The Cornell Lab Bird Academy › Discussion Groups › Nature Journaling and Field Sketching › Jump Right in!
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I was afraid to start because I “knew” it wouldn’t be “good.” I really enjoyed myself. If I hadn’t been asked to draw the bird, I wouldn’t have noticed the geometry of the branch or the fact that something munched on one of the leaves. I wouldn’t have noticed the variety of colors in the bird or how it’s feet wrap around the branch.
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easier to draw from a photo because you can look at it for a long time. make corrections. i m looking forward tolearning hoe to draw something that is moving
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[1st Course - Drawing Exercise] I was excited to jump right into this exercise. I'm used to drawing from still shots, so I can zoom in and view details. The challenging part was the birds' physical form and wing placement. Nevertheless, I'm overall pleased with the outcome. I typically start all my drawings using a blue pencil - quickly sketch out the basic shapes I see... Then, apply the colors in watercolor. I go back in and tighten the sketch with a mechanical pencil. I refined and blended the color with a watercolor pencil, and finally cleaned up the drawing in pen and ink.
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I like your sampling of the colours used, much like a water colour painting. Having fun with the layout is what I hope I can accomplish.
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There was tons in the photo I would not have noticed. I liked slowing down to really look. And that's the point of nature journaling, no?
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Fun first try. Drawing had me looking for more detail, shapes within, and trying to get depth. The claws helped me work on depth, but I noticed after the drawing, that the bird's head looks to be angled toward the camera a bit - not sure how to bring that across in the drawing. Very excited to move forward with old lost drawing skills, and spend more time as we go :)
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It’s challenging to draw exactly but the representation is a bird with quick sketch. Fill in colour and markings afterwards. When sketching one is studying the subject closely, plumpness of the bird as an example. Details might be more easily remembered with drawings?
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I am somewhat comfortable drawing from a photo (with ongoing practice). I find it challenging to sketch (in graphite) and capture the brightness and/or shading that colors allow in a photo. One thing I noticed in the photo was how long the toes/claws were as well as the unexpected rust-colored streaks on the belly. Learning about bird wing structures will also help when trying to capture complex coloring/feather patterns
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Drawing from a photo is less intimidating than drawing from a live creature that moves around! My bird is a bit out of proportion - eye and beak too big. I guess one pays more attention to proportions when drawing, rather than just glancing at the photo. This was a good exercise for me in making a drawing and not agonizing over its lack of perfection.
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It was challenging to get the proportions right. I noticed the relationship between the beak and the eye. Also the shape of the wing and wing feathers. The legs were really hard to get at the right angle.
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It was difficult. I've been drawing with a pen and ink online class, working from a photo as well as a drawing.
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I felt good but really didn't feel I spent enough time on it. I was focusing on shape, eye position, and proportions.
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I felt good drawing from the photo and eager to learn more about the difference. I am just learning to sketch, so I was aware of lines and shapes and beginning to sketch in values before I switched to color. I liked playing with the edges of the bird and thinking about how to sketch the mushroom and yellow spongy lichen on the branch. I realized the things I need to work on: Shape of the bird, beaks, eyes, feathers. If I hadn't been asked to draw it, I would not have seen the context of lichen echoing the yellow of the bird. I am unsure of my own eye, so I'm eager to find the differenced between sketching nature and photos.
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1. I was glad the first exercise was drawing from a photo, it provided an opportunity to focus in on one thing/scene. Getting started was easy, it got more challenging as I tried to add detail and then didn't stop when I should have! 2. The lichen and moss I probably wouldn't have noticed right away, but as I was adding details to the branch, they became more obvious. This may be helpful when nature journaling to look closer at things and observe the whole scene.
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1. Drawing from a photo allowed me to take my time to look at the bird, see where the parts of the bird were, relative to the piece of paper, and go back and erase and continue, without the bird flying away! I enjoyed sketching the bird, but it was challenging to get all the parts of the bird the same size, relative to each other. 2. I focused drawing the bird and basically ignored the plant's leaves and the lichen, etc... I didn't want to get overwhelmed on this first assignment. If I wasn't asked to draw the bird I may not have noticed the toes of the bird and how they are situated on the branch. I enjoyed sketching the toes! I think that looking at these details will make a difference when nature journaling - forcing me to look at things I may not have otherwise noticed in the landscape. Also, since I just got the new set of watercolors (the ones recommended by Liz), I tried my hand at using those. I can see that I need to let the first layer of colors dry (the yellow) before I apply the colors for the details (the red stripes on the breast), lest they all blend together - a good lesson!
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1. I thought it was challenging as my first drawing of a bird. Hopefully I'll get better. 2. I think about the texture of the bird plumage and the contrasts with all the details. Yes, I think it would make a difference. Thanks!
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I decided to try watercolours in this class. My husband bought me a set, which turns out to be the field sketch box we're using in the class. Super excited - now I will be using coloured pencils and also watercolours.
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My drawing was better than I thought...I had very low expectations. It was fun to do. Just looking at and not drawing the photo, I might not have noticed in detail the makings and coloration of the bird. Of course these observations would be helpful in identifying the bird in the future.
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This was difficult. I was embarrassed of my drawing from the beginning, but kept on. Then, when I saw the other pictures here, I thought I should quit the course. But I haven't quit, and to show my determination I am posting a photo of my drawing. Good gravy, I hope this gets better!
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Way to go Ann - don't give up!
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hard, branch at bottom
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A little overwhelming, water coloring will take some getting used to!
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I enjoyed drawing from the photo. I try and apply what I learned in Jane Kim' painting birds class. It's hard to get all of the proportions right. I always notice more when I draw - e.g. the shape of the beak and how it inserts into the head, the pattern of black, yellow and grey, the way the tan markings on the breast follow the contours of the bird, the exact shape of the eye, etc. It could. I think the thing with journaling is that when birds move, you have to sketch very quickly and you capture what you capture. But having drawn from a photo could make me more attentive to aspects of the bird that I wouldn't even think about in a quick sketch without that prior reference.
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It is not easy for me to use water colour, but I love it. I had to repeat it several times, this is the best try
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You can see the progress throughout my 4 attempts at the bird - at first I was drawing every change in shape literally (as per the feather back humps on Attempt 1). My husband is a professional artist and we had an amazing date night drawing the same things together. He would point out what I got better each time, and show me on my own page how the movement of the shapes changes in the bird. Certain things make or break whether or not it's recognizable as a warbler or even a bird lol. I'm glad I recorded the suite of increasingly competent attempts, it shows how even 1 hour of work can change your skills a little!
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1. Getting the proportions right was challenging, especially around the head. I also had to keep getting myself to slow down and keep looking at the whole figure from time to time. 2. I wouldn’t have noticed all the details and colors in the feathers, beak, and legs if I hadn’t drawn it. I think this would be really hard to draw live.
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