I've always enjoyed drawing natural objects. I like to document changes in seasons and nature with photos, but I don't feel that I do it often enough or with any consistency. I'm hoping to establish a regular practice or drawing and writing. Seeing the journals in the video was very inspiring. They range from having great style to being very practical. I like both the ones that are finished pieces of art and those that are full of studies and sketches and notes that show a thought and observation process. I'm going to try several of the approaches and see what works best for me. I would love if one day, Like DJ, I could submit drawings to iNaturalist.
Drawing from a photo has the advantage of the subject not moving and with a digital photo the ability to zoom in is helpful. The down side is that a photo is very flat and it’s hard to get a feeling of volume. The ability to see feather and foot detail helps you learn the bird’s structure and that can always be applied when drawing in the field.