Advantages of Drawings: Makes the viewer pay more attention to detail. Has more character than a photo. You can choose what details to include. Advantages of Photos: Captures all the details correctly. A drawing could be anatomically incorrect. Usually includes color which a simple sketch does not.

Drawing helps to focus the eye on fine details and to journal them for later memory.

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I'm excited to learn more about capturing color and shading with just pencil--that was the most challenging part for me with this exercise. This was a lot of fun!

A photograph keeps the subject still which is an advantage. The challenge was paying attention to proportions, what makes this bird look like this bird.

it  made me concentrate but i used to much water with the water colors . the diffrent shads of yellow

Great fun doing this exercise.  But how did I end up with a bird with an attitude?? Beak, eye, and posture a challenge.... Also I didn't start far enough to the right, and it cut my warbler's tail short! Looking forward to more instruction and practice!

this was an enjoyable first attempt. I also enjoyed seeing the work of others...

Enjoyable for sure.  It will be a challenge to capture the image I want to but love the idea that this will call me to be more observant.  Seeking to deepen relationship with the natural world around me, and this will help me pay attention and notice.  That said, getting the proportions was a big challenge and the shadings.  The bill took several takes too.

I spent an hour drawing and painting this bird - and while I’m really quite happy with it, I’m not going to do much drawing or painting if it always takes this long. I hope that speed and getting-it-right-the-first-time are some of the skills I learn in this course! Also hard to imagine trying to capture a bird in the field; good thing my interest is more in plants. ☺️ I enjoyed the idea from one of the journalers about letting your subject jump out of its box a little. Really fun effect!

I found getting details of plumage difficult to get right. Also the lines were not as clear as I would have liked - tried 2H and HB, also a 0.35 Rotring pencil which is what I have. Will try and get the recommended pencil.

It took me a couple days to finally attempt this assignment. I don’t draw, but I want to change that. Nothing came easily. I’m not sure I would have noticed the different shades of yellow, the bird’s legs or the differences in the feathers had I not been drawing. If actually journaling in nature, it would be difficult to see many details since the bird would have been in motion and even the branches and leaves would likely be moving. 

Drawing: It is a record of your visual image of the object(s) you are observing. Photos:  Real specific accuracy such as proportions, dimensions, details, colors (most of the time), etc Challenging: Proportions, and feathers Probably would not have noticed the details in the area where the wing feathers meet the tail.  

1.  It took a few days for me to decide to do the drawing - not sure why, but I think I had some fear that it would be difficult or challenging.  In the end, I enjoyed drawing from the photo and looking at the detail of the bird.  I noticed the details of the feathers, the shape of its various parts.  I was challenged by the proportions, and the surrounding details.  2.  I would not have noticed all the details of the feathers had I not been asked to draw the bird.  Nature journaling, I hope, will allow me to notice details that I might miss otherwise.  I'm wondering especially how to capture bird details from my own observations rather than a photograph.  

1. I enjoyed trying to draw. It is fun to really look at the details and try to recreate them in the sketchbook. That said, the bird in my drawing is too small and its shape is different from that in the photo. Putting the branches in the space was easy but drawing the bird was difficult. There is a lot of detail in the bird from its orientation on the branch to its individual feathers and I did not get those details correct in my drawing. 2. When drawing the leaves I noticed that they were attached alternately and I definitely would not have noticed that if I just looked at the photo. I would have glossed over the blemishes in the leaves as well. So drawing something really improves one's observational skills.

1. I  loved drawing from the photo because it allowed me to observe all of the details and take my time. It was a challenge to include everything and keep my proportions correct.  2. My focus of course was drawn to the bird which allowed me to observe the details including the placement of the toes on the branch. I probably would not notice the alternate veining of the leaves or the details of the lichen on the branch if I had not drawn it.

1 - I LOVED drawing from the photo.  I didn't have to readjust my perspective.  But this isn't really my goal.  It was easy to see details. Challenge was to get relative proportions.  2 - I definitely noticed much more than I would have even if I had been able to look at a bird for the length of time it took to do the drawing.  I noticed the layers of feathers better than I would have in the field.  Noticing these things from a photo will enhance my notice of details in nature.

Drawing from the photo let me take my time.  If I had seen this bird for just a few seconds I might not remember much detail.