bird sketching on the flychristineelder.com/.../bird-sketching-presentation... · challenges with...
Post on 11-Oct-2020
5 Views
Preview:
TRANSCRIPT
{
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!
top related