Klipspringers:

As most of you know, Jan and James lead annual trips to Kenya. This last October Steve and Yvonne Miller from Dallas went with them. Steve has been to Africa many times for hunting, but this was the first photographic trip he had taken. They had a WONDERFUL time and took thousands of photos! They commissioned Jan to do a painting of Klipspringer for them that they saw on the trip.

Klipspringer are small antelope that live on rocks. They actually walk on "tip toes" to facilitate their moving in their precarious habitat. The group stopped one morning for breakfast and a Klipspringer family was on the rocks right where they stopped! In all of Jan's travels to Africa, she has only seen Klipspringer once before in Zimbabwe. While she knew they were found in Samburu Park, she had not seen them - and certainly not this close! The calf peeking over the rocks was the icing on the cake! Jan didn't get a photo with the calf as it appeared only briefly, so she had to ask Steve for a copy of the photo he had taken that captured the calf so she could see where he was placed and how he looked.

Because the background is going to be so simple, Jan has decided not to do the masking out technique of the main areas as she usually does. The background has to be simple to keep from competing with the main subject of the Klipspringers. In this photo Jan has done a simplified background of grasses and tree branches leaving the area where the rock is clear.

Some green branches have been added in the upper right corner, and the Klippy's and rock have been blocked in with dark brown/purple.

The rock in this painting is a granular granite type rock ,so Jan decided her regular technique of crumpled cellophane would not create the right look. So she did a combination of techniques to create the texture - both a natural sea sponge, and spattering with an old toothbrush. Between layers she did washes of brown paint until she achieved the look she wanted.

Here the rock is finished including some cast shadows that are one of the interesting aspects of the painting.

Jan is getting ready to transfer the drawing to the painting surface. You can see the white artist transfer paper underneath.

This photo shows the painting on Jan's drafting table. The face of the male has begun to be "drawn" out with off white paint. You can see some of the reference photos Jan is working from around the painting.

In this photo the male Klipspring has been all "drawn" in off white paint in preparation for doing the brown unifying wash and then doing the finishing details.

Here Jan is detailing out the male klipspringer. Notice one of the reference photos taped on the painting. Jan is able to do this because it is acrylic paint which dries quickly and permanently. Also notice the lighted magnifying lamp over Jan's head that she can pull down if she is working on a particularly detailed area. Also notice the elbow brace - she has "tennis" elbow from so many years of repetitive motion back and forth to her palette and the water bowl to rinse her brushes!

The background is done, including the rock as well as the male Klipspringer, with the shadows detailed out. The female has been "drawn" out with the off white paint.

The unifying brown was is now done on the female.

Here is the completed painting, "Klipspringer Family", 20 x 16". (Isn't the calf adorable, just peeking over the rock?)