Definitely a fun exercise!I can see how spending more time with a photo can yield greater detail; real-life, maybe not so much given how long the subject stays still :)

I rather liked drawing from the photo, the bird couldn't fly away!  Especially a warbler, they move so fast!  The details were challenging, specifically the feathers on the wings. As I was drawing I noticed it looked like the bird was looking back over his/her shoulder at the photographer based on how the body was positioned away but the head was turned.  I also noticed so much detail in the branch, the fungus, lichen - I would like to spend time on more identification around that as well as keep up with my bird ID.

1. I felt challenged to have the bird look like the picture- it was easier since the bird was frozen in time--challenging because I struggle to draw proportionately 2. I noticed the colors on the chest, also the  details of the lichen and moss on the branch it was sitting on. This focus helps with seeing beyond the bright obvious subject, also may share details about the environment.

Drawing from a photo is easier in some respects because the bird stays still and you can take your time looking at details. It is more difficult to see how it behaves and see what the margins of the wings were colored. Proportions are difficult for me. I was interrupted when I started the drawing and when I went back I tried to correct them. Still not happy but not bad for the first time. I am enjoying that sketching slows you down and gives you an opportunity to really notice small details. Photos catch everything all at once but I generally don't spend as much time really looking at them.

Drawing from a photo was good because the subject didn't move. I could take as long as needed to get the details right. The easiest parts were the items that were in the foreground and were seen head-on or in profile; flat leaves and even the bird itself. I find the items that are at an angle, like bend leaves and things that show different sides, like the bird's little talons, a bit more challenging. Even though I watch birds all the time, I noticed the various wing feathers more than I might in real life. Yes, it may make a difference; I might annotate the drawing if I noticed them.

This is my first hand drawing of anything in a long time! Drawing from the photo was definitely easier than from a live bird. I still had trouble with the shapes and proportions of the different parts of the bird (i.e. the bill) and getting the subtle transitions of the coloring on the nape and back. I wouldn't have paid as much attention to that yellow to greenish/gray color transition and the reddish brown striping on the chest if I weren't drawing. I would like to capture as much detail as possible with journaling, it will be challenging to try this in the wild with live birds!

So, this entire piece was challenging.  I was able to block out the branches ok but my proportions were way off.  Next time I would do this landscape style.  I kind of gave up on the colored pencils after a bit.  They made everything muddy and I struggled with details with them.  I don’t think I am going to use them for awhile.   The leaves and branches were easier to draw but the bird not so much.  The legs are the best feature.  Drawing from a static image was good because I could zoom in, but it was inside and I wasn’t relaxed at all.  Photos maybe good for filling in tiny details later, I think.  I am not sure I would have seen the darker and lighter shades in the bird coloring out in the field.

I noticed leaf shadow and veining and where bugs had eaten lea leaf. I noticed flatness and roundness of the bird but did'nt capture it quite enough.  I draw and paint a lot from photos and try to notice all details.  I enjoy this game.  How can we do that in nature?  light shifts, things move away, plus...I'm too far away to see any details.  Am I getting ahead of us?

Drawing from a photo does have the advantage of the subject being still, but I did not feel much connection to the photo. It is much less exciting to see a photo of a bird than to see one in real life. If I had not been drawing the bird from the photo I would not have payed as much attention to the shape of the bird or the subtle color differences between the feathers. I'm not certain I would have noticed the bird's claws wrapped around the branch. Noticing the intricate details about the world around us is part of the point of nature journaling. If you miss those details it is like knowing the melody of a song and only half the lyrics.

I liked drawing from the photo. The bird stood still, and I was able to see much more than I usually do when observing birds in the wild or at the feeder. I noticed the subtle change from yellow in the face to darker shades on the nape and back. Also the lichen and moss on the branch are things I would not have taken note of if not for drawing. I like "seeing" more, but am concerned bout the 50 minutes it took me to sketch this pretty little bird. Perhaps I need to be more patient, and just enjoy the experience....

