Not good outdoor sitting weather so I sat and watched my birdfeeders from inside. Observed Cardinals coming and going and their interactions which I hadn't noticed before sitting and watching for a 20 minute period. Felt I learned more about Cardinal behavior. Observing birds came easily to me, would like to get better at making quick sketches of birds.
Drawing from the photo I could take my time. Easy for me were the legs and feet on the branch. Having the negative space between the legs was very helpful.Challenging was getting the shape of the bird, particularly the head and the breast. Noticing the streaks on the breast I might not have noticed if I wasn't drawing. Yes, I think you see much more detail when nature journaling.
I was inspired to begin nature journaling because I love the outdoors, hiking and watching birds. Also have bird feeders and am familiar with most of the birds in our region. I enjoyed the first journalist presented. I like the idea of making a box to contain her picture even though it flowed outside the box in some spots. Also her circle close ups to provide more detail. I have not worked with watercolor before so I am anxious to learn how to add this to our sketches.