I've always felt like I have no drawing ability whatsoever but this first attempt did not come out as dreadful as anticipated! I'm keen to see how my (lack of) skills progress during the course. 1. I'm glad we were drawing from a photo so I could keep referring back. My eraser got a workout! The general shape was easier than trying to get the shading and details added in. I need to find some watercolor paints. 2. I've seen yellow warblers many times but don't know that I've noticed all the subtle color variations. also, the structure of the claws as they wrapped around the branch was really interesting.

This was a really fun exercise, and I can't wait to learn techniques and tricks to make my drawings come to life.  My main take-away was that it's going to be much more challenging to draw a creature as when we see it in nature, because I had to refer back to the photo dozens and dozens of times to try to get it right!

I felt that I could have done better, but I can't be absolutely perfect. Though I'm still satisfied with how I did. Figuring out the shape of the bird came along quite well, but the details on the bird, on the wing, especially, were quite difficult, and I would like to improve in that area. If I hadn't drawn this photo, I wouldn't have noticed all of the colors that this Yellow Warbler really had. Still, this was a very fun activity.

It was very difficult to get the shape just right.  Oh and the beak is terrible.  I hope I improve.  I used some colored pencils but am looking forward to using water colors.  More and more subtle colors are needed.  I could see the details but just couldn't duplicate them. However, I have to say I liked the challenge.

The most difficult part of this exercise for me was getting the proportions right.  Drawing it made me focus on the layers of feathers which I hadn't really analyzed before.  I would like to be able to show the different kinds of textures on the bird  - soft, fluffy, sharp, shiny etc.  but I have no idea how to do that.  This type of exercise makes me slow down and look at details in a way I don't do when I'm taking photos.

This was a fun challenge because I haven’t made a sketch in many years!   I don’t think any of it came easily...except maybe drawing the leaves.   All the proportions of the warbler were challenging to me, and I’m not so pleased with the head/ bill.   Also, I have not used this type of pencil before, so discovered how easily the lead is smeared when adding color. 2.  I would not have noticed the subtle lighting on his eye and bill if I hadn’t been asked to draw it..nor would I have noticed the soft feathering on his belly.  Such a sweet little bird.  I don’t know that this would make a big difference in nature journal, since I am trying to capture a memory.  However, the details are most helpful when trying to make identifications. 

I really enjoyed drawing this yellow warbler. Drawing a bird really opens up a whole new experience and perception of them. You really start noticing things like texture, posture, expression, identification features you may not have noticed before as well as the surrounding foliage. You may never notice these things to the same extent if you just take a photograph. This definitely gives drawing in the field an advantage for noticing and appreciating what you are seeing in front of you. A picture does have the advantage of exact proportion and colouring. I found getting the textures right while doing this drawing challenging; such as the soft feathers on the upper back of the bird and by the birds legs as well as the twig it stands on. 

1. Woof. I probably shouldn't have looked at other drawings before responding. My anxiety about drawing really came out. By comparison, I feel a bit like a toddler and I've never used watercolors before so I just stuck with the pencil. I'm a big advocate of the "drawing to see" method in ethnography but I also recognize that drawing is not easy, especially for adults who have never drawn before. Nothing came easily but I do feel like I thought about the photograph more than I normally would, simply by having to draw it. The feet...the feet were so challenging for me. And proportions too, I guess? I was trying to think about how this drawing might work if I was standing, where I normally birdwatch; just a quick sketch in the corner of my journal. 2. Definitely the sharp, perfectly round and glassy eye. Watching Liz a second time really helped...happy to share because, well, maybe it'll be a glow up warbler.

This is so challenging!  I'm pleased that my Yellow Warbler is at least recognizable and that I'm actually willing to share it.  It took me forever and this is my 1st attempt at using watercolors.  I'm not sure it would be recognizable without the yellow (and oops splotchy red breast streaks).  I'm a pretty serious birder and have been birding off and on all my life and love iPhone photography - for birds through my spotting scope, but I'm hoping to find more time to slow down, be still, and be more observant of behavior and details; partly with a goal to become an even better birder.  This is the perfect course for coronavirus isolation, though getting out in nature is a bit more challenging.  I probably wouldn't have noticed the leg color and details of bill size and shape if I weren't drawing this.  I love Yellow Warblers and have spent a lot of time in willow thickets in the Sierra with dozens of them during breeding season while my husband was flyfishing.

Easy : ( adavantage with photo) no movement , and I can take my time but , no context, no memory associate

I like drawing from a photo as the picture doesn’t move and you can go back and make corrections when you see something you hadn’t noticed earlier.  I didn’t use any color on this drawing which I probably should have done as I see by the work of the other artists.  I did this drawing last Oct. 10, 2019 at 7 :45pm.

I wasn't entirely happy with how this turned out, found it hard to get the proportions right and spent too much time fiddling with it.   Found it difficult to get the angle of the beak right and the positioning of the legs - details that I probably would not have observed so closely had I not been trying to draw it.

I was nervous about it at first, but once I got going I got more comfortable.  I photograph the birds in my backyard a lot.  What noticed about drawing/painting is paying more attention to small details.  But of course the advantage to photography is it is quick.  My goldfinches would be long gone by the time I drew them!

My proportions were a bit off - I made him a bit slimmer than he actually is, but it was fun to get back into drawing. I found the ability to see small details for a long time was great, but it would also be nice to incorporate notes about behavior, interactions, etc. It was also great to notice the leaves, and the different color variations of the bird. 

My sketch came out better than I expected, I'm happy with it and it'll b interesting to see what it will be like later.  Easier part of the sketch for me was filling in the sketch/shading of the bird, the hard part was getting an outline with proportions!  Details of the wings are hard as well.  I probably wouldn't have paid much attention to the birds feet/nails in such detail and definitely wouldn't have noticed the type of leaves or the lichen on the branches.   I think noticing the little details can make a difference in nature journaling as it's these details that can give you a better idea of the subject you're looking at and its behaviors.  Any additional details gives more information to the big picture.

The color matching was difficult. I noticed movement more through drawing.

1. I got this new paint and brush set and I’m still getting used to it. I overloaded my brush a few times and got my sleeve in some paint so there are some splotches. 2. I think I had to look a lot more carefully at the colors in order to paint it.

1. Working with watercolor is hard for me. I always end up using too much water and my colors all bleed together. 2. Because I was trying to draw it, I counted the number of black and yellow stripes in the wing, the softness of the feathers around the shoulder, and the curve of the fingers around the claw. I didn't capture all of those details accurately, but I looked at it much more closely than I would have otherwise.

1. I felt terrified. Where do you start! I was also worried it would not turn out well and I would lose confidence in my abilities. Reflecting afterwards – I am my own worst critic, it turned out better than I thought it would. I am still nervous to post it, but thats why we are all here right!  Overall I am excited to see what I improve on when this course is finished. The body outline seemed easy. I enjoyed the lichen patterns too. I felt the texture of the feathers where hard to capture. 2.I really tried to pay attention to what feathers where black vs yellow in the wings. I was thoughtful on my lichen, trying to distinguish the different types. I think in journaling in real life it will be hard to capture all the colors, patterns, and details of the bird. Warblers are not in one spot for very long! I will have to learn to take a good look and try to remember as much as can. 

I felt not very confident going in to this, but the results turned out pretty well, although I am more accustomed to  drawing larger birds. A detail that I Would have missed would most likely be the feather detail. This would make a big difference.

I use to draw the bird only graphite pen HB Staedler, is correct?