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Introduction to Sketching Birds

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Introduction to Sketching Birds 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://christine- elder.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 .
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