That was fun...and tedious. :) I actually worked on this over couple of different weekends because I got distracted by the watercolors and experimenting with that. (More on that later!) For now, here's my upside-down sparrow. I think he turned out OK!

I was concentrating on the shapes but in sections which I find that I do when I am actually sketching. I found that I was also drifting and drawing what I wanted to draw in my mind and not the picture along with it being a fun learning experience.

I tried to focus on the shapes and lines. The image of the bird kept on drifting me away from the exercise. It was challenging from that perspective. Apart of that I have enjoyed it - in fact, I was smiling all the way and when I signed it and flipped the notebook I was surprised! Loved it!

This exercise was fun but still challenging. The breast of the bird took a long time to draw! Negative space was particularly helpful in positioning the feet and drawing the space between the beak and tail. It's a really great way to slow down and practice drawing what you're seeing accurately. I've done this type of exercise before, but not in a long time. It's good to revisit techniques like this no matter how long you've been drawing to sharpen your skills.

That was fun. I do think I’m getting more confident - now to get better.

This was a great exercise - it help my brain let got a bit and I'm pretty pleased with the result.

Amazing what disorientation will do for drawing ability.

The upside-down drawing was fun and a good exercise for concentration. I saw the shapes but I didnt get the proportions. Need more practice.

I found this difficult.  Now I feel that I want to get the whole shape and then add detail.  

I attempted this drawing two ways: in  the first I started with the feet and plant and in the second I started with the shape of the sparrow.  I was much more successful with using the sparrow's body as a reference point for all the rest of the detail.  It demonstrated to me how easy it is to get lost in the detail first which can end in disaster.  When I drew the major shape first I was able to add the detail more accurately.  Fun exercise that made me focus intently on what I was seeing in front of me.

When I have moved the drawing I have noticed that I have missed something. I wanted to finish earlier and I didn't see very well.

Ironically it was both difficult, challenging, and fun. I had trouble at first deciding where on the subject to begin. Then I really had trouble with seeing the subject as shapes because when I first saw it I recognized it as a Sparrow. My brain wouldn’t let me see it broken up into shapes until I decided to start using the measuring tool technique to keep me focused on perspective, proportions, & accuracy. Once I started doing that then the exercise began getting fun. I’m definitely going to have to add some of this kind of drawing practice in my daily routine more. Thanks Liz for this lesson!

At first it was difficult, but very enjoyable. I saw all kinds of shapes and it really forced me to slow down and concentrate in order to be able to connect the various lines- I was afraid that proportion would be bad, but was surprised to find the opposite! Thanks Liz, this was a great exercise and I loved your upside down drawing!

All those lines seems very difficult to draw when I looked at. But not so bad when I breaking down each parts. I enjoyed doing it.

It is interesting how seeing things differently really help. The negative concept I understood but found it hard to apply as I wanted to focus on the main subject - so I took a break and starting drawing landscapes for a bit - Bingo, I began to see the negative space in a different way. The upside bird was fun and was easy to follow proportion and placement.

This as a difficult but fun exercise. I was surprised by the process and liked that it required paying attention and slowing down when sketching.  I viewed the subject as a collection of shapes and lines which was new for me.  

This is my favorite exercise so far. It got me out of my judgmental, comparing place and just draw. I'm progressing through this course very slowly since I have zero drawing experience, but even crude drawings help me remember things.

This was somewhat fun - I felt like I was drawing little islands rather than the markings on the sparrow's breast. I had trouble with proportion, starting with the branch first and ending with the head at the edge of the page. A good exercise though!

Intense and satisfying, but not fun... it was a collection of complex lines and spaces that became shapes. It was easy to become confused. The desire to flip the picture was mostly part of the need for rest. When done, a strong desire to colour in the spaces. Those bold lines on the breast and the intricate lines about the head make you appreciate the song sparrow patterns that vary from bird to bird.

This was tough and took patience and a good eye. I didn’t scale it right for the paper, so I cut off the bird’s head. But it was really fun when I turned it over, and , surprise, it was a pretty good little bird! It helped me see the value in concentrating on shares, negative space, and proportions. On what I am really observing, and not what I think I should be seeing.