The Last of the Big Tuskers: Double Trouble

I've sketched in pastels the two iconic but late elephants Tim and Craig walking together in Amboseli National Park with Mt Kilimanjaro as a backdrop

I used a series of beautiful reference photographs of Craig and Tim courtesy of world renowned photographer David Yarrow, see his photography here >

The original has been sold to a private collector.

How I sketched the above image...

I've chalked in some very fine outlines of the two elephants and added the sky and begun the background bush.

As they both lived together in Amboseli, I've decided to add "Kibo and Mawenzi" (Mt Kilimanjaro) into the background.

This will be a 34 X 22 inch image, so I'm using my larger easle. I'm beginning to fill in Craig before moving onto Tim

I'm gradually working down Craig's right flank and huge right tusk before moving back up the trunk onto his forehead

I've been laboriously working on the creases of the trunk and then I came down Craigs legs and tusks.

Continuing to work on the shadow and light of Craig's trunk working upwards onto his forehead

Craigs trunk and forehead are now beginning to take shape as I work up and across his large forehead

Craig's left side of his head and ear are now coming into shape with Mawenzi sandwiched between the two Tuskers.

With the Amboseli backdrop of Mt Kilimanjaro the two Tuskers are starting to come to life.

Tim is beginning to take shape now as I complete his dragging leg. I'll now move to his right foreleg and then tusk

Now I've moved back to Tim's forehead and will go down his trunk and onto his right tusk in the process.

Gradually working down Tim's trunk

I've skeched down to the bridge of his trunk and have added his leading leg that now outlines his right tusk and trunk.

Tusks are generally darker with old tuskers, I've finished his trunk, now to move onto his left remaining tusk

I'm now working on the foreground with a palette sponge to blend in the ochre pastel and lighter dust

Now that I've sketched in the remaining tusk, I'm adding in some ground shadows and will also add in bits of foreground

I've heightened the sky and reduced the ground area which lowers the horizon and makes the bulls look a bit larger