I am working on a daily art practice this year. Just completed a 30 day -10 min day-drawing challenge. Want to work on doing more daily life journaling. First sketched and then used watercolors and watercolor pencils. Really enjoyed Liz on introductory email, awhile back, and excited to take this course from her.

1. I enjoyed drawing from the photo - I was able to sketch out the bird, branches and leaves with a pencil first. I feel like the bird was more or less okay, but the body proportions weren't quite right. I really struggled with the beak, of all things. The leaves and branches look pretty good, in my opinion. I tried coloring it with watercolors, which is new to me. I realize that the colors will bleed if I add too much at once. I struggled with getting the background "wash" the way I wanted it. 2. I probably wouldn't have noticed the lichen on the branch. Or the way some of the wing and tail feathers are outlined in black. 3. Yes, looking at the photo allowed me to see detail I might otherwise have missed.

1. At first, i was very nervous about "messing" up. Once i realized how easy it was to erase an error and just keep trying 'til i felt like i had the correct angles it became much more fun and exciting. I also quickly realized not to draw the branch and then draw the warbler on top, but to draw the warbler and add the branch later.

2. I wouldn't have noticed the tiny bits of yellow between the primaries if I had not been sketching this.  Or the details of where the primaries are in relation to the rump.

Drawing from a photo, was equal parts comforting and distressing.  I enjoyed it because I could refer to the photo and use it as a guide. However, it is a near-perfect representation of the bird so it was difficult to compare my drawing to it. I found myself needing to control my self-talk and remind myself that my drawing was not supposed to look like a photograph.

 

Some of the things that were challenging for me were getting the proportions correct and the positioning or shape of the beak and eyes.

 

Something that I might have missed had I not been asked to draw the photograph is the way the bird's claws curved around the branch. More specifically how the claws on the right foot did not fully grasp the branch.

 

Personally, I find sketching in the field more of a challenge because of how quickly birds move, I generally will start with a general outline and then have to refer to a photo to add detail. That being said,  I have found that when I am trying to record my observations it makes me more aware of my surroundings, and focused on not only things such as the way light plays off of the feathers as the bird moves about that is just not the same in a still frame.

• Drawing from photos is something I’ve got quite used to over the past few months. I’ve been doing it regularly, and I’ve been using my own photos (birds and nature views). Drawing from the photo felt comfortable per se. The most challenging part was, as always, to get the bird’s proportions right. I’m always afraid I might think I got it right only to realise, halfway through the drawing and after adding lots of details, that the head is too small or the body too large. There’s also something unique about a bird’s expression. It’s something unique that can’t be easily tied to one specific feature, but somehow comes out of the drawing as a whole and really conveys the essence of the subject.


• The details in the warbler’s plumage: the brownish stripes on the breast, the darker shade of greyish on the mantle - more in general, the richness in hues, which may not stand out at first glance, since the brightness of the yellow hits the eye first.


• I think it would, at first at least, because with ‘live subjects’ like birds the subject might/would not stick around for as long as I need them to. As for more ‘static subjects’ like a flower or a view, I can imagine the outdoor experience would add a lot of sensory richness to it because it’d make me more alert and reactive to my surroundings.

Drawing from a photo was challenging ….because it looks perfect…easier than a real bird in the wild …it does not stay still

I enjoyed this exercise.  Drawing the branch and leaves was fairly easy. I found it challenging to get the shape of the warbler right, the shape of the beak and the positioning of the eye.  I didn't notice the mosses growing on the branch before drawing it.  Things like this add nice detail to nature journaling.

1. A still photo meant I was able to capture the shading without having to think for myself, and I could copy the details. I am not used to watercolours which is why I wanted to try. I found the belly of the bird challenging, getting the stripes right with the paint, also the leaves, but decided it didn't matter if they weren't quite like the photo. I also adjusted the ratio of the branches to fit the page. I liked how the branches came out, even though the lichen was not detailed. One challenge was my cat standing on it which I wouldn't have in the field, but it took me 90 minutes which might be a bit too long for journalling outdoors. 2. Noticing all of the colours and shading in the twigs. It could make a difference nature journalling because it highlighted all of the lichen on the branches. If I was really interested in the lichen though I would have to pay attention to make that more detailed, but here felt the bird was the main focus. I was scared to try the background, I worried I would ruin it, but for nature journalling a plain background isn't important, unless trying to capture the feel of the habitat.

1. Enjoyed drawing from the photo - lots of time to see details. Sort of got shape of bird, but not position and slight tilt of head toward camera.  2.Would not have noticed different lengths/shapes of feathers on wing and variations in color from green/yellow/rust. Using photo made me “overwork” the image. No time for that when observing in nature.

