Up to now I have shown "finished" drawings. This example is from one of my sketchbooks. Lets call it "Harvest" for indded that is what it is. Felled trees stacked up waiting to be taken to the sawmills. These tree ends make for an interesting pattern. Subjects like this seem to be popular with photographers if what I see in the photography magazines is anything to go by. I did this one during a stint as volunteer warden at Byrness Youth Hostel in the heart of the Border Forest. There was a bit of a breeze blowing at the time which means the midges left me alone to get on with it. This was drawn using 3B and 4B pencils plus a little bit of blue wash. The tone was softened by rubbing in with a Kleenex.
Overhead there was what I took to be a buzzard wheeling majestically round. When I looked more closely I could see it had white bars on its wings and tail. "White tailed eagle?" Surely not. You only see those in wild and remote places. Then I reminded myself that is exactly where I was. Later, back at the Hostel I checked in my bird book. Yup! It was a white tailed eagle.
That is one thing about drawing out in the field as it were, being still and quiet as I draw, wildlife often does come remarkably close.