• Bird Academy
      Bird Academy
      Share your work! This forum is a space for you and others taking the course to share, comment, and exchange helpful ideas.
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    • Stan
      Participant
      Chirps: 1
      DSC05168
    • Johanna
      Participant
      Chirps: 2
      cornell bird drawing
    • Ricardo
      Participant
      Chirps: 14
      Imagen de WhatsApp 2025-05-09 a las 09.44.42_fed7c7e6
    • Donna
      Participant
      Chirps: 11
      20250419_101544
    • Anna
      Participant
      Chirps: 3
      20250125_193843
    • Maura
      Participant
      Chirps: 15
      Cardinal
    • Angela
      Participant
      Chirps: 5
      IMG_3962
    • Cynthia
      Participant
      Chirps: 1
      Dear Jane, I have a question regarding paint. I typically paint in egg tempera. Do you think that the waterbrushes would also work for egg tempera. Having watched the your video demonstrating various approaches to mark making with the brushes and the use of such small dabs of paint, I am wondering if the brush would work for egg tempera. thank you for your advisement, Cynthia  
    • Verena
      Participant
      Chirps: 1
      Hello :) I've got a question. For me it's a bit difficult with the proportions. Can I use measuring tools to achieve that or is it not recommended and just needs more practice? :) Thanks a lot for this wonderful course, it's making such a lot of fun!
    • Natasha
      Participant
      Chirps: 10
      IMG_0155
    • Dana
      Participant
      Chirps: 1
      unnamed
    • Yomna
      Participant
      Chirps: 7
      20240419_151108
    • Vivian Salome
      Participant
      Chirps: 13
      WhatsApp Image 2024-03-01 at 4.31.59 PM
    • Donna
      Participant
      Chirps: 2
      I"m at the beginning of the course, lesson 2.  When I signed up for the class, I thought it was watercolor based.  I am a watercolorist and not sure I want to spend the money to purchase all the acrylic paints that are required.  Should I drop out -- or can I just use watercolor paints instead once we start painting.  And if so, do you have any special watercolor colors that you specifically want us to use.  Thank you
      • Hello Donna, I will send you an email to with some various alternatives to you. We try to make it  clear in the course description that this is fluid acrylic paint in this course but that doesn't mean everyone sees the materials references before hitting the buy button. So it can happen.   There are some other students on here using alternative types of media. You probably won't be able to get the same colors and fine strokes and texture if you use watercolors. However there is plenty to learn in the course such as drawing, feather tracts, bird anatomy considerations, and other tips and tricks that are useful. I will send you the promised email later tonight or this weekend. In the meantime you can search through the various posts throughout this course discussion boards and see the outcome others using watercolor have had. Here is the advice from our course developers: We don't recommend substituting other media for this course. To maximize your success in taking this course and for optimal results in your artwork, we strongly recommend investing in the Golden Fluid Acrylics, in the colors listed. Once you've mastered Jane's techniques in fluid acrylics for this course, you could find ways to adapt them to the range of capabilities of your preferred medium, if not acrylics. NOTE: Price for all paints from Amazon as of December 5, 2022: $76. Price for all paints from D. Blick as of December 5, 2022: $69
    • Janet
      Participant
      Chirps: 12
      IMG_6423
    • nola
      Participant
      Chirps: 1
      Cardinal sketch
    • Jerome
      Participant
      Chirps: 1
      I carve birds, mostly waterfowl, but songbirds as well.  I have never been happy with my painting ability. IMG_4556Hopefully what I learn in this course will be helpful in my carvings as well.  Does anyone know if the water brushes will work on wood?
    • Stephanie
      Participant
      Chirps: 9
      Hahaha, I made the cardinal look so angry!  I couldn't help but to draw some curved lines, especially under the rump. Noerther Cardina sket He's threatening to give me the cold shoulder if I don't get his portrait just right.
      • Eliza
        Participant
        Chirps: 2
        That’s really funny, I like it.
      • Kaiah
        Participant
        Chirps: 39

        @Eliza You made it your profile pic!

      • Angela
        Participant
        Chirps: 5
        Strong expression, that is fantastic!
    • Maranda
      Participant
      Chirps: 5
      I use an erasable blue pencil to sketch because I've always had a habit of drawing heavy-handed. Also crinkled my paper going over with a kneaded eraser, but at least it's just the initial sketch. 20231218_123825
    • Layne
      Participant
      Chirps: 1
      D983D1B3-18C0-4C25-B886-C5C846370932Something my husband (who has been drawing their whole life) helped me see was a little notch at the center top of the beak that really helped show that the bird's head is at an angle!
    • Lori
      Participant
      Chirps: 4
      You can see my paper crinkly from all the erasing!IMG_1037
    • Northern Cardinal sketch 01
    • Bird Dominion
      Participant
      Chirps: 1
      Here are the house sparrow’s feather groups (I couldn’t find a discussion like this in the page about feather groups):72AACFBB-E79D-4CBC-AC98-1BCB2EE1643D
    • Sharon
      Participant
      Chirps: 5
      Here’s my first sketch 😊BD592BEA-A938-4B85-BD68-A61EBE141373