Dougalis Wildlifeart-Life studies-Portraits

No field work at all ,at the moment, therefore commissioned Illustration work depicting Nature reserves in Greece.

Once again, studies from my recent repeated visits to our local zoo. I must say that I'm pleased with the results, maybe was the frustration which forced me to be much more concentrated and successfully creative. Frustrated for not having the chance to be outside to sketch for months, due to my duties as freelance illustrator and father.

The lack of time to be in the wild, forced me to browse through my sketchbooks and re-work and develop sketches in to real paintings . The development of the pictures will be shown regularly in this Blog.

Having no time to sketch from nature, I decided to present here my latest Illustrations, published this year in Limicola the German field Ornithology magazine,showing the ground display of the Calandra lark, and the two others depicting Yellow-billed Loons under seawatching conditions.

Once again captive birds sketched in a "Wildpark" close to Munich. The birds were kept in such a distance from the visitors, which forced me to use my scope to sketch them!

My latest fieldwork has been completely executed in Nürnberg Zoo, having captive birds as subjects.

Last week I managed to visit our local zoo twice, and I returned at home with the sketches presented below. For the horse I decided to use acrylics, for the first time in fieldsketching, which I regret not because of the results, but of the waste of time. I feel that watercolours is the ideal medium , at least for me, to draw on location.

It was a very beautiful sunny but very cold day today. I used the chance to visit once again our local zoo and I didn't regret it. You can see the results below.

Two mammal drawings now, sketched today on location at our local zoo, in Munich.

A Grey Heron sketched in a pond today.

Some drawings of capercaillies, sketched at Alpenzoo, in Innsbruck-Austria few years ago.

I've been observing and sketching Bonellis eagles in Greece for the last 5 years. Since then this magnificent raptor became my favorite bird.

After a long time I managed to visit an artificial lake close to Munich where a very cooperative Ruddy Shelduck was waiting of me.

The Kestrel, the commonest falcon, has always fascinated and challenged me as an artist. The field sketches bellow made in different countries, in different seasons shows also the development of my sketching style through the last 10 years.

I found these Blackbirds in our neighbourhood very cooperative models. Through the last years I observed and sketched them many times.