I have drawn birds from looking at a photo before, but it is always a different experience with a new species. The most challenging part for me is getting the environment right (i.e. leaves, branch, moss). The easier part for me is the shape of the bird, though not perfect! I also have a hard time with feet and eyes. I may not have noticed the placement and shape of the bird's feet without drawing them. I may be more aware of foot shape and placement when out in nature journaling. I can't wait to start adding color to my drawings! Right now, I am still intimidated...but that's one of the reasons I'm here!

(I'm proving to be the class delinquent here with two apologies: First, I was out of town most of October and got a late start, and then I had problems when trying to upload my drawing of the warbler. I still have not been successful. I first inserted a pdf of the image; later, after getting some Bird Academy feedback, I saved it as a jpg and inserted that. In both cases, the image would show but took up the whole screen so that I couldn't access the submit button. I experimented with hitting enter, escape, back arrow, and more to no avail. Each time I hit the back arrow, for example, I returned to this assignment page but with a blank reply box. So! Even though I have not yet submitted evidence, my journal is filling and I'm enjoying drawing. For me, drawing, like writing, is a way to zoom in and engage with a subject, almost to become one with it--to experience it, if not to know it. There is much that I would not have noticed--say about the feathers or the clutch of the feet or the veins on the leaves had I not been asked to draw or write about the warbler.)

  This is actually my first and only attempt at the yellow warbler.  I somehow overlooked this first lesson as I was having difficulty with my computer at home.  I am very pleased with my first attempt.  This is a work in progress.  I ordered the watercolor paints and the book and watercolor brushes as well.

Here's my first try at it! I was really intimidated to "jump right in".... didn't really know where to start. I began sketching the shape of the head and beak, and just went from there. I felt much more comfortable than I expected. Great first exercise, and excited to work with some colours in the future!

I didn't post my "Jump Right In" sketch originally. After Liz requested beginners submit their work, I got a bit of courage to post. I consider myself a real beginner. My last drawing was done about 50 years ago in my high school intro to art class!

Drawing from the photo allowed me to come back to it several times giving me a different perspective. Looking forward to seeing how my perspective and skills improve!

I liked drawing from the photo because I could keep referring back to the image. As a rank beginner it was intimidating to try to draw the bird’s body shape. I need to get some practice with ovals, etc. Plus I don’t know how to use water colors so I used pencils.

What fun to spend time with such a beautiful photograph.  I don't draw birds enough and always struggle with their shape, but was grateful that I had the time to look and look and look again (including too much erasing).  Photos are always an important resource but they are also seductive in the amount of detail they provide.  Details that I often miss while outside.  I think I need to practice making fast sketches with bird photos that I only see for 30 seconds or at most a minute.  Given my bias towards plant, I had lots of fun noticing the lichens on the branch.

Advantages to drawing from photos is that you can study the image as long as you need to. I think I made a decent start for a non-artist but found the overall form of the bird challenging to get on paper, while the detailing was a bit easier. I wouldn’t have noticed the brown striping in the bird’s belly unless I had an image to work with and I had been asked to draw it.

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I sat with my friend, CJ this morning to work side by side.  She enrolled at the same time I did so we will share this course experience together - inside or out. Hot coffee in a warm house on a rainy day with a bird that stays in one place (!) made this “Jump Right In” lesson comfortably delicious. And now for your close up shot!  Smile......

Hey y’all! I am so pleased to see all of your wonderful preliminary drawings and paintings posted here, I want to thank each of you for being so willing to share your work! Some of the folks posting their drawings here are not quite beginners, which is absolutely fantastic, but I want to say to the beginners - don’t be afraid! Every artist was once a complete beginner at some point, and this course is as much for the new artists as it is for those who already have experience. I hope more of you newcomers to art will share your work to inspire others that they are not alone! I would encourage you all to support each other in this process - sharing your artwork can often be very personal and I love to see y’all lifting one another up! Always remember to be gentle with yourselves and to focus on the process of learning and growing. Thank you all for being here, it fills me with joy to see all of the wonderful things you are creating for this course!

1. A little intimidated to draw after so long. The easiest part was getting the shape of the bird. The challenging part was to draw the bird in relationship to the twig, leaves, etc. 2. I noticed the soft light brown streaks on the belly and breast that I haven't noticed when birding.

I like the drawing, although I don't have any watercolors to make it pop, or look yellow. Sorry about the picture quality, I'm doing this on my computer and the camera is bad. I wouldn't have noticed the brownish stripes on the underbelly, but as I looked more at the bird, I started noticing details that I never would have before. I'm new to sketching and drawing, having started over the summer, and I tend to make my lines very faint, over time, they start to  be barely visible. I don't love the head either, it looks very lopsided and fat. I'm looking forward to learning more about watercolors because they look beautiful and I love paints.

Drawing from the photo was, in a way, easier than drawing from life, as I don’t seem to be able to capture movement. On the other hand, the photo is 2-d, and my drawing seems rather flat too. I hope to be able to bring my drawings and paintings to life through this class. One thing that is particularly challenging was trying to shape the branch and give it dimension, as well as texture. The bird is smooth and has fluid flowing lines. The bark on the branch is complex, as are the lichens growing on top of it. The texture is intriguing, but I can’t figure out how to capture it (yet!)

I'm excited about this class because I'm trying to find more play in my art. I put so much pressure on myself that I often don't even start. I'd also like to find patience and presence through this practice, a way to meditate almost. Something that gets me out of the rush-rush-rush mindset. I found doing it in watercolor challenging because watercolor is always challenging for me, even after 5 years. I could draw it better, likely, but I'm determined to find a style and flow with watercolor. Perhaps I'll play with mixing media, like watercolor with acrylic and charcoal instead of trying to be a purist.