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Bird Sketching on the Fly

A Workshop for the Absolute Beginner

Discovering the Joy of Sketching Birds

IN GRATITUDE

Thanks to the photographers who provided most of the photos for this presentation:

Stephen Shunk (www.ParadiseBirding.com)

Steve Brad (www.seatosierrabirds.com)

BirdsCaribbean (www.birdscaribbean.org)

All illustrations by Christine Elder

Carol Gales and Kate Persons

Tonight’s Plan

Birds are a favorite subject

BENEFITS OF A SKETCHING PRACTICE

Learning toidentify species

Rare Bird Reports

Observing behavior

Enjoying a meditative practice

“In the end we will conserve only what we love; we will love only what we understand; and we will understand only what we are taught.”

-Baba Dioum

Time for Warm-ups!

ANATOMY from HEAD to TOE

Body shape

Shape is highly variable!

Coloration & Field Marks

Crown and cheek stripes

Eye ring

Rump patch

Patterns on throat and breast

Wing bars and tail colors

Field Marks to Notice

Color, size and shape are effected by gender, age, season, weather, health

Eyes

Beaks

Beaks

Wings

Tails

Outer tail feathers longest

Inner tail feathers longest

Tail feathers same length

Notice how feathers overlap

Foot anatomy

Feet

TOOLS for FIELD SKETCHING

Graphite pencil

Colored Pencil

Pen

Watercolor

Gouache

TIPS FOR SKETCHING IN THE FIELD

• Keep your art supplies handy

• Sit patiently

• Focus on process over product

• Not a field guide, but a field sketch!

Field Sketching vs. Studio Painting Styles

Challenges with field sketchingand their solutions

Movement

Distance

Lighting

~Create fast, light, loose, small thumbnail sketches

~Draw smaller as birds move faster

• Focus on one part of the anatomy

• Focus on one species

• Sketch birds at varying distances

• Draw Silhouettes

Most important:

1st: Shape (silhouette)

2nd: Color patterns /field marks

3rd: Notes on behavior, size, field marks

Nice to include if time allows:

Three dimensional form

Add color with pencils/ paints

What to Include in Field Sketches

Take Field Notes

• Habitat• Microhabitat• Behavior• Vocalizations

Stay light & loose

Time to Sketch Birds!

Wrapping up…

http://christineelder.com/join-nature-notes/

Free nature sketching guides

http://christineelder.com/how-to-sketch-a-robin-tutorial/

Sketching Exercise: follow along with tutorial video below

Thanks for joining me!