BYC’s BirdTober Thread - 2025

[SunriseChickers]

I have done stuff without a reference before... In fact, most of my art was without one, but now I'm discovering that my art is better with a reference and on some of it, I've been starting to trace. That's only on my digital though, and is only on the outline. I fill everything in and add details using a reference. (I haven't shared any of my pieces that I've traced the outline on because I sorta feel like it's cheating.)

I used to do everything without a reference too, but only familiar things. I did manage some cute new farm animals with no references, but they were cartoony (on purpose). But yes, like you, my art is so much better with a reference.
I would trace horse outlines out of a breeds book, then fill them in, and it was a great help for fine tuning my independent horse drawing. I almost never used references for my horses, and they got to a pretty good point.

 

[RDchicken99]

Two birds, one day. (Stone?)

Sparrow, and Pollinator.
A Song Sparrow and Ruby-Throated Hummingbird.

In my time doing this challenge, I think the one thing that has stood out most to me is the sheer variety of colors in birds.
Even the plainest little brown thing is full of purples and greens and blues— that being said, they leave us artists with lots of room to play.

 

[Somewhere_In_The_Clouds]

In my time doing this challenge, I think the one thing that has stood out most to me is the sheer variety of colors in birds.
Even the plainest little brown thing is full of purples and greens and blues— that being said, they leave us artists with lots of room to play.

This is literally why they're my favourite subject

 

[HorseGirlAbby]

Hey now, I don't need fancy to be cool

I'd say I'm entirely self taught. The one time I tried doing some kind of lessons I stopped going cause I got sick of being forced to do landscapes every. single. time.


... I only went like 2 or 3 times

I took an art class at my community college a couple years ago, and it was really boring because I didn’t get to draw what I wanted

 

[Somewhere_In_The_Clouds]

I took an art class at my community college a couple years ago, and it was really boring because I didn’t get to draw what I wanted

I don't like getting told what to do, so it was never going to work

There's only one person who can get me to draw/paint landscapes and enjoy it. I did a couple workshops with him

 

[Blue Raptor]

Ooh, adding this photo too, just for fun. The sunlight brought out the purple a bit.View attachment 4226763

Oh my word, the sun brought out the shiny colors like a real bird :0

 

[Blue Raptor]

Hey now, I don't need fancy to be cool

I'd say I'm entirely self taught. The one time I tried doing some kind of lessons I stopped going cause I got sick of being forced to do landscapes every. single. time.


... I only went like 2 or 3 times

Dude, same. It was a co-op for me, and I was like, “I don’t want to shade a sphere, I want to draw a DiNoSAur.”

 

[Lacy Duckwing]

I used to do everything without a reference too, but only familiar things. I did manage some cute new farm animals with no references, but they were cartoony (on purpose). But yes, like you, my art is so much better with a reference.
I would trace horse outlines out of a breeds book, then fill them in, and it was a great help for fine tuning my independent horse drawing. I almost never used references for my horses, and they got to a pretty good point.

Hey, mine were usually cartoonish too! For a lot of years I did comics (in notebooks, not the little boxes, though my later ones have graduated to that), so I have plenty, non-referenced, characters that I'll draw anywhere, particularly my chicken characters. Now, my newer chicken characters I don't draw all the time, I do bring out my references that I've done of them just to be sure I'm not missing any details.
I'd love to see some of your horse drawings! Just maybe not on this thread. We don't want to derail it. Maybe over on the Artist thread?

 

[Lacy Duckwing]

Pollinator: Day 3

This is a little late, but I did get this done today. (Actually just finished it.) I did a Ruby-Throated Hummingbird. Though I'm not particularly a fan of the 'common', I do love seeing these little guys visit my flower garden during the Summer.

 

[SemiSweet2391]

Two birds, one day. (Stone?)

Sparrow, and Pollinator.
A Song Sparrow and Ruby-Throated Hummingbird.

In my time doing this challenge, I think the one thing that has stood out most to me is the sheer variety of colors in birds.
Even the plainest little brown thing is full of purples and greens and blues— that being said, they leave us artists with lots of room to play.
View attachment 4226866

I’m a big fan of your work, RD. These birds are beautiful!