Drawing the bird was easy from the photo.  It was not jumping around!  Capturing the background and environment is difficult.

Johana 6 years :-)

Considering that birds are almost always in motion I often reach for a camera before the binoculars so I can snap a pic then zoom in, look at specific markings, beak shape and color etc. otherwise it's just the flash of a yellow bird in the bush,  blink and it's gone.  The idea of drawing  from life is terrifying, unless maybe it's a heron!  Drawing it made me look closer at its grasp of the twig. the eye etc.  Feathers and markings are still really intimidating!

First bird  I've ever drawn like this!  I saw more colors than I expected to, and I noticed the shading of the wing, the shoulder and the back of hte head/neck.  The yellow also has different intensities, but I'm not sure how to show that.

For me drawing from the photo allowed me to take my time, I could breathe and try to relax as I drew the bird.  It was a nice challenge; I can only get better from here 😊.  Using a photo allowed me to come back and take a layered approach, first get the basic outline, and then start adding details.  If I didn’t have the photo, I wouldn’t have noticed the upside down ‘v’ over the beak, the yellow ring around the eye.  I think when drawing a live bird, I'll initially have to focus on the primary details quickly and not worry so much about the details, things like focus on the head to body ratio, what type of beak, beak-eye to head ratio (is it a downy or a hairy woodpecker?), how long is the tail.

I found this exercise so enjoyable. Drawing the photo helped me notice tiny details I would not have otherwise.  Who was munching on that leaf? Did the warbler find a tasty caterpillar on the tree? What kind of tree is this? Drawing also highlighted the incredible variation of yellows, browns and black.  It was quite a challenge to depict with a pencil! Photographs convey dimension so clearly. I am looking forward to improving drawing 3D objects and scenes as currently my drawings tend to appear quite flat.

It's easier than drawing in real life. I can take my time observing the bird before sketching it. The most challenging part was drawing the details on it's wings, but the overall figure, face, and beak was the easiest to draw. 

Drawing from a photo certainly is a lot easier than trying to catch a glimpse of a bird in nature. The advantage of a photo is that it objectively provides details of the bird which are so important in identification.  The photo is more accurate to some extent but that can change depending upon the lighting and angle of the bird, whether it is fluffed up to keep warm etc. Drawing made me pay more attention to the shape and details.

I was determined not to be afraid or intimidated, but to just "Jump right in!". Knowing where to start was a challenge, it was easier to get some detail once I got the main outline of the branches and the bird. I probably wouldn't have noticed all the different smooth and fluffy feathers, as well as all the details on the branches had I not been drawing. Would this make a difference when journaling? I suppose so, if the goal is really learn and observe what you are drawing. It allows time to ponder, leading to questions, then hopefully some answers!

The beak and the eye were the "easiest" for me, but the contouring of the feathers was difficult. The more I looked and drew, the more I noticed. For example, the ring around the eye and the detail of the beak, and the way the claws wrapped around the branch. The nature journaling process needs to be one where you can take your time, and relax and focus on the subject. 

Had I not been drawing I most likely would not have noticed the details of the branch that the warbler was perched on. The branch had so many details with the lichens, moss, leaves and the overall texture of the branch. This is not to take away from the beauty of the bird. The bird was definitely center stage.

I observe more when drawing. I saw colors and gradations that I would have missed

I had a hard time deciding whether to focus on textures (individual wing and covert feathers, fluffiness of breast feathers) or focus on color differences (bright yellow versus slightly more muted yellow versus black on the wings). Tried to get the shape right by starting with circles for the head and the body...definitely think I got closer than if I'd free-handed it, but still room for improvement!

My pencil drawing seemed inadequate, given the lovely colours and textures in this photo. I realised I could enlarge the photo on my screen, so I guess that is quite an advantage over drawing something in the field. Great to see the other drawings and comments, a great first exercise!

It felt a bit off, like I was missing a support structure. I felt like starting came easily, but continuing past that point was really difficult. I don't feel like I noticed anything diffrent this time around. It would probably be a major different while journalling though, as you have less time to examine what you are looking at.

Thoughts about photos vs drawings: photos are kind of static, whereas a drawing is always a work in progress because is represents so many decisions, changes, alterations, and hints and so many that could still be made. A photo, and reality of course, contain myriad details that a drawing could infinitely explore.

Some really good illustrations submitted, I was not going to paint it however having looked at some of the other I will have a go. not confident with water colours, give it a try.  

Since the subject is still, I can pay more attention to details.

I felt pretty good about my first attempt, tried to get to scale right on the bird

For me, two things about sketching from a photograph stand out. First, with the picture right there I keep seeing things I want to fix, I had to give myself a timer or else I'd spend hours trying to get it "perfect". Secondly, no songbird I've seen would stay still for 15 minutes!