Olwen

As part of this section I am practicing sketching using my Sibley field guide in an effort to get shape and color, also objects from around my location outdoors.

the following to images are my attempts at improving my observations and including shading, darks and lights even a little Chiaro scauro! I'm loving the experimentation. Mosquitoes are so bad here I can't yet sit outside and look, listen and record my experiences! Coastal NC in the Fall! I'm using photos in Living bird magazine to attempt the sketches. i have brought objects indoors to work on these skills.

I attempted a second drawing of the bird and used colored pencils for the colors. I realized I don't know how to use paint or pencils to get the right effect. I'm looking forward to those lessons.  I am a good birder and know many birds by sight and sound. This course will heighten my powers of observation! I am overwhelmed by the huge number of emails responses to the topic and realize how very good many people are in sketching. Journal writing is much easier for me than drawing/sketching. Thank you everyone for your comments!

As an 81 year old taking drawing for the first time......I enjoyed the challenge!  The relative size of bird to background was hard for me. I didn't leave room for the branches and leaves behind the left of the bird! I drew a second sketch just for the leaves and noticed much more detail. The detail of lichen and moss would not have been so noticed, my attention was on the bird. However I paid more attention to the shading of the grays and blacks on the back and the shades or the oranges on the breast. The camera shows what is really there...my drawing is my perception of what is there!

I am excited by the this course. I simply want to learn the skills needed to draw and also use watercolor paints.I did a "big sit" with 2 friends both of who drew and wrote as we all sat in silence..they could draw....I felt very limited in my drawing  skills!! I am very comfortable with writing. So far I have appreciated the use of geometric shapes to get an outline for a bird. I like the box idea. Holly Faulkner's journal was amazing..did she do many quick little sketches before the beautifully painted pages? What is the purpose of a large and a small moleskin journal?