Tuesday Art Chat with Kerri

Have you ever spent hours adding beautiful details to a wildlife drawing, only to stand back and feel that something just isn't quite right?
Sometimes creating more realistic artwork isn't about adding more detail or buying better pencils. It's about understanding a few important fundamentals that can make all the difference.
In this episode of the Tuesday Art Chat Podcast, wildlife artist and educator Kerri Dixon shares four essential things every wildlife artist should understand to help create more realistic animal drawings and paintings with confidence.
The secrets to realism: Why realistic wildlife art is about much more than drawing every individual hair or feather.

Understanding values: How lights and darks create depth and form, and a simple black-and-white photo trick to check your artwork.

Choosing reference photographs: What makes a good wildlife reference and why the wrong photograph can make your artwork much harder than it needs to be.

Choosing art supplies: Why you don't need every pencil in the art shop to create beautiful artwork.

Kerri also shares some of her own experiences creating wildlife art, including lessons learned from taking reference photographs and working on commissioned pet portraits.
Want to put these tips into practice?
Download Kerri's FREE Wildlife Artist's Starter Pack, featuring four practical guides:
Realism Cheat Sheet

Value Scale Worksheet & Demonstration

Reference Photo Guide

Essential Equipment List

Download your FREE Starter Pack here
In This Episode, You'll Discover:Free Resource – Wildlife Artist's Starter Pack. https://the-creative-barn.newzenler.com/fp/wildlife-artist-starter-pack

About the Tuesday Art Chat Podcast
Join Australian wildlife artist and educator Kerri Dixon for relaxed conversations about wildlife art, drawing techniques, creativity, art supplies and building confidence as an artist.
Whether you're picking up your pencils for the first time or rediscovering your love of art, you're always welcome.
Learn more about The Creative Barn: https://www.thecreativebarnmembership.com
Explore Kerri's artwork: https://www.kerridixonart.com
Happy creating!

Have you ever looked at an animal painting and felt an instant emotional connection?
That's exactly what happened when I discovered the beautiful paintings of Victorian artist Briton Rivière (1840–1920).
Known for his extraordinary ability to capture the loyalty, personality and emotion of animals, particularly dogs, Rivière created paintings that went far beyond technical realism. His artwork told stories of companionship, devotion and the special bond between animals and people.
In this episode of the Tuesday Art Chat Podcast, we're stepping back in time to discover the man behind these remarkable paintings.
From spending hours observing lions at the zoo to bringing dogs, horses and even pigs into his studio, Rivière went to extraordinary lengths to understand his subjects.
We'll also explore some of his fascinating preparatory sketches, including beautiful studies of puppies and lambs created with coloured chalks on buff paper — a technique that will feel very familiar to today's pastel artists!
The touching story behind Rivière's painting Sympathy (1877).

How he captured emotion through animal posture, expression and composition.

His extraordinary patience studying animals from life.

What his original sketches reveal about anatomy, gesture and realism.

The similarities between his coloured chalk studies and modern pastel techniques.

Why understanding your subject is more important than painting every individual hair.

How we can bring more storytelling and emotional connection into our own wildlife artwork.

His interesting advice about working on several paintings at once.

One of the things I love most about Rivière's paintings is that he didn't need to exaggerate an animal's expression to create emotion.
A dog sitting quietly beside its owner could tell an entire story.
And it's a lovely reminder that realism isn't just about making an animal look real — it's about making it feel alive.
So next time you're choosing a reference photograph or planning a painting, ask yourself:
What do I want someone to feel when they look at this artwork?
Discover The Creative Barn
Would you love to improve your animal drawing and pastel painting skills?
Inside The Creative Barn, my online art membership, you'll find step-by-step wildlife art tutorials, practical lessons and a supportive creative community to help you develop your skills and enjoy your artistic journey.
https://www.thecreativebarnmembership.com
Learn More About Briton Rivière
If you'd like to explore some of the historical sources mentioned in this episode:
1896 Illustrated Interview with Briton Rivière – The Strand Magazine

Have you got paintings tucked away in a drawer because you don't think they're good enough to show anyone?
Well, before you throw them away, think again!
In this episode of the Tuesday Art Chat Podcast, wildlife artist and educator Kerri Dixon explores creative ways to turn your artwork, including unfinished paintings, practice pieces and even those not-so-successful experiments, into beautiful, meaningful Christmas gifts.
Kerri shares how a couple of simple watercolour backgrounds, originally intended to be painted over, became gorgeous designs for cushions, tote bags, clothing and even a bucket hat!
You'll discover that your artwork doesn't have to be a masterpiece to become something special.
Why your art is good enough: Learning to see beyond the mistakes and recognise the value in what you've created.

Turning paintings into gifts: Creative ideas for greeting cards, cushions, tote bags, calendars, notebooks, fabric and more.

Finding beauty in unfinished artwork: How cropping, repeating patterns and experimenting with colours can give old paintings a completely new purpose.

Getting creative with Canva: Simple ways to prepare your artwork and preview designs on products.

Print-on-demand services: Exploring options for printing personalised gifts without ordering large quantities.

Handmade Christmas keepsakes: Small original paintings, gift tags, bookmarks and decorations.

Creating Christmas traditions: Making seasonal artwork for your home and sharing creative projects with your grandchildren.

Preparing artwork for printing: Tips for photographing, editing and getting your designs ready.

