Drawing Board - Rowan Hunkin Art

Follow updates on works in progress and get the latest news. 

I have been working on this large fellow for the past 3 years. It is an oil painting of an elephant bull my family and I where lucky to encounter in the Hluhluwe-Umfolozi Game Reserve. I am still fairly new to oil painting so this one was a big challenge. It is also the largest work I have done to date. It measures 200cm x 150cm

Progressing along nicely with this commission. Another week or so and it should be done. There are a few new commissions on the easel at the moment. Keep tuned to see the latest works in progress.

This is my current commission that I am working on. I have been at it for quite some time now. It is a really large drawing, measuring 100cm x 75cm. Hoping to have him done by Christmas. 
 

Really happy to be drawing one of my favorite animals again. There is a lot of detail going into it. This is going to take a while to complete. It measures 70cm x 50cm. Colored pencils on Fabriano hotpress watercolor paper. Keep posted for more updates....

This is a commission I recently finished. It was a birthday present for Gräfin Heidi Horten and it is of her seven dogs. I was fortunate enough to present her with the gift and at the same time got to see some of her amazing art collection. She also proudly showed me some of her own paintings. This drawing measures 75cm x 42cm. It is drawn with colored pencils on Fabriano hotpress watercolor paper (640g).

I have just completed this large drawing of a lion. It was a big project that took in excess of 250 hours to complete and i really enjoyed the challenge. 

There is a message being portrayed in the drawing. Look close, there is a reflection of a hunter in both the lion's eyes. He is facing his final moments as is the species in general. Today there are less than 20,000 lions in the wild. Sad figures when one considers that there were more than 200,000 lion in the wild 30 years ago. 

Finished this remake of one of my favourite drawings of all time. 48x75cm, Coloured Pencils on Fabriano Hot Press Watercolor Paper 640g

I am currently revisiting one of my favorite artworks. I decided to invert the image. The original drawing was a Wildlife Artist of the Year” finalist in 2015. The reference being used is from Jonathan Pledger. 

I have been working on this male elephant for the past few months. It is now nearing completion. I just need to finish up the foreground. Once finished it will be heading off to London and it’s new home. It measures 70x50cm. Colored Pencils on Fabriano 640g Hot Press Watercolor paper.

This is a commissioned drawing of a young bull elephant who is coming of age. It is a slow progress drawing as there are unending details in the elephant hide. The photo unfortunately does not show the many different fine tones being used. 

This is a quick postcard sized drawing I did or charity. It will be available for sale at the “Wildlife Artist of the Year” Exhibition in Mall Galleries in London 1st to 6th May 2018. All proceeds will be used for promote wildlife survival.

I have not posted for a while, but that does not mean that I have not been busy. In fact I have been really busy doing a number of projects. This is one of them. I have had this idea for an while now an wanted to do this work as an entry for the DSWF “Wildlife Artist of the Year”. I found out today that it has been shortlisted and selected for the exhibition in the Mall Galleries in London from 1st to 6th May 2018.

It is colored pencils on Fabriano Hotpress Watercolor Paper 640g

88cm x 65cm (unframed) 

This drawing I completed in 2017 is one of my favorites. It was a challenge to do a white bird on a white wall.  I decided to enter it into the DSWF “Wildlife Artist of the Year”. Today I received the info that the work has been shortlisted for the award and will be exhibited in the Mall Galleries in London from the 1st to the 6th May 2018. 

Got this one finished recently. I used a white background to move away from 100 percent photographic rendition. I still focused on high use of detail and the way light reflects different colors off a white surface. It was a challenge to make the zebra stand out against a pure white background. 70x50cm.

Colored Pencils on Fabriano Hotpress Watercolor Paper (640g)

This is really an enjoyable piece to do. Spent around 35 hours so far. Soon will be getting to more shaded areas, which will bring it to life. The second zebra in the background will be less in focus to add more depth to the drawing. 70x50cm. Coloured pencils on Fabriano Watercolor paper (640g)

Had a lot of fun trying out something different. Was a challenge playing with the white tones. A nice combination of warm and cool tones. Photo does not do the drawing justice. This one must be seen in real life to appreciate it fully. Colored pencils on Fabriano 640g watercolor paper. 70x50cm.

I have started to work on the background of this drawing. I am sure that once the background is finished the elephants will settle into the page much better. the tree still has some work to do. This drawing should still take a while to finish. 

This one is coming along quite nicely. I am jumping between two projects at the moment, so I don't get as much done as I would like. Another two weeks and I should be finished with this one.

This is one of two projects I am currently working on. It is a commissioned work. The customer wants it to compliment another tiger commission they already have from me. I have spent around 65 hours on this one so far. It measures 70x50cm. It is being don with Coloured pencils on Fabriano paper. 

Finally finished this one off. I had to leave it standing for a while but now have managed to complete it. It was a fun piece to do. It is amazing that well over 40 different Coloured pencils were used to draw these black and white animals! It will soon be heading off to a new home. 

Ref Image used in the drawing was kindly provided by Tim Driman. 

I have been working on this for some time already. I had to lay it to the side to finish a smaller commission for a client. I do not have as much time as I would like to work on this but I hope to get it done fairly soon. I have spent around 65 hours so far. The drawing is on Fabriano 600g Hotpress watercolor paper and measures approx. 65x55cm. The drawing is of two zebras in battle. The reference used for this image is from Tim Driman. Thanks for your generosity. 

This drawing I did as a commission for a lovely lady in Stellenbosch, South Africa. The reference for the commission was from Anthony Goldman. The drawing measures 50x45cm and it took around 160 hours to complete.

