Tag Archives: elephant watercolor

Browsing Elephants Field Sketch by Alison Nicholls

African Wildlife Sketch #17 – Browsing Elephants

Watching these browsing elephants was so interesting. They used their feet to dig up roots, picking them up with their trunks, the bashing them on the ground to get rid of the dirt. Then they leaned casually against a small bush and uprooted it completely. A little later, one of these elephants was following us down the road, while another was in front of us, walking away. Yes, we were part of an elephant sandwich! More of that soon, but in the meantime, enjoy these relaxed elephant bulls browsing their way through the African bush!

Browsing Elephants Field Sketch by Alison Nicholls

Browsing Elephants Field Sketch by Alison Nicholls

All my field sketches, are created in Africa directly from life, or sketched back at camp purely from my memory of sightings. They are completely finished in Africa and I use no photos or video reference at any time in their creation. It is always tempting to add finishing touches back in the studio, but I avoid this to ensure that my field sketches really are field sketches. 

The Original Field Sketch is watercolor & pencil on watercolor paper, 11×14″, priced at US$300. Limited Edition Giclées are also available, priced at US$120 each. Only 10 copies are available, printed using archival inks on watercolor paper, 14×11″, all signed and numbered by me.

A donation will be made to African conservation from every sale.

Until Nov 22, I will be sharing 1 of my new African field sketches every day. The new sketches are shown to my newsletter readers a full day before they are shown here. Click here to Join my Mailing List and see the sketches as soon as they are released, or see them here 1 day later.

Wherever and whenever you see them, I hope you enjoy them as much as I enjoyed creating them.
Tomorrow’s sketch is of Mana Pools in Zimbabwe.
Until then…
Alison
www.ArtInspiredbyAfrica.com

Kwando Lagoon © Alison Nicholls 2015

African Wildlife Sketch #15 – Kwando Lagoon by Alison Nicholls

Kwando Lagoon is an amazing place to be. Not only is there a wonderful view from the bar, the dining table and even your bed, but that view is liberally sprinkled with elephants. I stopped to count them one morning, and there were more than 60 elephants visible from just 1 of the large mesh windows in our huge, beautiful, room. Add to that the vocal pod of hippos, the fruit bats hanging in a tree, and the numerous birds, and it was barely even necessary to go out on a game drive. On a couple of occasions it was impossible to leave our room because of the elephants munching on vegetation around us. Photos of that will follow soon, but in the meantime, enjoy this view from the bar, and think about a visit!      

Kwando Lagoon © Alison Nicholls 2015

Kwando Lagoon with elephants field sketch byAlison Nicholls

All my field sketches, are created in Africa directly from life, or sketched back at camp purely from my memory of sightings. They are completely finished in Africa and I use no photos or video reference at any time in their creation. It is always tempting to add finishing touches back in the studio, but I avoid this to ensure that my field sketches really are field sketches. 

This Original Field Sketch is sold but Limited Edition Giclées are also available, priced at US$120 each. Only 10 copies are available, printed using archival inks on watercolor paper, 14×11″, all signed and numbered by me.

A donation will be made to African conservation from every sale.

Until Nov 22, I will be sharing 1 of my new African field sketches every day. The new sketches are shown to my newsletter readers a full day before they are shown here. Click here to Join my Mailing List and see the sketches as soon as they are released, or see them here 1 day later.

Wherever and whenever you see them, I hope you enjoy them as much as I enjoyed creating them.
Tomorrow’s sketch is of elephants at Kwando Lagoon.
Until then…
Alison
www.ArtInspiredbyAfrica.com

Elephant Drinking Field Sketch by Alison Nicholls

African Field Sketch #2: Elephant Drinking by Alison Nicholls

Sketching a drinking elephant from this angle can be difficult, as you can see straight into the elephant’s mouth, and there is some serious foreshortening on the trunk.  But I decided to go ahead, and I thought the 2nd elephant, facing the opposite direction, made this an interesting composition. The browns and greens reflect the colors of the water in the muddy waterhole, and there is always a blacksmith lapwing (plover) present at every waterhole, so I added him too.

Elephant Drinking Field Sketch by Alison Nicholls

Drinking Field Sketch by Alison Nicholls

All my field sketches, are created in Africa directly from life, or sketched back at camp purely from my memory of sightings. They are completely finished in Africa and I use no photos or video reference at any time in their creation. It is always tempting to add finishing touches back in the studio, but I avoid this to ensure that my field sketches really are field sketches. 

This Original Field Sketch is watercolor & pencil on watercolor paper, 11×14″, priced at US$300. Limited Edition Giclées are also available, priced at US$120 each. Only 10 copies are available, printed using archival inks on watercolor paper, 11×14″, all signed and numbered by me.

A donation will be made to African conservation from every sale.

Until Nov 22, I will be sharing 1 of my new African field sketches every day. The new sketches are shown to my newsletter readers a full day before they are shown here. Click here to Join my Mailing List and see the sketches as soon as they are released, or see them here 1 day later.

Wherever and whenever you see them, I hope you enjoy them as much as I enjoyed creating them.
Tomorrow you will see Painted Dogs (African wild dogs)!
Take care
Alison
www.ArtInspiredbyAfrica.com