When I first handed my daughter Georgie a sketchbook at the age of 11, I had no idea it would spark a shared creative journey that would define both of us. What began as a simple way to explore something new together has since evolved into a deeply personal collaboration, one where we combine precision and emotion to bring animals to life on paper.

Father-daughter team Rob and Georgia.

 

Our latest body of work, Baby Paws, features sleeping baby animals in fetal positions, each drawn at around A0 scale, paired with a hyperrealistic pawprint drawn by Georgia. Every creature is placed with intention using Photoshop’s composition tools, guided by the Fibonacci sequence to create a natural visual rhythm. The work is minimalist, always on a white background, always a single subject and always grounded in restraint.

My art is a study in contrasts, a medium that dates back to the earliest cave drawings, yet shaped by modern tools and thinking. While I work entirely by hand in charcoal, I also invest significant effort in digital tools like Photoshop during concept development. Before a single mark is made, I conduct extensive desk research to understand the anatomy and intricacies of each animal. This research then informs ethical AI-assisted composition building and Photoshop refinement, ensuring accuracy, balance and a strong visual narrative before the drawing begins.

Wallaby (Baby Paws series), charcoal on paper.

 

In this demonstration, I’ll walk through the creation of our baby koala. I begin every drawing by posterizing our reference image in Photoshop to lock in tonal values, then draw a 5 cm grid over the paper to guide accuracy. I typically work in small groups of grids at a time, completing each section fully before moving to the next. I find beauty in the clean line that forms between the finished fur and untouched white paper; it’s like watching the creature slowly emerge from the page.

I use just two charcoal pencils: Conté à Paris Pierre Noire 2B and a General’s medium. A few firm brushes help me soften edges and create gentle bokeh effects in the fur. Negative drawing plays a big role, lifting charcoal with kneaded and fine erasers to carve in fine detail, light and texture. Charcoal’s forgiving nature lets me be bold from the outset, laying down dark values early rather than building up in hesitant layers.

Giraffe (Baby Paws series), charcoal on paper.

 

Every mark works toward a single purpose: to create the illusion that this baby koala is breathing quietly on the page. Light is the key. The brightest highlights are simply the untouched Arches paper, while carefully placed cast shadows and soft bokeh effects give the fur and features their depth. The interplay between these extremes of light and dark allows the creature to emerge as a three-dimensional presence. 

My Art in the Making Koala - Sense of Home  

Stage 1

Stage 1  Inspiration

The idea for Baby Paws began with Mulligan, our cat, curled up in peaceful sleep. There was a calm in watching him, and I noticed he naturally rested in a Fibonacci sequence (golden ratio) shape. That moment planted the seed for the entire series.

Stage 2

Stage 2  Composition

Every Baby Paws piece follows the Fibonacci sequence. I lay this out in Photoshop to guide subject placement, ensuring a natural flow and balance.

Stage 3

Stage 3  Reference

I create a posterized version of the reference to lock in tonal values early. This, alongside the original reference, becomes my anchor to map broad tonal shifts throughout the piece.

Stage 4

Stage 4  Foundation

A 5 cm grid is hand-drawn onto the Arches paper, allowing me to work one section at a time with confidence and precision. I begin with the head, the most intricate area and focus first on the darkest values. I use a Conté à Paris Pierre Noire 2B with a blending stump for a deep jet black, or pair it with a stiff art brush for a slightly warmer black. I “borrow” charcoal dust from these black areas to brush in mid-tones, creating my tonal base before moving into texture.

Stage 5

Stage 5  Texture

Texture is built early using negative drawing. I lay down charcoal powder with a brush, then lift it with erasers like the Tombow Mono Zero or a kneaded eraser to create fine fur strands, highlights and surface detail. I may supplement these erased textures with fine pencil marks to further accentuate depth and realism. Different brush sizes help create soft transitions, such as the bokeh blur of a koala’s hands.

Stage 6

Stage 6  Sectioning

I complete each section of the grid in full before moving on. I love the sharp contrast where detailed drawing meets untouched white paper, it’s the moment the animal starts to come alive.

Stage 7

Stage 7  Boldness

As you can see with this koala knee, charcoal is laid with confidence, not tentatively. I work with only two pencils: Conté for its velvety black and General’s medium for a warmer black with the occasional General’s hard for fine detail. Each mark is intentionally placed to create depth and weight. I then carve out highlights to build texture, pulling the light back into the form so the knee feels as tangible as it looks.

Stage 8

Stage 8  Highlights

Kneadable erasers keep highlight areas clean, while precision erasers like the Tombow reveal fine texture and fur. This allows subtle detail to show through if I’ve carefully and lightly dusted the area with a faint layer of charcoal.

Stage 9

Stage 9  Almost There

Even when the animal appears complete, it isn’t finished until it receives its soul, the paw print drawn by Georgia.

Stage 10

Stage 10  Paw Print

Georgie hand-draws each paw in charcoal from our research references, first mapping its details in pencil. Every paw is as unique as the animal it belongs to.

Stage 11

Stage 11  Emboss

The final stage is our Baby Paws emboss stamp and a quiet moment of reflection before letting the animal go into the world.

Stage 12

Stage 12  Finished Artwork

Koala - Sense of Home, charcoal on Arches Aquarelle 300gsm hot-pressed paper, 33 x 44½” (84 x 113 cm)
The completed koala and paw are photographed together, showcasing that this artwork was created by four hands, not two.