So, trying to figure out how to post a reply is a bit of a challenge...frustrated that pencil doesn't scan very well.  Working from a photo is good and bad - great for reference when drawing but I also find it hard to capture the space around the bird as it looks flat.  Proportions were challenging but with practice that should improve.  I had never noticed how lethal the bird claws look, very gnarly and pointy!  Whiskers around the bill and delicate feathers.

I think I need to learn to take more notes about the subject! This was a fun first exercise.

I have drawn from photos before, it can be challenging depending on the light and subject. This little bird was easy because it was not moving and a simple shape with just a few other shapes around it.  A heavier background would be harder. I noted on my sketch the lichen and torn leaf that I probably wouldn’t have noticed if I had just taken a photo and moved on.

It was slightly daunting at first, but then I really got into it - even though I know my technique is pretty basic and even I might laugh at it in the end.  I enjoyed doing it.  I had a very hard time knowing how to draw the branches.  More or less they are straight lines with no shading. I may not have noticed the holes in the leaves, the lichen or how the birds feet were if just looking at the photo and not drawing it.

Easier from a photo - I never get that close to a warbler and I had time to consider details. I noticed how the tail looks flat and how the toes wrap around the bottom of the branch.

Pictures are nice, but drawing actually gets you into the lesson. The more I drew the more I noticed, the stripes, the grey shoulders and back. The lines in the wings, the subtle brown in the breast and belly. I did not realize how long the birds toes are either, they wrap completely around the branch. If it was just the picture I would have been takes by the yellow and perhaps not noticed the other colors of the Warbler. Drawing from the photo meant that you could draw the bird complete, in the woods you probably would not get a bird to sit that long for you to draw it.

1. The basic shape/outline was ok, but I didn't even bother trying color. The details of the feather texture and the lichen were definitely beyond me. 2. I don't think I would have noticed all the different types of lichen - I would have just noticed the bird, mostly its color. I probably wouldn't have notices the different textures on the bird.

Drawing from a photo is helpful as the subject stays still. If I had not drawn the bird and just looked at a photo, I would not have realized the feather patterns and the shape of the warbler , the chest area and head are quite distinct . The bright yellow color would have been the main take way had I just looked at the photo.

This bird would have been long gone by the time I finished the sketch :-) Glad I signed up to get some sketching tips and practice.

• The colour and the markings were clearer in the photo and there was more time to add some details since the subject remained stationary  On the other hand I had trouble with perspective. 

1. Drawing from a photo was easy because the bird didn't move. Getting the right proportions and details was challenging.

I enjoyed drawing this Yellow Warbler. It’s a fairly simple shaped bird.  The two things that I find challenging when drawing birds are the feet and the layers of feathers of the wing and tail. I noticed that this warbler and others I’ve seen in the field often look like they are leaning forward.

Too much attention to details, less spontaneity but noticed the leaves eaten away. 

Much easier to draw from a bird that's not moving. Warblers don't sit still long. Used mechanical pencil and harder to get shading correct and doesn't scan details well. Probably would not have noticed the shoulder mantle as distinct from wings or the coloring of it. Since there are so many warbler species and juveniles, male and female might have very subtle differences I would want to note all areas of the bird for later identification if in doubt.

I liked the process of drawing, which pulled me to really look at the details of the bird, particularly the feather patterns. I definitely want to hone my skills so that I can better capture the attitude and overall impression of the bird.  I am overall more familiar with examining plants, and found myself distracted (in a good way) by the lichen-patched branch.

Wow, you guys are doing a great job. I'm so jealous I can't start yet, but enjoy watching the class progress. Nice.

I liked this first challenge as I definitely need to practice my drawing. I like the detail in the feathers, the striations of color and the varying colors.

I enjoyed this very much.  Painting again feels lovely.  I tried to just go with it and not stress too much... It's a before pic... I am challenged to be faster Get details exactly as they are not as my brain interprets Looking forward to more painting  

1. Wow, came easier than I thought, things like proportion seemed good enough, surprised myself. Could see how might be way more difficult away from desk and adding color 2. Most definitely: the brown stripes on chest, the black across back, the greenish within beak, the strength of the claws, the notion of relative sizing of subject to environment (leafs, branch), the documentation of an observation. Posting to get over being embarrassed by art ability and sending to engineer and art student who've inspired me to take course.

I enjoyed the process but was challenged to be able to represent the bird's backward looking posture.   I had much more of a challenge to get the head shape right.   The straight, close lines required for the wings are difficult for me.  The lines always turn out a bit shaky.   If I spent a couple more hours erasing and revising the drawing, I'm sure I could have ended up with something more satisfying, but I'm choosing not to do that as my goal here is to get satisfactory results from quick field sketches. 2  Definitely - the details of wing shape  and the dark color on back and nape

1. I have drawn birds before but it was still daunting to draw without direction. I realise I judge myself a lot while drawing. It was fun once I relaxed into it and I ended up jotting down things I want to improve, such as my domain of proportions and colour,and finding a balance between putting in details and keeping the sketch light and "sketchy". I enjoyed focusing on the details such as the different colour washes and tones, the texture of the feathers and stripes, and lichen growing on the tree. It was a good exercise to ascertain my strenghts and weaknesses and take note of them for the following lessons. 2. I noticed the texture of the wood which I could not recreate. Also the different textures and tones of the bird, such as the slight darker ring around the eye, the greenish tinge on the head and back and the ochre stripes on the chest. It makes a different to highlight the distinguishing features such as this when nature journaling, in my opinion.

I had the most trouble with the beak: I could see the shape but not draw it and as you can see, erased several times. I hope the sketching gets easier as we go through the course. The photo is a captured moment, and it was a luxury to draw from a still image like this. Yellow warblers in the field do not sit still! I did not focus on the tree branch at all although in the field that in itself would be something to note. I found it interesting the way the bird's toes curled around the branch. The rear-facing toe gripped the branch while the front-facing toes almost seemed loose with the nails not touching the branch. Again, one would never notice this in the field but a photo gives some time to study the image and note feather textures and the like.