NORTH ISLAND ROBINS
This is a set of studies of New Zealand robins. I photographed them in a nature reserve on an island in Lake Rotorua. They are heavier than our native robins but they share the same characteristics, alert, fearless and inquisitive if you disturb the ground they immediately fly down to search for insects at your feet. They don't have the red breast of the UK species - you'd take them to be simply black and white until you look closely. In nature blacks are never black neither are whites true white.
For these studies I used acrylic on a prepared canvas board. I drew directly with the brush it's easy to correct outlines and proportions with acrylic making it an ideal medium for sketches and studies. Each study is at a different stage of completion.