Peter Hildick

As a career in art was considered 'risky' in 1960s Britain, Peter joined the Royal Navy as a radio mechanic and spent the next 22 years serving our country. Throughout this time, he drew for pleasure, occasionally selling the odd painting for a few pints. 

The artist gleans inspiration from film, photographs, field sketches and live animals. Living only two miles away from a wildlife park, he can often be found visiting their newest additions. He is also moved by the texture, shape and form of rocks and trees, often using this to create the foreground or background of his pieces.

After sketching out his initial ideas, Peter decides on a composition. This will be drawn out full-size before being transferred onto the paper on which the final image will be drawn. Using a monochrome palette, he captures the vibrancy of the animal by altering the pressure and speed of his graphite pencil. 

Peter says: "In terms of technique, I have a limited vocabulary. There is a pure essential line, a shade, and a texture produced by the repetition of the line, creating basic building blocks that can be  manipulated. The softest leads can be blended or smudged into areas of gentle tone, whilst an eraser may be used to reverse out parts of the drawing, thus creating subtle highlights or areas of contrast."