Wildlife Art – Realistic Graphite Pencil Drawing of Mallard
The reason I strive to produce realistic graphite pencil drawings of wildlife to the best of my ability is a selfish one. It feeds my endless fascination with the sheer beauty of wildlife, and that includes the humblest of species that surround us every day. Today I’d like to talk a little about a drawing that has become my most successful piece to date, quite surprisingly to me!
I remember that day when this little duck posed for me so patiently on the riverside near my home. I was able to get many reference photos of him preening and this is the one that caught my eye. I just worked up a quick composition placing him on the water and using light reflections to gently guide the eye to his face. Nothing else was needed!
“Mallard” was selected for inclusion in Strokes Of Genius 6: Lights and Darks published by North Light Books. This was the first time my artwork was published and I still remember that feeling!
In 2016 it was also selected as Ducks Unlimited Canada’s national sponsor print. I’m so pleased that it played a small role in protecting Canadian habitat!
“Mallard” was also selected for inclusion in North Light Books’ Art Journey Animals. While quantities last, I am proud to offer Art Journey Animals in combination with an Artist’s Proof of “Mallard” on my Reproductions page. From North Light books’ website: “Art Journey Animals is the first-ever compendium of the most soulful and inspiring animal and wildlife artworks, culled from the winners of North Light’s popular competition-books series. More than 100 hand-selected drawings and paintings by a wide variety of top contemporary artists have been carefully curated to capture the wonder of nature, from the family room to the farm and the sea to the savanna.”
Here’s a short time-lapse video of of the work-in progress for this drawing. Hope you enjoy it!
As always if you have any comments or questions please let me know! I enjoy hearing from you!
