The Last of the Big Tuskers: Tolstoy

Tolstoy was one of the very few big Tuskers left in Africa.

He was an old, big and powerful bull which had brought him to the top of the male elephant hierarchy in Kenya! He roamed the Kimana Sanctuary, a narrow piece of protected community land that provide elephants and other animals with water and safe passage as they travel
east from Amboseli National Park in southern Kenya.

Bulls like Tolstoy shared their rich life experiences with other elephants and are the mentors of the younger bulls, often intervening in any unusual or anti-social behaviour. Sadly Tolstoy died on 27th April 2022 from complications to a wound which weakened his condition and he was unable to get back on his feet.

This image has been sketched in Pastel on Pastel Matt Board.

The original is available for purchase.

Below is how I sketched this image in pastel

I've sketched the outline in a pastel pencil before adding the Unison light blue 16 pastel for the African sky

I've added some bush background and begun on Tolsty's right ear before I start working across the forehead

At the medium easel I'm still working on the right ear before moving across his forehead

Slowly worked across the forehead and then I've come down to the tip of the trunk. I'll do his remaining ear next.

I've finished his left ear for the time being and I'm now working down his right flank.

Still working around the base of hi right tusk

Having done the back leg I then moved onto his right leg and then worked in his right tusk.

 I gradually started to fill in his leading leg and then moved to his distinctive left tusk

Using a fine eraser to add nicks a scrapes in the tusk by removing the top layer, to show the lower dark layer.

I've added Mt Kilimanjaro and sister peak Mawenzi as a background and now I'm working on the foreground