Intro To Bird Sketching.pdf

Welcome to Introduction to Sketching Birds with Christine Elder

See ChristineElder.com/birds

for resources

WHAT WE’LL COVER TODAY • • • • •

Why sketch? Bird Anatomy Tools & Techniques Demonstration Practice

Anyone Can Learn Sketching Skills!

A BIT ABOUT YOUR INSTRUCTOR Illustration & Design Projects

Workshops & Classes

Birds are a favorite subject

WHY SKETCH BIRDS? • • • •

Sharpen observation skills Help identify birds in the field As a research tool For pleasure

Joys of sketching and observing birds in their natural habitat

Finding birds to sketch • • • •

Photos from magazines and web Preserved specimens and study skins Museum dioramas, zoos, pet stores, gardens In the wild

ANATOMY - HEAD TO TOE

What to notice and depict in your sketches

An understanding of basic bird anatomy and how it varies among species is vital to being able to sketch them realistically

Body shape

Shape is highly variable!

Skeleton determines the shape

Skeleton & body

Coloration & Field Marks

• Colors often follow feather tracks

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

eyes

eyes

Beaks

Beaks

Jaw articulation

Wings

Basic parts of the wing

Feathers of the Wing

Feathers

Wings

Primary Projection

Long Primaries

Short Primaries

Tails

Tails

Outer tail feathers longest

Inner tail feathers longest

Tail feathers same length

Notice how feathers overlap

Legs

Foot anatomy

Feet

SKETCHING MATERIALS

WHAT TO DEPICT IN SKETCHES • Most important: – 1st: Shape (silhouette) – 2nd: Color patterns /field marks – 3rd: Notes on behavior, questions you have • Nice to add if time allows: – Three dimensional form – Add color with pencils/ paints

SKETCHING STYLES WITH VARIOUS MEDIA • • • • • • • • •

Blue pencil then graphite pencil Line drawing Silhouettes Shaded pencil Pen using line, stippling, hatching Water soluble pencils and pens Colored pencil Watercolor Any of the above on colored paper

Shaded pencil

Pen

Pencil and pen on colored paper

Colored Pencil

Watercolors

Watercolor and colored pencil on colored paper

Silhouettes/negative shapes

HOW TO DRAW A BIRD

Flippin’

JUST KIDDING!!

STEPS IN BASIC SKETCHING • 1st line to represent overall body posture • 2nd shapes for body, head, wings, tail • Double check relative proportions and comparative lengths and alignments • Notice negative shapes and angles • Evaluate and correct, firm up best lines, add details as time allows • Less is more. Leave some to imagination • Vary line thickness, avoid heavy outline

First lines light & loose

Quick gestures firmed up in graphite

This handout is available as a pdf download at www.ChristineElder.com/birds

A Demo Video • Click on the link below to view my 4 minute video that demonstrates how I go about creating a quick sketch a bird • https://christineelder.wistia.com/medias/c2k7t25swt

LET’S PRACTICE ! Use the photos on the following pages as references to sketch from

Challenges with field sketching • • • •

Movement Distance Lighting – low, glaring or backlit Keeping track of a bird

HINTS FOR SKETCHING IN THE FIELD • Gesture sketching – fast, light, loose, small thumbnails • Keep pencil moving without erasing • Eyes gaze back and forth between subject & paper • Start a new thumbnail sketch each time bird moves • Return to a sketch when a bird returns to this • Focus on field marks and behaviors • Try drawing just one anatomical part; like bills, wings • Draw only what you see, depict silhouettes if far or backlit, more details of anatomy if bird is close.

VIDEO RESOURCES for practicing drawing movement Cornell Lab You Tube videos: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODczPMRFN3g http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tL42ABoSBRs http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1NeRF1edFT0&list=PLgSp qOFj1Ta7RLy1xxEuIY8nCTr-q6I0m • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O139mm3yl3E&list=PLgS pqOFj1Ta4xHFM4kKR4VTW8CJmPNNNA • • • •

• Macaulay library video clips: • http://macaulaylibrary.org/video/418044 • http://christineelder.com/blog

Download this resources document at www.ChristineElder.com/birds

IN SUMMARY • Hope this workshop has aided your love and understanding of birds and has given you some skills and techniques to sketch them with confidence • I’d love to see examples of sketches you produce! • WWW.CHRISTINEELDER.COM

www.christineelder.com/join

Join my Birds & Blossoms Nature Sketching Retreats

At Pico Bonito Lodge, January 2016

THANKS

• Thanks to the photographers who provided most of the photos for this presentation: • Stephen Shunk www.ParadiseBirding.com • Steve Brad www.SteveBradPhoto.com • Images from BirdsCaribbean pages • All illustrations by Christine Elder