Lee Leslie Art

Tuesday, August 15, 2017

Sketchbook: Bison

This sketchbook Bison was painted in 2014 on the flimsy paper of some cheap notebook I was trying out at the time. As you can see, the paper was not strong enough to stand up to watercolor, and some distortion occurred, which is a shame, because there's a lot to like about the sketch. I have since gone back to my standard Molekine Art Plus sketchbook, after trying what seems like countless other brands in search of that elusive "Perfect Sketchbook." But the truth is, there is no perfect sketchook, and I've found the Art Plus works well for most of what I want to do.

Wednesday, August 9, 2017

Sketchbook: Bobwhite

Since we moved out to the farm I haven't seen (or heard) very many Bobwhite Quail, and turns out there's a reason. The once prominent wild game bird is now near threatened, and has seen their population declined 85% since 1966. Habitat loss is a large reason for the decline, but increased pesticide and herbicide use in existing farmland is another major component. There was a nice article in the June issue of The Missouri Conservationist about the Department of of Conservation working with landowners to help protect habitats. It was from that article that this sketch was referenced. I used Derwent Watercolor Pencils and Pentel Water Brushes in my Moleskine sketchbook.

Tuesday, August 1, 2017

Sketchbook: Crayfish

I was really happy with how these pen-and-ink sketches of crayfish turned out. When I'm doing these kind of drawings, I'm always aiming for a certain energy that I feel like these have. Not for nothing, but though these are labeled "crayfish" since that is what they are known in the scientific community, I always call them "crawdads." With all the extra rain this summer, our creek has been high, and the kids have been catching lots of crawdads, crayfish, or whatever you call them.