Peacock.

Another update on my peacock piece. I have added colour and still need to complete the head. This is just a close up of the what I have done so far.

"Elegance"

I have started a new piece and it will be my largest to date at 18x24 and will be fully coloured. It is a peacock and the reference is thanks to the very amazing photographer Niranj Vaidyanathan.

This is where I am at the now.

Once I have completed this I won't be doing a scratchboard in a while, well maybe a few boards alongside other projects. :)

I want to try other mediums such as acrylics and graphite work. I have seen stunning work with these two mediums but I have never really tried them. I know that my first attempts will not be great but I suppose after a lot of practice I will get somewhere.:)

"The Future of the Gir" and "Midnight Hunter"

Another update on the lion. I feel that it is getting better as I go along and I am really looking forward to finishing it. I have decided to title it "The Future of the Gir" which is based on the Gir forest which is home to and a sanctuary for the pure asiatic lion.

I have also recently completed and 8x10 piece of a melanistic jaguar. It was based off one of my own references of the the black jaguar called Mowgli at Edinburgh zoo. It was also a trade piece for another scratchboard artist called Patrick Hedges and in turn for this piece I received one of his stunning pieces.:)

This is the first time I have done a black animal on scratchboard and it is also the first time I have included a subtle green background. It is coloured with Ampersand India inks. It is titled " Midnight Hunter".

Am not lion. :)

I have finally gotten into the swing of things with the lion and this is where I am the now.

I think I may add in a big scar to show that this lion has been in fights for survival! I thought it would make the piece more interesting. For the mane I am trying to portray raggedy, untamed hair to try and evoke a true feeling of wildness. So far I have used a scalpel for the whole piece which is a new tool that I am beginning to like. I also think I may add some grass as well.

Some of my older work.

I thought I would post some of my earlier work in scratchboard. Beware it is not pretty...

My first ever scratchboard, completed on the Essdee brand with a scratchboard nib. I know that it is not that good but it started of my scratchboard journey and therefore I adore it. It is a bengal tiger.

For my 2nd scratchboard I got myself a craft knife and saw the improvement drastically. This was still on Essdee and is a golden eagle.

My third scratcboard still on Essdee with a craft knife. It is a golden retriever.

On my fourth scratchboard I finally started to realise that to do better work I needed to get the ampersand make and this was my last Essdee board of an Egyptian Mau Cat. I think that this is one of my best pieces to date.

Then came my first ampersand board. For some reason I have left it unfinished, I don't want to go back and rework it. It is a snow leopard.

I realised that Ampersand was the brand for me and have never looked back since. All my work from there on has been on ampersand.

I think I can safely say that I have came a long way with my scratch art. I hope to keep improving.

Determination - Finished

I have finally finished my wolf board. I am happy with it considering the fact that it is the first time I have tried to tackle water and wet fur in scratchboard.

I could not have done this without the great photographer Steve from flickr.

Next I will be planning a big piece at 18 inches x 24 inches which will be a side project. Therefore I am not expecting to get it finished in a hurry and to be honest I don't want to because it will take a lot of planning and patience as I will be colouring it too. I have restarted the lion and will post the update soon.