Finally managed to finish this piece. It was a real challenge as it tested my patience to the limit. The bark on the tree took a long time to do. All in all I must have spent close to 250 hours on this drawing. I am happy with the way it came out. Now I am planning the next work.....

Although it may not seem like I have done too much since my last update, I have in fact been working really hard on this drawing. The tree bark is really time consuming. There is so much detail to in the bark with so many different colours. One cannot cover to much area with a single pencil, and I am continuously changing colours. I am really happy with the way it is coming along though. It measures 75x55cm. The reference I am using for this drawing is from Anthony Goldman. 

Been working really hard on this. It is taking forever. The detail in the tree is really time consuming. There are loads of different colors to be found in the bark. I will not push things and stay patient as I like the way it is coming out. 

I have been looking forward to doing a second leopard in a tree drawing. I have spent around 70 hours on it so far. It is a very detailed work that should keep me busy for a while. It measures 75x55cm and is with coloured pencils on Fabriano 600g satin hot press watercolor paper.

The ref. photo is from Anthony Goldman. 

Got this one finished after around 200 hours of work. I am really happy with the way it turned out. I have had it framed in the meantime and the framers did a great job. Off to work on the next piece...

Private Commission - update 7 Nov 2016

Have managed to finish off the left side of the drawing. I now have to tackle the fur on right side. The fur is quite detailed so it is hard to tell how long it will still take....

Been working on this for awhile already. It is something unusual for me as far a subject matter is concerned. I am really enjoying doing this drawing. I have spent over 100 hours already. I hope to have it finished in the next couple of weeks. 70x45cm on Fabriano Disegno 4 with coloured pencils. 

This is the second of my Ben Hogan drawings. This one took around 80 hours to complete. It is with Coloured pencils on Fabriano Bristol paper. It measures 30 x 42 cm. the reference used for this drawing is from Jules Alexander. I have another Ben Hogan drawing planned, but think I will take a break from them and do another wildlife piece......

This is the progress I have made on my second of three Ben Hogan drawings. This one is 30 x42cm and is drawn with coloured pencils on Fabriano Bristol paper. I have invested around 70 hours so far.

The photo used as a reference for this drawing was from the great golf photographer Jules Alexander. Thanks you Jules for allowing me to use your work.

IFinished this one! It is the first of three Ben Hogan drawings I will be doing in a series called 'The Ben Hogan Collection". The original photo for work is from Hy Peskin. Stay posted for more. I have already started the next. 

Getting close to finished with this one. Got to finish the foliage and then the sky and it will be ready to frame. The photo quality is not great as I shot it after dark.

The original photo used in this drawing is from Hy Peskin

Not doing an animal for a change. This is an image I have wanted to draw for a long time. I want it to hang it on my wall at home. 

It is of Ben Hogan, a golfing hero, legend and inspiration. 

This is an photo from Hy Peskin, well known for his magnificent captures of sporting icons.  The image depicts Hogan in his finish position after hitting the famous 1 iron shot on the 72nd hole of the 1950 US Open in Merion. 

What made the shot so famous is the circumstances surrounding it. On the 18th Hogan needed par to get in a playoff. He did so and won the playoffand the next day. It was Hogan's 1st victory following his horrific car accident that nearly took his life. It was only his second event since returning. Great strory and one of the most famous shots in golf.

I have done around 70 hours so far, long wat to go still. 

70x50 Coloured Pencils on Fabriano paper.

Reached a stage where I will put this down for a few days. I need to do a few touch ups to finish it, but I would like to do so with fresh eyes. I will be starting a new work in the meantime. 

50x40 cm 

Coloured Pencils on Fabriano Disegno 4 paper.

Ref. Photo courtesy of Tim Driman.

Been very busy with this drawing over the past week. It is going a bit slower than I hoped. The detail in ear kept me occupied for a while. Hope to get it finished by the middle of the coming week. Thanks for looking. 

I have started a new work to see me into the new year. Excuse the puns. I decided to do something a little smaller, 50x40cm. I have not titled it yet. The reference photo for this drawing comes from a great photographer that went to the same school as I did. Tim Driman. Thanks Tim. Enjoy the days running up to the New Year. 

Managed to finish this work before Christmas. I decided to change the name to "Marching in Unity". I felt it fits well because the elephants are all connected, in other words they touch each other forming one unit. It took just over 3 weeks to finish. Hope you like it. (Ref photo - Jonathan Pledger). Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. 

I have now spent around 70 hours on this drawing so far. I still have two or three elephants to add (one left of the large one and one between the two on the right). Once they are included I will work on the foreground and shadows  so that they are not floating in air. The rest of the background will stay white. Hoping to get it finished by the end of next week. Stay posted and hope you like it. 

Here goes with the next one.

Sorry about the poor photo quality. The light is bad in winter at night. Promise better next time I update. 

It is of a family of around 7 Elephants marching in a formation. I have spent around 24 hours on it so far. The page measures 90x50cm at the moment but that may still get cropped to balance the picture out. The ref. photo is again from Jonathan Pledger of Catfish Photography. Huge thanks Jonathan. 

Finished product.

This was fairly quick work for me! I really enjoyed doing this work. It was a great ref. photo to draw off. Thanks Johnathan Pledger from Catfish Photography. 

Now off to the next project. . . . 

Here is an update on my latest work in progress. It is moving on a lot quicker than my last two drawings.  I should have this one finished by early next week. 

70x35cm 

Coloured Pencils on Fabriano Paper

Ref Photo: Johnathan Pledger from Catfish Photography

This is the first post on my latest work. It is of a close-up crop of a zebra. The reference photo I am using is from Johnathan Pledger of Catfish Photography. I really liked the image. Looking forward to seeing how this one develops.

70x35cm

Coloured Pencils on Fabriano Paper.