Find one painting you've put aside because you weren't happy with it.
Instead of asking whether it's good enough to frame, ask yourself:
"What else could this become?"
Perhaps a little section would make a lovely greeting card, or the colours could become a beautiful fabric pattern.
Have a play, experiment and see what possibilities you discover!
Design and printing platforms:
Canva – https://www.canva.com

Printful – https://www.printful.com

Printify – https://printify.com

VistaPrint – https://www.vistaprint.com.au

Spoonflower – https://www.spoonflower.com

Redbubble – https://www.redbubble.com

Explore wildlife art tutorials and The Creative Barn membership:
https://www.thecreativebarnmembership.com
Ever dreamed of going on an art retreat?
Join Kerri for a wildlife art retreat at Australia Zoo, where art, wildlife and wonderful creative friendships come together.
https://www.kerridixonart.com/art-retreats/
Your artwork doesn't have to be perfect to make someone smile.
Sometimes a painting's greatest purpose isn't hanging on a gallery wall. It might be becoming a treasured Christmas card, a handmade keepsake or a thoughtful gift for someone you love.
So don't be too quick to dismiss those paintings hiding in your drawers. They might just be this year's Christmas presents!
Happy creating!
Kerri

Beyond the Reference Photo: Creating Wildlife Art That Tells a Story
Have you ever spotted a beautiful wildlife photograph and immediately thought, “I'd love to paint that!”?
But what if that photograph was just the beginning?
In this episode of the Tuesday Art Chat Podcast, I'm exploring how researching our wildlife subjects can inspire more meaningful and creative artwork. Rather than simply copying what we see in a reference photograph, we'll look at how understanding an animal's behaviour, habitat and unique characteristics can help us make our own artistic decisions.
I'll share examples from my Colours of K'gari dingo series and explore how the Greater Gliders living on our property could inspire three completely different compositions.
Because sometimes the most interesting part of a wildlife painting isn't what we can see in the photograph — it's the story behind it!
Going beyond the reference photo: Why a photograph can be the starting point rather than the final composition.

Researching your wildlife subjects: How learning about an animal's habitat, behaviour and characteristics can spark new ideas.

My Colours of K'gari series: How observing dingoes has inspired paintings that explore expression, movement and behaviour.

One animal, three compositions: Using Greater Gliders to explore portraits, habitat and atmospheric scenes.

Making creative decisions: How composition, lighting, colour, values and edges help tell a story.

Creating an art series: Why exploring one subject through several paintings can help develop your artistic voice.

Reference photos and copyright: The importance of using photographs you have permission to work from.

Before starting your next wildlife painting, try this simple exercise:
Choose an animal that interests you.

Spend 15–20 minutes researching its habitat, behaviour or unique characteristics.

Create three quick thumbnail sketches exploring different compositions.

Consider which idea tells the most interesting story.

You might discover that your favourite composition isn't the one you originally had in mind!
And remember, not every painting needs a deep meaning or conservation message. Sometimes we paint an animal simply because we think it's beautiful, and that's perfectly fine too.
The important thing is to explore your creativity and enjoy the process.
Learn wildlife drawing and soft pastel techniques with me:
https://kerridixonart.com
Explore The Creative Barn:
My online art membership, where you'll find step-by-step drawing and soft pastel tutorials, structured learning pathways and plenty of inspiration to keep creating.
https://www.youtube.com/kerridixonart
Watch Tuesday Art Chat on YouTube:
Find the video version of this episode and explore more art discussions and demonstrations on my YouTube channel.
A reference photograph shows us what an animal looks like. Research helps us discover the story we want to tell.
I hope this episode encourages you to look a little further, ask a few more questions and discover new possibilities for your next artwork.
Happy creating!
Kerri
#WildlifeArt #TuesdayArtChat #WildlifeDrawing #SoftPastels #ArtComposition #ReferencePhotos #CreativeProcess #KerriDixonArt

Can a drawing really make a difference?
In this episode of the Tuesday Art Chat Podcast, I’m exploring how wildlife artists can use the art we already love creating to raise awareness, tell the stories of threatened species and even support wildlife conservation.
This topic was inspired by our latest Draw for Wildlife event, where 135 people came together online to draw a juvenile green sea turtle named Elliott — and together we raised $1,350 for Turtles in Trouble Rescue.
One turtle. One drawing. Two hours creating together. And a very real contribution to a small wildlife rescue organisation.
But fundraising is only one way our art can make a difference.
In this episode, I also share the stories behind some of the animals I’ve drawn, including the Greater Gliders that live here on our farm, Gouldian Finches and my K’gari dingo paintings.
We chat about how simply choosing a threatened species as your subject can introduce people to an animal they may never have heard of before — and why telling the story behind your artwork can sometimes be just as important as the artwork itself.
How Draw for Wildlife raised $1,350 for turtle rescue

Why wildlife artists are in a unique position to raise awareness

Finding threatened species living in your own area

My personal connection with Greater Gliders

Gouldian Finches and how captive populations can give us a very different impression of what’s happening in the wild

Why conservation art doesn’t always need to show suffering

Using beauty to help people connect with wildlife

Adding simple information cards and QR codes to wildlife artwork at exhibitions

Supporting conservation organisations without creating more work for them

Why I donated 10% from sales of my K’gari dingo paintings and prints to d