I felt comfortable drawing from a photo, as I take my own photos of birds to draw from. This would make a difference in nature journaling for me, as I love to put so much detail into drawings. It's hard for me to sketch something I see for about 5 seconds. 

• It is my very first drawing! I am very glad to finally start. I could take time seeing the details in the photos. The disadvantage is that I couldn't hear the sound and smell the nature, drawing it in my room.
• I wouldn't have noticed all the details of the bird. Yes it will make a big difference when nature journaling.
• 

My retirement goals included learning to watercolor and doing creative writing. I am a long-time though casual birder and recently moved to the country in western Washington state, where I live on five acres at the end of a half-mile dirt road. Many birds, lots of natural wonders everywhere I look (see photo below - it mushroom time at the farmette). This class is a perfect fit for where I am. When I was a grad student in the 80s I took a biological illustration course, which I loved. Doing the first sketch assignment after listening to the journalers and seeing their work, I started to remember lessons learned almost 40 years ago, drawing bugs (from specimens) and other critters (from photographs). They held still, like the warbler in this assignment. I am looking forward to learning how to capture a moving subject in some way that not only looks like the subject but catches something about the movement.

I enjoyed it, the most challenging thing was trying to figure out how to convey textures. I had no idea how to go about the lichen and even just the texture of the branches, ended up being lazy and just coloring it in. Similarly, looking at the warbler's plumage, I struggled to show the soft feathers, the different types of striations, shading differences and just different feather textures. Overall, I was so happy that my warbler looked like a bird!

I found myself anxious to get every detail right right off the bat.  As I kept drawing it was easier to relax and enjoy the process.  I enjoyed drawing his little feet and legs a lot.  I would not have noticed the details in the leaves and branches, the wispy little underbelly feathers, or the way his beak looks just like a little black oil sunflower seed.

1. I imagine that drawing from a photo is pretty different from drawing subjects in real time. I felt like I had lots of time, but live subject probably won’t be so cooperative. Getting the slightly turning posture of the bird was really hard (don’t think I quite got it) 2. I would not have paid as much attention to shape and proportions and details of markings if I has not drawn it. I think for nature journaling, noticing and capturing details is part of the point.

1. I was self-conscious at first.  I haven't drawn in decades.  The face was the hardest to draw.  I couldn't get the right shape/proportion.  I wasn't sure where to start so I began with the branches so that I would have an anchor for the bird. My shading technique is not good, but it will probably come back to me faster than some other things. 2. So many things I would not have noticed: basic shape, proportions, where the wing starts. 3.  Sure I will be more conscious of detail in both what I sketch and what I write about.

It is a challenge to render yellow and bright colors of the bird using only a pencil whereas light/dark and texture of branches and leaves more fruitful and less challenging.

I enjoyed drawing the Yellow Warbler. I didn't get the scale of the overall space relative to the bird correct. The bird ended up bigger that it was relative to the branch, in the photo. It wasn't a bad thing, but I intended to get the proportions as in the photo. I hadn't noticed the bird's claws until sketching them. They're really interesting! Photos have the advantage of capturing fleeting details that would be hard to see in a living, moving bird.

• I think it was a good place to start as you could study at your leisure knowing it would not fly away. Can’t say this was easy. Challenging how to convey textures, curves, proportions. 2. I spent more time looking at textures and how things were put together.

Well. He looks like a happy bird...

I really wish the bird was facing the other direction! Why is this so difficult? Picture later. Still erasing!  :(

I was able to notice a lot more detail. Zooming in on the picture helped. It was easy to see the geometrical shapes, oval for the body and a smaller oval for the head. It was challenging to capture the softness of the feathers. I ended up using short strokes. For some reason the beak was challenging and I had to draw is a few times before I got it somewhat ok. The proportions between the body and the legs are off. I wouldn’t have noticed the little hole in the beak if I hadn’t drawn it. I also wouldn’t have noticed the brown stripes in the lower body along the feathers either. Yes, not getting the hole in the beak would have been an important omission.