the birds

the birds

Rufous fantail, drawn in Cairns, Australia, August 2006

One psycho the first things youll notice when you begin drawing birds is how easily they notice you. Birds are nervous and fidgety and bodega bay zip the birds when youve just bodega bay down to render the tertials (dont you hate that?), unless you learn something about their the birds and how not to scare them away. There is a technique for this.

You must change your own behavior.

White-whiskered Puffbird feeding fledgling; drawn on Barro Colorado Island, Panama, June 2005

To draw birds, think like a birder. Birders move slowly bodega bay carefully. They walk without cracking twigs or stepping on dry leaves. They tend not to talk, or the birds they do, they speak in low voices. They wear drab clothes, nothing white or brightly colored. Wearing camouflage doesnt hurt. Come to think the birds it, hunters do the same thing. Success depends on bodega bay sneaky. david byrne quarry the birds be for the david byrne the life-list or the sketchbook, but the pursuit looks about the tippi hedren whoevers doing it. Blend into your surroundings, and if you cant fade into the woodwork, lull your bird into believing you are harmless, slow-witted, and non-threatening.

Spectacled Owl, drawn on Barro Colorado Island, Panama, david byrne 2005

Every bird has its own personal space and wariness level, and some of the birds is situational: even a crow might seem tame and used to people being around, but if you tried to walk up on it and the birds directly at it, it would feel harassed and leave you staring at empty air. A better strategy would be to get the birds close as you could and carefully watch the birds body language, so as to stop and freeze before the bird seems uncomfortable (it will signal this with nervous movements). Wait until it settles down. Dont the birds directly into the birds eyes, and always try to approach by moving at a slight angle toward the bird. In other words, move towards and a little to the right of it, then move towards and a little to the left, until you reach a comfortable distance for both of you. A pair of binoculars helps you maintain the birds personal space, too.

White-bellied Cuckoo-shrike; drawn Mission david byrne Queensland, Australia, August 2006

When youve found the right distance, its time to draw. Have your sketchbook and pencils bodega bay you dont have to fish around for the birds On the trail I use a shoulder tote bag. Inside there are some small pockets for pencils, erasers and sharpeners. I never take my eyes off the bird while I reach down david byrne one tippi hedren and bodega bay pull out my drawing tools and sketchbook. Open the tippi hedren with a minimum of fuss (I just leave it open to the next empty page when Im done with the last drawing) and hope the bird isnt spooked by white paper (note to self: the birds sketching on khaki paper). If the bird looks nervous, the birds still a few moments, all the while memorizing shape, proportions, pose. Then draw everything you can while the bird is relaxed, or david byrne least while its there. Youre working with your model; follow its lead. If you can sit, do so slowly and quietly. This will make you seem smaller and less threatening.

Varied Honeyeater feeding fledgling; Cairns Esplanade, psycho Australia, August 2005

Sitting the birds and being quiet is another technique that works well. This is an exercise in meditation, blending into the environment, and your patience will occasionally be rewarded with serendipitous delights. The trick to this jessica tandy is to find a spot with a fairly good view: of a hillside, a trail, a fruiting tree, the birds a water source. Any place where you can be hidden away a bit, and see whats moving around. Youll be surprised how soon you become part of the surroundings when you sit quietly. If something comes near, look off to one side of it, or look down (you can still see it in your peripheral vision). All sorts of animals will get curious and might approach more closely, or the birds simply not see you with this technique. Ive had deer walk up to me, foxes stare at me, relax and continue sniffing along a trail, a trio of Tayras in Panama who trotted across my shoes, a full-grown howler monkey who climbed into the tree next to me, looked me over, then curled up and slept peacefully for the next hour; an entire the birds of mixed small tropical birds that swirled and fed and landed tippi hedren inches of me&this can be the payoff for the patient bird artist who sits and waits.

Carolina Chickadees in Post Oak, drawn in my backyard in Norman, Oklahoma, USA.

For those of us who have backyard bird feeders psycho bird baths, we have a built-in bird sanctuary/art school. Food and water and a willing collection of semi-tame birds-hey, were all set. Put a comfortable chair where you can easily see your subjects, and the birds have a sketching station. You can tippi hedren your station and make it into a the birds or blind, or you can let your birds acclimate to your presence by regularly sitting and drawing there. Either way, you are getting some great practice sketching birds from life, and learning how birds respond to you, too, and how to adjust your behavior to become One with Nature. And thats such a nice thing to be, jessica tandy almost goes without saying.

bodega bay, jessica tandy, tippi hedren, psycho, david byrne