Quentin

Wow, I am so fired up after this. I don't need coffee anymore. It became messier and easier as I went. This was a very nice exercise! Foxes were much harder than bird feeders but gave nice results.

I felt pretty good, especially this bird was not moving! Most challenging was laying down the contour but with a light line (and using a light blue pencil) this gave assurance. I notice the legs (tibiotarsi) are actually tapered and not straight lines as I have often assumed. Yes, it makes a much more likely rendition.

For one sketching is just cool. I really like looking at other people's sketchbook. I teach and absolutely love having students practice their sketching skills. Of course, many think they cannot draw and once I get them started, I am always amazed at what they end up doing. I am convinced this is a healthy exercise not only for the study of natural sciences, but also to keep balance in our fast-paced world. Journaling is an obvious bridge between art and science. I want to improve my observation skills and eye/mind/hand coordination to represent on paper what I see. Choosing one journal was really difficult. I like Jewel's humbleness, Margaret's study of hummingbirds, and Holly's determination all stick out. I overall preferred D.J.'s spider entry. His taking the time to properly observe behaviour and sketching it is closer to what I want to accomplish.