• Kayla
      Participant
      Chirps: 19
      1. I think drawings have a more personal advantage over photos. There's more effort and emotion put into them, and the artist can add their own personal touches and interpretation. The advantage photos have over drawings however is that they're more realistic, and they can capture the moment perfectly. 2. Drawing from the photo was a lot of fun. The most difficult part for me was getting the legs and feet right. I have always struggled with this when depicting birds. I hope that I can improve by the end of this course. 3. If I wasn't asked to draw this Warbler, I wouldn't have noticed the touches of yellow on its feet. It wouldn't make a huge difference in nature journaling, but if it was a more distinct characteristic on the bird ex.(the yellow feet of the Snowy Egret) than it would make a bigger difference. IMG-4431
    • Arleene
      Participant
      Chirps: 20
      Sorry I inserted two images by mistake. Getting used to how this works! I find it easier to draw from a picture rather than in real time. Likely because that is how I drew in the past and the three dimensional aspect is different from a picture. I look forward to learning how to draw in the field. I find the proportions and the detail difficult. I enjoyed examining the bird and the leaves, the variations of color and shading. I would like to learn how to draw quick and simple sketches with enough detail to identify species later on. Looking forward to more lessons!
    • Arleene
      Participant
      Chirps: 20
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    • Judy
      Participant
      Chirps: 2
      YellowWarbler1
    • Judy
      Participant
      Chirps: 2
      1.I liked drawing from the photo - it was easier for me than drawing from a painting. or drawing from life. Could see details. But is 2 dimensional. Nothing comes easily for me when drawing or sketching.  I will be 79 in a couple of days and I have always had trouble with spatial perception and transferring what I see to paper.  I think I am finally beginning to learn how to look at something and figure out how the parts make up the whole. 2.I probably would not have noticed the ruffled feathers on the belly, the layering of the wing feathers, and the slight shadowing on the far side of the throat. I think it would make a difference. Your sketch would look too flat if it did not indicate this dimensionality. I can see why some journalists choose to have small side boxes showing details like the above.
    • Jim
      Participant
      Chirps: 2
      First attempt at Yellow Warbler. Proportions are off; not quite plump enough. The process draws attention to structure and details that would not have been otherwise evident - the layers of feathers, the subtle shading. First time I've used colored pencils in a drawing. Shading my pencil, dark lines via pen.  Would love to know how to draw that bark twig realistically.  IMG_2442
    • Charlotte
      Participant
      Chirps: 3
      • Using only pencil I found myself looking more at the detail to try and express the colour differences in the birds plumage and the structure of each lichen a little more, this I would not have noticed so easily had I not drawn them. The blemishes on the leaves, and the amount of variation in colour on the warbler I dont think I would have taken as much notice of either. Really enjoyed this exercise!
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    • Sylvia
      Participant
      Chirps: 2
      I enjoyed drawing this Yellow Warbler from its photo, although it would also be interesting to draw it from life.  The photo is two dimensional, but it does help me to see details, form, etc., in an accurate way.  As I am not a trained artist, I do find this challenging, but my naturalist training is helping me with composition, relative size in relation to the branch, and focusing on the details.  If I had not been asked to draw it, I might have missed the bit of gray lichen in the lower left corner, on the branch.  In nature journaling, it can be important to capture such a detail, unless you want to focus only on the bird itself.
    • Kelly
      Participant
      Chirps: 4
      Noticing details came easy but it was hard to show them with just pencil. Labels helped and I was happy with the capturing of those key features. When it was done I noticed that the shape wasn't quite right and I'd like to try that again. It felt like I went straight to the ID details and forgot to start with those basic shapes. Since I didn't have color I found myself thinking more deeply about how to clearly communicate the colors in words.PXL_20210723_220325467
    • Leon
      Participant
      Chirps: 1
      image
    • Esteban
      Participant
      Chirps: 170
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    • Patricia
      Participant
      Chirps: 7
      Yellow warbler
    • Susan
      Participant
      Chirps: 3
      I forgot to add my sketch. My pencil wanted to be everywhere. Trying to figure our proportions and, well, moving from blob to bird…really a challenge for me.18EBD8E7-F0A4-45FC-8748-169E686E4BF7
    • Susan
      Participant
      Chirps: 3
      I notice so many more details now when I am sketching. Many details I can translate onto my page, or even suggest them. That is a little frustrating. Using the sketchy-sketchy technique has really help. I’m learning what to leave and what to erase. Drawing from a photo feel like a great way to start. My subject doesn’t move, the light remains consistent. Doing it on the fly outside feels like a pipe-dream at this time, but I’m ready and willing to improve and try!
