want to understand. The wolf is the wilderness we cannot tame nor should we try to.

This is the first stage of the rendering. Medium: Coloured pencil on Black Bockingford Paper.

Serengeti Dreamer - Work in Progress 2

Again I haven't been able to get a decent image today of this piece. Things have progressed further now from the preliminary sketch. I've now rendered in the main detail with various shades of greys, browns and oranges plus ochre. The colours in this image are not true to the original work.

Serengeti Dreamer - Work in Progress 1

Sorry about the poor quality of the photograph. I've started a second work for the Lion Aid Fundraising auction for March of this year. Here's Stage one with the sketch and the start of the rendering. Medium coloured pencil on Blockingford Black Pastel paper

The White King

I've really enjoyed doing this portrait. Everything has come together brilliantly. He will soon be going to Lion Aid in the UK for charity auction. He wasn't a practice drawing - but a serious study of an adult African Lion. I've learned a lot from this portrait and hope to learn more from the next work I do. This has been a joy for me to see this beautiful lion finished. Special thanks to the wonderful team at Zion Wildlife Gardens for their kindness in allowing me to photograph their incredible big cats.

The White King - Work in Progress 4

This magnificent adult male lion is at last coming to life. I'm now bringing more definition to the mane and features using various greys and even blues into the mix. I have really enjoyed doing this piece. More so that the I have met the actual Lion this work is based upon. Laduma is a magnificent Lion in real life.

The White King - Work in Progress 3

Slowly but surely he's becoming what he should be. I've never done a white lion before so this is a first. I had to scan him this time because my camera battery was flat. Scans never do the true image any justice at all..

The White King - Work in Progress 2

I can see problems here with this. I'll have to rerender part of it to force the darks out and get some definition. Other than that it's progressing quite well.

The White King - Work in Progress 1

Shia - Work in Progress 2

Shia - Work in Progress 1

I'm not certain how this will turn out. 3H,2H and H pencil are being used at this point for the first part of the rendering.

Shia is the sister to Zion. Both were born in 1999 and were hand raised from cubs. Sadly on the 4th of December 2009 Shia passed away of natural causes. Zion still resides at Zion Wildlife Gardens Whangarei Northland the park is named after him.

Shikira

She's finally finished but this photo does the detail in the drawing no justice nor the shadings I'll try and get a better image of this.

Shikira - Work in Progress 7