23 November 08
Bird Sketching Workshop
This weekend was the Central Valley Birding Symposium. We went down this morning to catch John Muir Laws’ triple bird sketching extravaganza (passerines/waterfowl/raptors). I think I made a couple of breakthrough-level discoveries — time will tell, here — but even if I didn’t it was well worth it.
Reminders to get the bird’s posture direction, followed by body and head shape, check proportions, followed by contour angles, then finally getting into interior details — all things I tend to ignore apart from the last one — were so helpful. And tricks for not making raptor bills too big so they look like parrots. And for not scrunching feet with a lot more detail than the rest of the drawing…
We found some great-tailed grackles in a parking lot in Stockton and drew them. Funky birds, funky tails, funky calls. It was like being back in Texas…
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Good tips…thanks for sharing and glad you could go the symposium!