Drawing Birds

Birds are inspirational subjects for any artist: the variety of shapes, colors, sizes, movements, and contexts means that anyone with an interest in drawing or painting from life will find birds challenging and deserving of their time. This book is written for a range of people — for beginners taking their first steps in a knotty subject, for more experienced artists wishing to tackle birds in flight, and for anyone who simply wants to see birds afresh. This book is published in association with the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB). As Europe's biggest wildlife conservation charity, with over 170 nature reserves, the RSPB brings the spectacular beauty of wild birds to millions of people. The business of conservation is often scientific and political — matters largely for the head. But birds enrich our lives in many ways. Drawing them is perfect for clearing the clutter of our daily lives, reconnecting with nature and reaffirming the purpose of nature conservation.

Media reviews of this book:

"Highly recommended for all collections."

—Library Journal, March 15, 2005

"Provides comments and discussions in varying degrees of detail about numerous bird drawings and paintings done by many artists from historic times to the present. Along the way, beginning and more experienced bird artists learn helpful tips regarding how to improve their own bird drawings and paintings."

—International Hawkwatcher, June 2005

"A fascinating insight into the art of bird drawing."

—Robin Wilt, Hobby Greenhouse, Summer 2005

"Drawing Birds is written for beginners, for more experienced artists, and for anyone who simply wants to see birds afresh."

—Bird Times, June 2005

An excerpt from this book:

To understand any living creature and how it moves, you do need to know what lies beneath the surface. You need to be familiar with the basic anatomical structure of a bird's body, and also how the feathers that form the surface plumage are grouped together. In time this knowledge will become second nature, informing your seeing and raising the level of your drawing. In some ways a bird is a simple form when compared to an animal. Most of its bones and muscles are out of sight behind feathers, and there are fewer basic differences in form within the range of species than there are among mammals ...

Read the whole excerpt