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
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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!

Having the photo allowed me to break the bird into its constituent shapes (ovals, rounds etc.) so it is a wonderful aid. The big shapes are relatively easy but the bill and feet are a struggle! I have begun to notice bird postures more in drawing birds from photos. How they sit, tilt their heads (and change the angles and shadows), how their looser belly feathers can hide the tops of their ankles etc. I hope this will all help me be a better observer when they are moving about!

1. How did you feel about drawing from the photo? What came easily and what was challenging? I really enjoyed drawing from the photo. It's low pressure and I can really take my time to get the details down. It was easy to get an idea of details and copy and it was a little challenging to capture proportion. 2. Was there anything in the photo that you might not have noticed if you weren’t asked to draw it? Would this make a difference when nature journaling? I would not have noticed the little curve to the birds head  near the back nor would I have noticed the coloration in such detail. This would make a difference depending on how much detail  and how important identification was in my journal.

1. Having the photo gave me time to look at what I was doing and then look at the photo. I am not sure what this would have looked like had I only had a couple of seconds to see the bird and then had to draw purely from memory. I am surprised at how much it actually looks like a bird! 2. I saw others' drawings - those who added labels saying what the colors are.  I will start doing that as I think it will help me in the field to develop a habit of looking for more details in the overall appearance of the birds.

1. I find it so much easier to draw from a photo than while in the field. I think this is because the photo already helps me gain the knowledge of what the 2D perspective will look like. In the field, we kind of have to translate that on a feel as best we can. I found creating the overall outlines and shapes easy enough but adding the depth of the wings and denoting textures and small markings was new to / difficult for me in pencil as well as with water color. 2. I noticed So much by sketching that I wouldn’t have noticed otherwise. One such thing I noticed was the presence of the small brown lined markings on the underside of the yellow warbler! I also loved and noticed the characteristic shape of the beak.

1.Easier to draw from photo because you can check shape, proportions, colour and note details. Challenging because it is flat, how to incorporate 3-D aspect, keep small enough(tended to enlarge while drawing) and wanted to keep making corrections. 2. In drawing you are focusing on the shapes and proportions, with photos the colours. When journaling I would have to write notes of the details: colours, shades, types of plants, location and activities. It would be harder in the field.