When we stayed in a kind of tent like thing at Warrawong Sanctuary in the Adelaide Hills I took lots of photos of the marsupials that they have there. One such photo was, and don’t hate me, of my wife being attacked by a big kangaroo. It came at her from behind and really hurt her, scratches all over her face. I had to get a photo before I went to help – really bad habit of mine!! I’d be terrible in an emergency. My apologies Gaynor 😀

Anyway, fortunately I took many more appropriate photos and I’ve created a small scratchboard of a swamp wallaby. Here’s a little “work in progress”, from start to finish.

and finally the finished art, toned with India Ink and highlights rescratched

Well, it took a while but I’m finally done with my latest scratchboard. You sure do see a lot when you draw someone or something. When you are forced to slow down and draw you pick up so much more than in normal life. Who was it who said they hadn’t truly seen something until they had drawn it? Someone will answer that one I’m sure.

Apart from the usual amazing look of the Himba tribe, the bits that drew me to this portrait were;

– her shoulderblade and the way it works with that look over her shoulder

– the diagonal of the rope/string across her back and the way it’s pulling into her skin

– the look in her eye

– the straw in her mouth.