Drawing the bird definitely stretched my skills.  I am a beginner who recently decided to record visits from my neighboring nature preserve.  I record on 4 x 6 " paper as it fits in my pocket with a few pencils.  I have never drawn animals, people or birds--mainly focus on landscapes.  Painting was very difficult as I have never used media paper, watercolors with this level of detail or color contrast (intense black/rust vs yellow).  Also my attention span is short so I tend to focus in 20 minutes intervals.  The easiest part of this was the outline of the bird.  Creating the color contrast, bold markings and learning how to use the brush was the most difficult to do. Next time I will apply a lighter first color wash so later strokes can apply color.  Lots to learn!!

 

I think a photo captures the body posture, tenseness, alert stance and colors and numbers of markings for later reference. I would not have recorded these in long term memory if not asked to draw the warbler.  

It was hard to get the proportions correct and to draw details.

1. I felt pretty good, this is how I normally draw birds, I had a hard time getting the breast to look right.

2. I think that the different kinds of moss were something I was going to miss if i didn't look at it closer, along with the dark brow/orange lines across the chest

1. I find I tend to do a hard outline which makes getting the dark and light right a little tricky. I think my dimensions are also a little off. The warbler looked compact and tidy in the photos, my depiction seems a little too big and not quite right. I do find detail hard to get right to.

2. Yes, the fine detail in the wings, the striations on the underbelly plus darker wash on the back of the warbler. Plus, the detail in the tree - the bark, leaves and lichen. And yes, this would certainly make a difference!

1. I was nervous to start drawing. My warbler was a simplistic sketch with pencil, but still better than any bird I've previously drawn as I took time and care with it. I have no experience with anything more than doodling rough shapes, so I am unaccustomed to shading and perspective.

2. After drawing the bird's head I noticed that it is turned slightly toward the camera. I was unable to capture this slight turn in my drawing. If I had only been looking at the photo I would not have thought about this at all. This caused me to think about a subject interacting with the artist and the viewer. Do I want to capture that feeling of connection with my subject in the field when I am journaling, or do I want to show the subject in its place, completely and blissfully ignorant of me?

 

1. The proportions and details were a bit challenging. I don't think I got the beak/eye quite right nor the tail patterning.

2. I think in the photo you really only notice it being a yellow bird! Drawing forces you to slow down and notice the patterning of the wings, the feathers, the feet, all of it.

1. I was a little overwhelmed at the thought of attempting this drawing without any instruction, but I enjoyed the process. The branches and leaves of the tree were easiest. Getting the bird in the correct proportions was difficult as was shading the feathers. I struggled and failed to capture his posture-- in the photo, he is turning slightly to look at us over his shoulder.  This was my first time working with watercolors. I find them to be very forgiving and even hiding imperfections.

2. I thoroughly enjoyed slowing down and really looking at this photo. The details and vibrant colors of the moss and lichen and the brilliance of this sunny warbler would have been missed had I not been trying to sketch them.

1. Drawing from the photo was a fun but difficult challenge. I'm very new to this, so it's a big learning experience for me and I can't wait to see how I improve. I think the most challenging part is all the minor detail, like the moss and lichens on the branches and the color and feather patterns on the bird. My drawing is very basic so I'm hoping I can get better at capturing more accurate detail, like shading.

2. I might not have noticed the moss, lichens, and details of the bird's feathers, beak, etc. I think nature journaling will make me much more observant of small details, which is great!

1) I liked drawing from the photo because I had time to make corrections to a rough sketch without feeling time pressure. In addition, I could enlarge sections of the image to see details of the wings, feathers, eye, beak and feet.

Getting the aspect ratio right was challenging because it was difficult to adjust my perception of the image on the laptop screen to the area in my sketchbook page. (To start, I printed the .jpeg image in gray scale, and drew a grid on the grayscale-printed page to start, but some of the image on the screen didn't fit onto the page. I also drew shapes around the head, body, and wing parts on the copy before sketching on my page, which I'd washed in yellow watercolor and let dry.)

2) Had I not spent time with the photo, I'd have missed the (roughly rendered) details I noted above. The downside of using a photo is that it makes it easy to not trust my own perception and ability to note salient details, as DJ demonstrated in the introductory video.

1) I felt good about drawing from the photo because I wasn't concerned about this bird flying away in the middle of my efforts! I think that getting the shape of the bird came relatively easily - I relied on the concept of the bird being made up of shapes (as used by one of the journalers in this lesson). What was tough was drawing the wings. Getting the details of the different types of feathers that make up the wing, in particular.

2) It's easy to miss the intricacies of any subject when looking at it. Taking the time and focus when you are trying to draw it forces you to see things that you might miss otherwise. I think that nature journaling will encourage the "noticing".

At first, it was pretty daunting as there is so much detail.

Getting the birds' proportions correct was also challenging.

The curve of the bird's beak and the position of the nostril are notable. I'll certainly pay attention to this, especially when nature journaling. I realise it will inform me about what the birds eat and where they gather.

The different types of feathers and feather patterns were interesting and worth noting while journaling. when nature journaling.

1) I found getting the proportions difficult--and the wings. I also got caught up in the details rather than trying to get the sense of the bird. I also felt the need for color to make things more clear but suspect adding the color piece at this point would have been more frustrating. The head and chest went better than I'd have thought.

2)I really zoomed in and I wouldn't have done that if I hadn't been asked to draw it but it brought out cool details. I also noticed the nuances of the different feathers, and the faint color color differentiation on the head that I doubt I'd have clicked on--at least not in such detail--if I weren't drawing it. Oh, and the feet! The size and the shape of the toes and nails.

1. I feel a bit overwhelmed by all the details and had to first figure out, what is important and what do I see in this image. The details were easier to draw but I have to fight the wish for perfection — the details wouldn’t necessarily make it better…

2. I wouldn’t have seen the feather grouping, structures and proportions. Knowing and seeing them helps.

 

I enjoy drawing birds, but feel like I am not very good at observing them and recalling details. I would really like to be able to observe birds/nature better to draw both more completely and fully.

1. I found it difficult to correctly show that the NYW face is slightly curved. Based on a different session with Liz I thought "where is the light coming from" I found the shading easier after that fact. What is challenging is that I currently only have pencils. I envision water colours would make this POP!

 

2. I don't think I would have noticed the details of the bird's feet. The talons wrapping around the twig like a hook. I also would have neglected the shadows on the rump.

I found it difficult to get the bird's proportions right. The head came more easily, but the rest of the bird was challenging.  I certainly noticed more about the bird by attempting to draw it rather than by photographing it.  I saw what I interpret as a sweetness of expression and was more aware of the bird's claws and its ability to hold on to the branch. I also became more aware of the bird's shadings--not just a pure yellow but what looks like rust and some black on its body.

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I've taken drawing lessons since I was a kid, and I didn't find the drawing crazy complicated. I think I struggle with drawing the lichen, however. Specifically, the differences between old man's beard and the fructose type of lichen.

 

I think drawing it helped me look and pay closer attention to the bird's pattern, which will help ID it.

I found this very difficult in terms of coordination.  I am fairly used to careful observation of details, but I could not get my hand to reproduce the right proportions that I was seeing.  For example, I drew the legs too short— I didn’t plan ahead properly on how to get the bird in the right spot, nor could I get the turn of the head correct.  I look forward to getting guidance on even just where to begin to sketch.  I did this quickly though, as I hope to be able to capture what I see quickly in the field.

Having the ability to look at a still photo permitted me to see the sharpness of the toenails, the soft way that the feathers blend into one another from one area of the bird’s body to another.