The Cornell Lab Bird Academy › Discussion Groups › Nature Journaling and Field Sketching › Jump Right in!
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I haven't used water colors before. I just received my supplies for this class and this is my first attempt to use water colors and a water brush. I found it difficult to control the paint. The colors turned muddy. I have used acrylics before, just whimsical paintings. I found getting the proportions correct was difficult. The tail is too long and I couldn't figure out how to get the head cocked to the side. I am looking forward on learning how to draw from life and expanding my skills.
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May thought that it was scary to draw a new thing with no instructions but then realized she did it all the time and got the hang of it. I also thought it was a little scary but when I got started I realized it wasn't so bad. For May everything accept the toes and legs. I thought that most of it was challenging but when I got to the wing it got easy. When May looked at the picture after she had drawn it she hadn't seen the mushrooms at the edge of the picture but she had drawn it. I didn't notice the little patch of yellow vines at the edge of the branch the bird was standing on. But I did draw it on my pad. But we think that it matters because we would want to catch every little detail. And I think it's fun just jumping into the drawing without thinking about it. Thank you, May & Margot
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I enjoyed drawing the little warbler. I found the beak really hard to draw. Struggled getting the proportions right. The item I may not have noticed in the photo, that I noticed when I drew the warbler was the black on the feathers in the wings. The red streaks on the breast of the bird have always jumped out at me when I've seen them in pictures and in the wild but I never really noticed the black on the wing feathers. I used colored pencils and next time I may try water color. I've never used them before but just picked up some watercolor pens. Wish me luck! :)
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Felt pretty okay getting shapes sketched out, but trying out the watercolors really threw me. Tough to get the right colors mixed!
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Very quick sketch with pencil and colored pencils, in keeping the spirit of the course! I usually put more time and effort and pull out the watercolors but really doesn't come out that much better. I wish I could draw/paint thin fine lines which are needed for the feathers. Overall happy with my little yellow warbler!
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1. It’s been quite a while since I drew anything, and I have never been any good. It was better than I expected, but still pretty kindergarten like. 2. The way the Yellow Warbler’s feet appear on the branch. Yes.
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Drawing from the photo is easier than from the field, I suppose. Still, challenging is drawing the feather details. I might have missed the color of the feet, and the breast pattern as more streaked than stripes. Certainly, drawing makes me more focused on the particular details and field marks. It helps me remember them better, but also it is sometimes easier to depict than describe.
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We have lots of warblers where I live, but I have never drawn one before. Overall, kind of challenging because I don’t draw often. But I really loved getting to notice all the minor details.
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I was challenging to get the size and proportions correct, even from a photo. Drawing it helped me notice the shape and feather patterns.
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The practice sketch was fun! I enjoyed practicing the feet, something I wouldn’t have tried without the photo. I can see the benefit of using photos in the field if you want to capture details you can’t really see well in the field- like warbler’s feet. On the other hand, they may be a distraction from being in the moment with what’s in front of you.
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Starting with basic shapes and framing helped in the drawing. Interested to see how next attempt has improved.
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I've never seen a Yellow Warbler in person (that I know of). Now that I've drawn one, I'm much more likely to recognize one in the future. Drawing from a photo can be great since you can hone in and focus on details (since the subject isn't moving)--and you can choose to highlight details that catch your eye and let others fade or draw them with less detail.
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Drawing from a photo gave me time to look at details and have the proportions and shapes drawn as accurate as possible; however, the challenging part was trying to illustrate actions (e.g. the feet of the yellow warbler perching on the branch, what was the bird intended behavior, etc). I did not apply water colors. If I were capturing a yellow warbler when nature journaling, I would have probably failed to notice the contrast in the wing bars and how many bars they have.
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Very hard to get the proportions right. Doesn't look anything like a warbler! But let's keep trying!
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😂 I think I will look for a pencil eraser with a brush at one end. I've worn down the eraser on my Pentel a bit and see it will get more action as time goes on. Also, I will mark the time so I can see how much time is spent on sketches.
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I didn´t quite know what part to start drawing first, the bird or the tree and if I would get the scale right. I was surprised how hard it was to concentrate on the little details on the tree. I may not have noticed exactly how the claws grasp onto the tree and the line of the tail and how many little details there are on the tree. I think this first exercise will make a difference for me because I think I should draw what I most want to draw first and then fill in the other details.
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My colors look muddy, proportions off, I liked my drawing more, my watercolor skill disappointed me.
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Well, it looks more like a yellow bird than I thought it would. I noticed lots of people use the trick of re-doing several variations of a line, rather than get the perfect line the first try. t looks fine like that, I am going to try to do that.
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Some benefit(s)/easiest parts include not having your subject move and being allowed more time than if in nature. It is challenging to draw from a flat 2D photo b/c it is a representation of reality. I noticed all sorts of details about the position and shape of the bird and tree branch as I tried to accurately represent them in my drawing, rather than just glancing at a photo and moving on. This would certainly make a difference when journaling.
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Kaia's mom Angela
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Kaia age 11
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I enjoyed drawing from the photo because the subject wasn't moving and it's easier to pick up details and shapes. I thought seeing the shapes were easy, trying to figure out the light source direction and shading was a bit tricky for me. I have never seen a yellow warbler, so drawing it will help me remember it if I ever see one.
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