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. 

This was more fun than I thought it would be.  I really took my time and tackled it over a few different days and was very free with my eraser.  It was a great exercise to work on seeing shapes and using negative space.

Once or twice I almost flipped the page and had to catch myself. It took me more than an hour but once I was done I flipped and got so satisfied with the result! It also taught me the value of patience (the tail, the last bit, was definitively a little bit raggedy since I was getting tired at that point), and the benefits of negative space and proportions to keep the bird in the right size. A great exercise!

This was a fun exercise!

I was a little intimated at first. Then I zoomed in and decided to take it as chunks. That helped me forget it was a full bird. I was really happy with my end result! I took my time and used the skills from the proportion measuring and negative space lessons.

  It was not difficult at all, but it did take quite a bit of patience.  I was really amazed at how much it resembled the cartoon sample of the song sparrow; it really did seem like a collection of shapes - a song sparrow "deconstructed" and upside down.  

I found this challenging with proportions (Again!) That is my biggest struggle in drawing and always has been. I had to take a break after several tries then got back to it. Now it looks better, but not quite right. Using negative space really helps me adjust my drawings and shift things to the right spot or shape or position. Overall, I was pleased with how it turned out!

WOW that was one of my better ones...go figure!

An excellent exercise.  An old trick in human portraiture, too.

I, too, am happier with the outcome than I thought I would be! It was a challenge to keep thinking "this shape" rather than "this feather" or "this piece of the plant." I haven't had time to work on this class since December, but I had a lull today and was glad to get my drawing materials back out! And I can't find where to upload my image although I've done it before...sorry about that!

It definitely turned out better than I expected, although it was not perfect -- for example, the twig was not as angled as it was "supposed" to be so the leg on the right didn't turn out as long as in the sample provided. But on the whole I am pretty pleased. It was a good exercise, but I do wonder about the usefulness of trying to replicate exactly the lines/squiggles on the breast of the bird.  It was also definitely easier to draw this bird from the black-and-white sketch provided than if we had been asked to draw it from a photo!!

I tried three times before getting to this one. That was a challenging assignment, but worth the time. I really had to study the image carefully and used lots of measurements to even get this one. I will use this to capture one of our white-throated sparrows; they are all over our yard now. I love how they scratch  for seeds like a chicken.

I am WAY behind in this course, so this comes much later than the rest. I found this exercise STINKING HARD but I'm glad I did it. Had to fudge and add a couple middle sections to my poor chubby sparrow but I'm glad I finished it. The feet and the branch were the most difficult for me. Yikes.