anybody been painting/drawing birds?

Hi

I'm surprised by how few people have been posting paintings and drawings of birds on here (I plead guilty myself as I've not been much on the forum for the past couple of years until the last month or two) - I'm sure there are lots of talented bird artists out there - it would be great to see more of your efforts!  (the ones that are already on are great but there doesn't seem to have been any for a while).    I've not done much painting of birds at all but am hoping to do a lot more now - here is one to get this thread started.   A mandarin drake done with pencil and water colour pencils (from one of my own photos).

  • Hello,

    I like your expressive sketchy marks, did you do it en plein air?

    I am surprised too how quiet this forum is too as a traditional paper and paint artist myself. Birds have become quite an artistic obsession for me and I would love to see everyone's artwork. I hope this thread gets picked up by fellow artists.

  • Hi ellemoonie

    Thanks - this one has just been done from a photo - I do sketch outside - but at this time of the year, mostly inside!   also, though I do sketch actual birds, I wish they would not move as much!   I'm intending to practice drawing them off photos so that when I get back outside in better weather, will make better attempts at sketching wild birds.   I would love to see your paintings on this thread if you have time.

  • Ah, I know what you mean!!! They're not very accommodating in terms of posing, save the robin but even then that's only for a about 30 secs. It's such a little poser :) WC pencils are great out and about. WC is my favourite medium, it's so exciting and captures birds so well.

    I initially learnt about their forms via photos too, but all this 'watching them business' has been my saviour. Also, I found learning about bird anatomy and watching them in flight really help with forms, so that you can work from memory as I often do in India Ink so that your work is more immediate and expressive.

    I'd love to see what everyone is up to, I am a bit shy but will upload a few of my birdies to get this thread going hopefully. My style is more expressive than realistic. It's always fab to see others stuff and be inspired and learn.

  •  I'm impressed if you can work from memory - don't think my memory works that way!   please do add your stuff - I'm interested in seeing lots of different styles - my "style" is pretty sketchy I suppose and I'm probably better at drawings than painting - here is one of my drawings - done with an artist pen from one of my photos  (this was a very small sketch and was photographed rather than scanned - sorry, is a bit blurry)

  • Well, working from memory only results from sketchbooks filled with birds! When it comes to ink painting, I may only need brush and paper, unless i need a certain reference photo for a pose or something. It does save me from the trap of copying a photo and exploit some my artistic muscle. I started using photos, and all too easily I let it rule me, rather than vice versa.

    I do like your sketchy, scribbly style, and the mallard above, and don't apologise, it's not blurry at all. Unique marks are wonderful, the more unique the better! We all have an artists' 'handwriting', finding it though, is a lifetimes' job! :O

    I wish I could take photos though I have a brand new DSLR (go figure!). Don't have the time to learn/take proper photos - too busy sketching and painting naturally. ;) Did you use a fountain pen/fineliner? Black and white is very powerful, but also look great with washes of ink/WC, or anything mixed media. In fact water soluble ink always looks great once activated. It's always a popular look on greeting cards. I look forward to more. In the next post I'll add some of my recent bird stuff.

  • From my camera phone, so absolutely no scanning from me!

    The following are either india ink (on printer paper!), WC, or mixed media. Some are actually unfinished, since I welcome feedback. They feature my favourite coal tits, robins, a random (anna?) hummingbird and abstract blue tit.

  • A hummingbird, awaiting some work.