1. I felt confident going into it as I used to do this as a kid with pictures of birds and fish, however, my ability to recreate nature images has diminished over time.

2. I was thinking about what kind of tree the warbler was perched on as I was asked to draw it, and I don't know if I would have thought about it that much. one thing that really stood out was the imperfection of nature on the leaves as they have the brown spots, which is also the beauty of it.I believe this will make a difference because it slowed me down to take in the whole image rather than the subject, the warbler.

I liked drawing from the photo because the bird is frozen in time so it gives you a chance to look more closely and notice things you wouldn’t normally be able to see like: the circle around it’s eye, the rust coloring (not black like I thought initially) of the streaks on its underside, and that pretty lichen (?) on the branches.

One thing I struggled with was feeling overwhelmed by all the details. I wasn’t sure how to filter those details and know what was important to focus on in trying to represent the warbler accurately. I was also unsure how to capture the warbler in my mark making and didn’t feel confident in adding color. I’m looking forward to learning all of this going forward though! This was fun!

This did feel intimidating since I haven't done drawing in a number of years.  I appreciated so many more details by doing this drawing.  Especially when I added color... my eye noticed so much more.

1) I felt intimidated to just jump in and draw without any direction. But, upon completion, it felt rewarding.

2) I think there were many things I would not have noticed. In particular, the bird seemed to have layers of feathers of different lengths. I did not see that at first. The stick has moss that I may not have noticed. The leaves had small but distinct ridges which upon first glance were not obvious to me.

3) Yes, focusing on the details adds to the story. A bird perched on a branch expands to "A bird is perched on a branch that has moss growing in various places. There is evidence of other life also occupying this space as several of leaves have been partially eaten...."

I enjoyed Drawing from the photo. I had to redo the beak and the shoulder a few times to try to have the slight side turn of the head (with mixed results). The photo is helpful for shape/contour and details about hues of yellow. I don't know how I will be able to do this when birds are moving around frantically feeding.

 

I like to copy photos because the subject is still so it is easier.

I first drew an outline of everything and then attempted to paint with watercolors- this was frustrating because the details felt impossible to draw with watercolor and the final image was very rudimentary. next I tried to sketch with pencil but wanted to capture color so i switched to colored pencils to fill it in. The more I tried to get it "right" the worse it looked! ALL of the proportions are off...

Im not sure if this is accurate, but I am left handed and I find that I am more comfortable copying pictures or sketching images that are in the opposite direction as the image for the assignment. Curious if any other left handed people feel the same or it is just me.

1. I was more comfortable with the process and the result than I thought I would be. The result looks closer than I expected. General shape was easy, but getting the details down was not. 2. The colors  - the detailed variations and shadings - were things I would have noticed less if I just took a photo of the bird. Those will be challenging to get right (or right enough to satisfy me). The challenge will be tougher, I think, if I'm trying to get the colors right while sketching in the field, especially given how quickly these little birds move.

 

1. I enjoy sketching birds, and working from a photo makes it easier. The overall shape of the birds came together pretty quickly, but the beak, eye placement, and wing feathers were more challenging. Wing feathers always give me trouble—I think I’d rather group them as sections instead of drawing each feather individually. I also tried using a colored pencil with three different colors blended into the lead, but I didn’t really enjoy it since I never knew what color was going to show up. Another challenge was keeping the sketch simple and not getting caught up in too much detail.
2. Initially, I didn’t notice the awkward angle of the lead foot or how much black was in the wing feathers. I’m not sure these details would stand out as much when nature journaling since I wouldn’t see the birds so closely in the field. However, I imagine field sketching would give me more insight into their behavior, movements, and song, which would really help me get to know them better.

I enjoyed drawing this warbler and discovering all the different textures of his feathers.  It was hard to get the eye right including the little twinkle.  I am looking forward to improve my observation and drawing skills with this course

I enjoy sketching. Taking this class as a way to add more "pencil miles" and get better at things like proportions and postures. As a relatively new birder and photographer, I see sketching as a means to slow down and learn more details about each bird.

The photo was nice in context that it did not move! I struggled with the beak and the darkness of the pencil. I noticed the overall shape and size of the warbler. The feet holding on to the branch were interesting. The branch detail of lichen and rust on the leaves as well as the alternate spacing of the foliage were also interesting.

A fun exercise.  I did a very quick sketch - no erasing or smudging.  It doesn't have much depth and proportions are a bit off, so hoping I improve during the course.