The Wildlife Artist's Handbook

299 Pages·2014·63.05 MB·English

by  Jackie Garner

THE WILDLIFE ARTIST’S
HANDBOOK
Jackie Garner
First published in 2013 by
The Crowood Press Ltd
Ramsbury, Marlborough
Wiltshire SN8 2HR
www.crowood.com
This e-book first published in 2014
©Jackie Garner 2013
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any
means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval
system, without permission in writing from the publishers.
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the
British Library.
ISBN 978 1 84797 608 6
Frontispiece: Dancing Cranes by Jackie Garner (watercolour).
Title page: King Penguin by Jackie Garner (watercolour).
Cover images: Heading Home by Jackie Garner (acrylic); Roach Studies by David Miller (graphite and oil
on board); Whooper Swan Preening by Celia Smith (steel wire, copper wire and electrical cabling); Red
Admiral and Mayweed by Darren Woodhead (watercolour); Dancing Cranes by Jackie Garner
(watercolour); Red Rut II by Alison Ingram (oil on canvas).
Credits
Green, Gold & Dun © estate of C.F. Tunnicliffe OBE RA, reproduced by kind permission of John
Huddleston. Contemporary artwork photographed by the artist unless specified below. Chris Hindley and
Philip Nelson’s sculptures – photography: Chris Hindley; Nadin Senft’s Night Flight – photography:
William Jordan; Celia Smith’s sculptures – photography: Peter Stone; Ken Waterfield’s Nine Day Wonders
– photography: Barry Wilson. All illustrations by Jackie Garner, except where specified. Every effort has
been made by the author and publisher to contact the copyright holders of the works illustrated in this book.
Should any omissions have been made and the correct source not been noted, the publishers will rectify this
at the earliest opportunity.
CONTENTS
Acknowledgements
Foreword
1. WILDLIFE IN ART
2. HOW TO DRAW WILDLIFE
3. PAINTING AND MIXED MEDIA
4. OUT OF THE STUDIO, INTO THE WILD
5. ANATOMY AND MOVEMENT
6. COMPOSITION
7. PRINTMAKING AND SCULPTURE
8. PHOTOGRAPHY AND THE WILDLIFE ARTIST
9. ESTABLISHING YOUR ART
Appendix
About the Author
Contributing Artists
Index
Jackie Garner: Owls of Ancient Egypt, watercolour. Painting inspired by
similarities and differences in an owl hieroglyph, despite varying geography and
chronology.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I seem to have spent most of my life wanting to write and illustrate books about
art, wildlife, or ideally both subjects together. Bruce Pearson has always been an
inspiration and I am indebted to him for writing the foreword, letting me include
inspiration and I am indebted to him for writing the foreword, letting me include
his images and most of all for suggesting me as author of this book.
A huge thank you goes to Simon Trapnell and the team at Nature in Art
Museum, who have not only been encouraging and supportive from the book’s
earliest days, but have generously allowed reproduction of works from their
collection.
I would particularly like to thank West Midland Safari Park for generously
sponsoring my access to their extensive collection for sketching and research
trips.
This book would not have been possible without wholehearted support from
other wildlife artists. I have been thrilled and honoured by their enthusiastic
encouragement when the book was just a concept, and later in their generous
responses to my requests for artwork. A special thank you, too, to Jonathan
Pointer for going the extra mile.
John Hague (http://thedrunkbirder.wordpress.com/) kindly gave permission
for his photograph of a woodcock wing-stretching to be included in Jonathan
Pointer’s case study, for which he has my grateful thanks.
I am delighted to include works by George Lodge and Charles Tunnicliffe
OBE, RA in the book, and so would like to thank Brian Bird, of the George
Edward Lodge Trust, and John Huddleston for kindly making those images
available to me. I had the good fortune to meet Meg Stevens on several
occasions, enjoying her wit and artistic talent. Her art and words live on after
her, and I thank Roger Stevens for his kind permission to quote her in this book.
Heartfelt thanks go to the following for their expert advice when my own
knowledge was insufficient: Mike Amphlett (photography), John Brinkley
(optical equipment), Richard Sale (Inuit sculpture), Nadin Senft (sculpture), The
Mammal Society, Natural England.
Thank you to Katrina van Grouw for enthusiastic and generous
encouragement from the outset.
Thank you to Linda Barnes, Rosemary Gowland and Cath Hodsman for ideas
and input right at the beginning when this book only existed in my imagination.
Near the bottom of this list but at the top of my appreciation, I would like to
thank the best and most supportive family anyone could wish for, who have gone
above and beyond the call of duty. Particular thanks to Paula Wilson, for not just
going the extra mile, but for going several extra miles.
And a final thank you to KB for keeping his promise, through thick and thin,
to be 100 per cent supportive.
I could not have done it without you all.
Bruce Pearson: Bait Digger and Brents, relief print.

FOREWORD
Books about, and by, wildlife artists are plentiful enough, with every volume
uniquely inspiring – whether it is a celebratory biographical examination of an
artist’s creative output with dazzling reproductions of their finished works, or an
autobiographical account of a journey or artistic theme with telling insights into
the artist’s creative processes. Although each volume provides a visual feast,
collectively they tend not to explain in detail the mechanics of making the art or
linger on the methods and materials involved, nor do they fully expand on basic
themes like composition or tackle broader issues such as the context of their
subject within the rich heritage of wildlife portrayal in art history.
However, from my experience as president of the Society of Wildlife Artists
for ten years, and a working lifetime’s involvement in other art forums, those
for ten years, and a working lifetime’s involvement in other art forums, those
kinds of questions are exactly what most of those interested in art and the natural
world – aspiring artists especially – are seeking guidance about and answers to.
Over the years I have had everything, from the rather naive ‘Is it better to use a
range of pencils when sketching?’ to the very direct ‘I dream of one day earning
a living from wildlife art. What direction would you advise a student artist to
take?’ From the challenging ‘Why do you think that wildlife art is held in such
low esteem by the contemporary art world outside of specialist galleries?’ to the
slightly confused ‘I am just starting to paint with watercolour and am a keen
photographer. Will photographs help my art?’ However vague or focused,
invariably at the end of every question was ‘Any advice will be greatly
appreciated. Thank you.’ If only on all of those occasions I could have simply
answered ‘Take a look at Jackie Garner’s Wildlife Artists’ Handbook.’
This book is a much needed and very thorough practical guide to wildlife art
that goes way beyond the conventions of a step-by-step guide. It incorporates a
history of the genre, chapters about composition, field-craft, photography and
copyright as well as taking the reader through a range of practical drawing and
painting techniques and expanding enthusiastically into chapters about
printmaking and sculpture. Quite simply, it is a glorious companion for anyone
with an interest in wildlife and art-amateur or professional artist, gallery visitor,
art collector or note-taking field naturalist, among many others. But, perhaps
more significantly, it will act as an inspirational starting point for aspiring artists
wanting to ‘have a go’ after experiencing something wonderful in nature. And it
will encourage someone wanting to add a creative touch to their diary, or
perhaps help a dormant creative re-discover a passion for painting and drawing
wildlife. For those people, and for all of us with a keen interest in art and an
enthusiasm for the natural world, this new handbook will be indispensable.
Bruce Pearson, September 2013
Joseph Wolf: Peregrines, oil on canvas.