    • Marc
      Participant
      Chirps: 16
      B0DEA6DF-CABA-43BF-B340-66C5694EE214So this is my attempt at the Yellow Warbler, which was interesting experience that I really enjoyed! My experience in drawing is very limited but I had the luxury of a still image. I found the easiest and (I say easiest not lightly) part for me was the slow sketch of the bird and then more difficult as I tried to add the extra details of the bird. then came the watercolours, with no experience and the recommended course material I began to slop the colours on. It became a exercise in colour management and water control fairly quickly. Saying that some of the shading and lighter browns I wouldn’t have noticed at first if I didn’t take my time so that was incredibly rewarding. Personally I had a excellent time and I’m fairly proud of what I produced. Next time I would incorporate a journal style and some notes. The yellow warbler
    • Makoto
      Participant
      Chirps: 1
      IMG_1636 I usually get very nervous when drawing. I'd like to know how to be more relaxed and draw more comfortably.
      • Susan
        Participant
        Chirps: 3
        That’s how I feel as well, Makoto. It isn’t unlike how I feel when writing something. Both involve blank pages. I have trouble diving in and just going for it. Great study of the warbler, Makoto!
      • Kayla
        Participant
        Chirps: 19
        This is such a beautiful sketch!
    • Leslie McCawley
      Participant
      Chirps: 1
      Yellow Warbler - July 11 2021 I liked how I had to really spend time tuning in and focusing intently to see all the details.  
    • Jacqueline
      Participant
      Chirps: 14
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    • Jacqueline
      Participant
      Chirps: 14
      It was a fun task.  Getting the different layers of feathers is a challenge.  And proportion  along with details offer their own difficulty for me.  With the picture to refer to is absolutely a help and I can imagine trying to draw this bird as it is moving, standing still only a short time will need some good advice.
    • Diane
      Participant
      Chirps: 2
      Drawing from the photo was easy because the bird didn't move and I had plenty of time to draw everything I saw.  The challenging part was figuring out what to draw first and making sure of placement and that everything was the correct size.  If I wasn't asked to draw the picture I might not have noticed the position of the Warbler's legs, one seems to be straight and the other is bent.  I think that might make a difference when nature journaling  because  it shows how the bird balances  on a branch.
    • Leslie
      Participant
      Chirps: 2
      I realized when doing this sketch that it required time, which is good for me to experience as I often guide youth in nature journaling, and this is the first time I have taken time to sketch myself.  And for me, this is pretty good.  I look forward to getting better!  The advantages of sketching over photos is that one becomes intimately connected to the organism observing.  The internal and eternal connection is a strong bond.  Another advantage is that the details are noticed.  The advantages of photos is that they show precisely what the organism looks like.  Photos can be revisited for a specific point in time with out change, such as a quick visit by a bird or an organism that will change over time, such as a flower.  I enjoyed this exercise and look forward to the next. warbler sketch Leslie
    • jennifer
      Participant
      Chirps: 2
      The outline was challenging as were the small details and the shading. I noticed a lot about the birds feathers and how they fall together on its back and a lot about the body shape and the coloring and the head shape.
    • Dominique
      Participant
      Chirps: 21
      Im not yet at all confident with the media (used pencil, ink pen, watercolor pencils), but I enjoyed the exercise. I used it to learn about the parts if a bird (mainly the feathers). It was challenging to convey exact feathers as well as feeling of feathers ( some look fluffy and I was not able to convey that). It was good to have the photo so able to take time to do the drawing. I spotted many things I probably would not have seen in field, unless the bird is very cooperative and close by!
    • John and Katie
      Participant
      Chirps: 3
      Thank you, Liz, for creating this course.
    • John and Katie
      Participant
      Chirps: 3
      This was an enjoyable exercise.  Watercolors are new to me, so they were the most challenging part of the exercise.  Things I would not have noticed without drawing this photo are 1) the shape of the wings laying on the warbler's back, 2) the way the rusty red streaks grew softer further down on the breast, and 3) the loose grip of the warbler's feet on the branch below it.  I look forward to seeing improvement in my art as I continue this course. IMGA11731