Photos preserve a moment and all of its details for in-depth study. Drawing focuses attention on things that are of particular interest, and drawing lets you explore those while removing distractions.  In this way, drawing sharpens attention to things that might get lost in a photo. It was easy to draw from the photo because the bird stood still! Details were easy to note and the source remained to compare and correct. It was still challenging to get proportions right. For instance, the legs are too long. I would probably not have noticed the subtle shades of gray and orange if the bird had been moving around. I think the movement and changes will make nature journaling more challenging, but will also make it interesting.

I feel really good about my drawing even though I chose not to add the yellow. The beak was hard to get right for some reason, but it’s ok.  I also decided not to worry about the branches other than the one on which. the bird was standing. I don’t think I would have believed the legs were coming out of the body where they appear in the photo.

It seemed fairly easy but it was harder than I expected.  Getting the shape of the bird right and getting the pose right was the most difficult for me. I left a few leaves out and simplified it a bit.

I like having plenty of time to study the bird and yet I still can't get it right.  But that comes down to patience, I think.  The idea of drawing something in the field that will fly away is pretty daunting but I'm looking forward to learning some tricks that will make it easier.  I just realized, looking at this bird and knowing what I know about birds in general, that they often have their weight a little forward when they land so they're ready to fly off again.  The eyeball is a tricky area and the key to getting a drawing right.

1. Drawing from a photo gives one lots of time to study the bird.  In nature the bird would be moving every which way making it hard to get "measurements" like eye size compared to beak size, or head size to body size or leg length.  Even with a photo I have a hard time drawing the wing feathers as they fold over the back or the talons and how they wrap around the branch. 2. I might not have noticed all the dark smudging on the back and wings. I might have thought that was just shadow and made the wings all yellow! I might have put the legs too far forward too.  It probably would have made a difference in the journal by making my drawing less accurate. In real life I would wonder what the bird is eating and would want to hear it's song and see if it was with other birds. Thanks!

It was a little less intimidating drawing from a photo because it was already in 2 dimensions. I've always found it difficult to translate from 3-D into 2-D without my drawings looking flat and cartoonish. Also, a photo doesn't move. I really want to try my hand by adding color. I've always been scared of water colors or any colors at all but pencils. I still remember the disappointment I felt in 4th grade when I did an awesome sketch of a deer that I was so proud of and my teacher made me color it. Crayon wax just ruined the delicate sketch lines and shading. I threw it away when I took it home. I adore looking at water colors and long to try it but that sting sticks with me. I think this class will be good for me. This is the before. We will see how the after goes. The idea of doing this exercise again at the end of the course gives me courage. 

It's a little daunting to look at my drawing after seeing those of others! I know it's not about comparisons but I think it's pretty human to start looking at the differences. On the other hand, it was also inspiring, particularly seeing how others used watercolors in such thoughtful ways. I have more experience drawing from photos vs drawing from nature (part of what I'd like to do better is drawing outside more!) so it felt ok to me. I noticed the shapes in the bird (some great triangles!) that I wouldn't have noticed if I hadn't been drawing it. 

1/ How did you feel about drawing from the photo. Even thought the bird was still I found I got the proportions wrong around the head and beak and managed to place the eye in the wrong spot making the my bird drawing look very odd. Not sure if for this exercise should have just stuck with first attempt but will admit to rubbing out and redoing face and beak etc. Having the photo meant I could redo this without worrying about the bird flying away. Hopefully will become more accurate and quicker at sketching as progress through the course. I don't I would have noticed the detail of the beak if just viewing the photo and not drawing the bird. Getting the proportions right and the detail where the feet grip the branch was a challenge.

Hi everyone! Happy New Year! I felt comfortable drawing with the picture, the warbler was also there, in the same position, but the real life is quite different, the birds are constantly moving, so I should probably train my drawing skills to focus on the important. This part of the process is similar to bird watching when I try to identify the species I see and quickly have to gather the main characteristics to say the name of the bird.

-I also tried to draw the bird as quickly as I could as if I were in the field.    Then I tried to make it better and really messed it up!  

• I concentrated on the bird and I didn't notice the tree. I tried to do it quickly as if I were in the field. Don't know if I succeeded
• 

1. I prefer to draw form nature not photos, the photo felt static. The lens decides on the perspective which I dislike, the lens decides on the depth perception. The green background bothered me so I ignored it! 2. I wouldn't have noticed the lichen was the same color as the bird if I had not been staring at the photo

I enjoyed sketching the bird. The drawing came easier although the structure and 3-d need a lot of work. The challenge for me is watercolours and specifically the colours and effects. I may not have noticed the leaves and branches. These would help put the subject into context.  

Like everybody else, I do better when the bird stands still!  Even so, I had a little difficulty getting the right shape and positioning of the bird’s head and its beak and eye.  The rest followed easily once I had the head about right, though I still didn’t capture the plumpness of the photograph.  If I were photographing this animal I would have been concerned about the composition of it and its environs, but not about the salient details.  The mustard colored moss and mold on the branch really caught my eye as I was sketching.  

It was interesting to see the detail on the branches and I thought that was challenging to capture.  I didn't spend a lot of time with it because we wouldn't have that much time in the outdoors before things change. I noticed one of the leaves looked like a leaf cutter bee had cut a circle out of it.  I think I would like to draw the bee flying away with it's stash!

I really enjoyed drawing from  the photo. I didn't feel rushed and could keep going back and pulling in details I had missed previously. The most difficult for me was details like the moss. I find I lose patience trying to render it. And the leaves. Even the feathers actually, I kind of tried to make the impression of several layers of feathers, including the wings, but I lose patience getting it 'just so'. I liked that I could go back and correct the head and beak angle, but I still think it is slightly 'off'.

Felt uneasy at first. As if I shouldn't really be drawing, because I never have! But it was more fun as the sketch went on. Noticed colouring of the bird which I wouldn't have noticed from a photo. Transition from black/grey shading  on back to brown stripes on breast. Feet are definitely difficult, as are proportions of bird. This will train me to be more observant!