Craig's Companion

Tusker Craig with an egret following him

This is an image of Craig who was one of the worlds largest tuskers accompanied by his feathered friend. Sadly Craig died in January 2026 of natural causes at the of 54..

The image has been sketched in the medium of Pastel on a PastelMat paper whilst referencing a series of photographs taken whilst walking with him in Amboseli National Park in Kenya in 2024..

Reference photographs courtesy of Kate Stevenson.

This ORIGINAL has been SOLD to a PRIVATE COLLECTOR.

Below are a sequence of images showing how I sketched Craig and his feathered friend

Here I've done a light outline sketch of Craig face on before I start on the background

I've filled in the sky then added Mt Kilimanjaro into the far background

Here I've added some middle ground to give it depth and also sketched his little egret

Here I'm adding the little egret to the sketch before coninuing with the back/foreground

I've started working on the centre ground and then moved onto Craig's right ear and eye

That's his right eye and ear done as I begin to work down his right large leading Tusk

Here I'm adding some highlights to the creases on his knees

I've now filled in both of his two front legs and also added the tip of his long trunk.

Beginning on his forehead I'm moving down the upper part of the trunk and his left eye

My work station

I gradually worked down his trunk adding highlights before filling in his shorter left tusk

I've now filled in his left ear then moved to the upper part of his leading leg and back leg

Here I'm lightly adding faint crease shadows to his upper leg

I've added his stomach, now for the foreground with shadows and some dust

Now scanned and beautifully framed by Framers Gallery