There is a little area around the eye from the eyelids that I would have missed if not sketching it.

24 Feb 2023 1. I like having the time to work on the proportions (a big challenge). The drawing became easy and fun once I was able to get over the "nervies". 3. The subtle title in the head and the turn of the body; still didn't get these down as well as I'd like. The Warbler was looking over its shoulder me and I'd like to be able to get these gestures and get away from the flat look.  This may be more difficult in nature journaling because of the time factor; and I'm still striving to catch the liveliness in nature.

I am no artist, but I have really enjoyed doing this. I noticed small details of the feathering and leaves. Can’t wait to start adding watercolour but have no idea how to do it! I find proportions the most tricky. But I am pleased with the outcome of my first task. 😊

Truly enjoyed seeing all the details. Also: what a difference it made to use the pencil recommended in the course; I've struggled to find a pencil I like to draw with, and this was great. The bird's feet were challenging for me -- proportions, angles. I did not realize how streaky the breast of the bird was until I started to draw it; or how very distinctive the different kinds of feathers are (nice to be able to zoom in to see the details) This is very much an advantage when learning about a bird.

Obviously I need to work on my photography skills again - took me longer to get the picture, research to remember how to adjust the lighting, and download it than it did to do the drawing. I am a good drawer, but my biggest problem is getting bogged down in details, and taking waaaaay too long to produce a picture. I am hoping this course helps me to 'loosen up' and create something in the same year I started it. I took a course through the Robert Bateman Foundation in Victoria and one thing that always resonated with me was the instructor talking about 'giving the illusion' of feathers, or fur, or whatever versus drawing every single excruciating detail. I try to keep that in mind. Also, my animal/bird feet are normally appalling but I am quite happy with this guy's feet. Another thing I do is when I want a loose, uneven line such as on a branch, I switch to my left hand and draw. Drawing with my right hand tends to produce smooth, unrealistic looking branches.

Getting the general shape of the bird was a challenge - as was making the feathers look like individual feathers.

1. I think it turned out well, but could be improved. The branches were fairly easy to draw, but the bird itself was more difficult. 2. A small twig of some sort was sticking out of a larger one that took a few seconds to notice.

I have to say, I would have liked some instruction here. I opted not to mess up my drawing with watercolour at this stage, as I can't remember what colours to lay on or how to lay them on (i.e, what brushes to use). As a companion to this course, I am reading a book I purchased that was recommended in another Cornell course I took - The Sierra Club Guide to Sketching in Nature. The section on brushes was particularly interesting. I tend to draw very slowly, plus as ranchers the day is continually interrupted so I'm moving ahead on the course while I complete this drawing.

I just began a class through Cornell Labs on drawing birds.  I am learning about the various feather groups in that course and found it interesting to note those in drawing the Yellow Warbler.  I did try to use watercolors on this picture but feel instead of enhancing the bird, the colors, especially in the flank of the bird, did not show the accurate coloring of the bird.

Drawing the yellow warbler from the photo was a challenge for me.  I wasn’t sure where to begin.   I thought with the bird, but found myself focusing on the branch and foliage.  Had difficulty with sizing spacing on my page. Tried painting, but think layering colors is needed and figuring out what colors to mix to get desired hues.  Drawing from photo was easy as the subject stayed in one place. The colors of the stems leading to the leaves would not have been notice without drawing it. Details are key to drawing I think.

I think drawing from the photo is easier than being out of nature. You are able to see all the details. I think using the watercolors made it easier to get finish the picture in a fair amount of time. The details of the branch was challenging for me and also those details I would have missed if I just looked at the image rather drawing/painting it. I think that's the point of nature journaling is to see the details. Notice the moss growing, the leave being green, the bird rather plump compared to the ones I see on their migration that are thin from the journey, the background swathed in green. Someone mentioned below that they had a hard time with the beak. I did too. I think the head loos more like a yellow platypus rather than a yellow warbler. I also left no room for words, but I suppose I can write over the paint.

1.  I enjoyed drawing the Warbler! I like focusing on the details of the bird while doing this process. The broader outlines weren't too difficult for me, but proportion of parts and placement were harder. 2.  I noticed more of the bird's shading while drawing it, and placement of the feathers, as well as the setting details. For journaling, I'd note the additional colors/shading for better identification. Also, the location of the bird is helpful for identification (tree, water, ground)

I have a long way to go.

I tried to remember the advice from the video about finding shapes in the bird's body. It took time, and there are still parts that I don't think I captured well (the breast region and the legs in particular), but I ended up being pretty happy with it. The tail was really challenging as was capturing the details of the feathers and markings. I found that the longer I spent on looking and revisiting, the more realistic my sketch got. I also found myself wondering how much time I should spend on the branch and leaves. I did notice some details about the leaves (serrated edges, alternating pattern) that I wouldn't have noticed if I hadn't have been looking so closely.

• Drawing in general is challenging for me.  It took a few hours to sketch the warbler and then try watercolor pencils. I can’t say anything came easily, but I enjoyed the process.  Having time to observe a photo is a plus.  Drawing offered me a better understanding of the bird’s coloring, the shape of it’s beak, and legs.  Certainly appreciate the opportunity to be more observant through nature journaling.

This was hard for me. At least in the photo the bird is standing still. I can't imagine trying to get all the details from looking at a moving creature. I tried using water color pencils, but the colors still need work.

I mostly enjoyed taking my time and doing the watercolors in layers, but sometimes it was hard to be patient. Ultimately it was quite satisfying to see the realism of the bird appear towards the end. I definitely noticed the subtle differences between colors.

1. It was a little intimidating to just do it without any instruction, but I got more confident as I went. It was good to start with something that doesn't move because it took a long time! 2. There we lots of details like leg position, beak shape, locations of colors, etc... that I would not have really processed if I didn't have to draw it. This will make a big difference when trying to ID an animal. Lots of times I read a description of a species when trying to ID a bird and realize that I have no idea if there was a ring around the eye, what shape the tail was, where the banding was located. I'm hoping to learn to notice these details better!