Painting with a big brush and lots of paint

Bob Kuhn influenced so many artists in his lifetime, and was a driving force behind the development of wildlife art. Bob was an illustrator long before he made the jump to easel paining; however, he continued to use his medium of choice-acrylics. Bob handled his paint in thin application with very little impasto work. His complete mastery of drawing allowed him to take photographic reference to a level few if any other can. Bob drew thousands of small sketches, thinking his way through compositions and interesting poses for his paintings.

Bob's animals were alive, full of strength and emotion, and often he told dramatic stories right on his panels for the rest of us to enjoy. I don't know of any western artists working today who don't cite Kuhn as one of the greats, in fact you often hear his name right along with Rungs.

I really enjoy looking at Kuhn's paintings, but his drawings are simply incredible. He infused life into simple pigment and masonite panels and left an incredible legacy for all of us.