Here's mine, I used a video of a bald eagle I found:
Nambroth's Art Academy Classroom: Drawing birds & their anatomy
- Thread starter Nambroth
- Start date
I know this is pretty terrible:
Heres mine. Found a vid on NG website:
- Apr 14, 2010
- 10,563
- 2
- 344
I redid mine...
It's still a little blurry, but I think it turned out a lot better...
It's of my parakeets and cockatiel.
Oh, yeah, and sorry about the fingerprints...
I was just gardening and totally forgot.
It's of my parakeets and cockatiel.
Oh, yeah, and sorry about the fingerprints...
Last edited:
- Thread starter
- #25
Grading day!! Thank you everyone for posting your drawings.
What I was looking for here was the ability to try and capture basic shapes of the moving bird, and not so much detail. Detail comes later, as we learn more about the form.
In no particular order:
Chickenfur - Great eagle sketches! I like your observations about beak shape, and particularly head shape in the bottom-most sketch. I appreciate that you chose to sketch this more unusual position and it shows that you did so without bias! Don't worry about erasing when doing sketches like this... you can learn more from mistakes than the 'right' parts! If you want to practice more on your own time, try using a pen so you can't correct. Lots and lots of drawings and you will get the hang of it.
B+ !
NixNoodleNumbat - Are these your chickens? How great! I really like that you just went right in and didn't worry about erasing or correcting. You are making important observations about shape. Learning how to observe an animal is more important than the skill in drawing it-- no, really! Because with practice you can learn the technical parts of drawing. But you need to know how to observe first and you are showing your eagerness to do so.
B+
the duck whisperer- Looking good! I am fond of the cockatiel and the duck's bill shape. The cockatiel shows a lot of observation to the form and behavior of the bird.
Watch out for adding too much detail in this type of sketching; quickly draw only what your eye sees in that moment, and not what you think you see, does that make sense? B
equinehugger3 - (Grading your second one) This looks great! Don't worry about fingerprints, art is often messy.
I really like the preening budgie, and the slightly turned-away budgie. You have payed close attention to how the beak has a different shape when the bird is turned away from you! The only nitpick I can think of is that I think you are filling in some details from your mind, rather than your eye (I noticed that a few of your sketches have three toes in front, which can't be what your eye saw). This is totally normal and we all do this! You can train yourself not to do it with time.
A
DuckLover179 - Thank you for your duck drawings! Are they your ducks? I am really digging on the sleeping duck and the one in the lower right. You've observed the shape of the wings quite accurately for this type of sketch and I can tell you were drawing what you saw! Very good! B+
animalloverabh - Are these your cockatiels? You nailed what I was looking for in this assignment almost spot on! I really adore the series of preening gestures. I get a very good feel for what the cockatiel was doing, the mood he or she was in, etc. I like that you suggested where you saw a change in details/textures, but didn't try to fill them in since these were fast sketches. A+
If anyone has any questions or comments or anything please let me know.
I am here to help!
I will get together our next lesson and assignment shortly!
What I was looking for here was the ability to try and capture basic shapes of the moving bird, and not so much detail. Detail comes later, as we learn more about the form.
In no particular order:
Chickenfur - Great eagle sketches! I like your observations about beak shape, and particularly head shape in the bottom-most sketch. I appreciate that you chose to sketch this more unusual position and it shows that you did so without bias! Don't worry about erasing when doing sketches like this... you can learn more from mistakes than the 'right' parts! If you want to practice more on your own time, try using a pen so you can't correct. Lots and lots of drawings and you will get the hang of it.
NixNoodleNumbat - Are these your chickens? How great! I really like that you just went right in and didn't worry about erasing or correcting. You are making important observations about shape. Learning how to observe an animal is more important than the skill in drawing it-- no, really! Because with practice you can learn the technical parts of drawing. But you need to know how to observe first and you are showing your eagerness to do so.
the duck whisperer- Looking good! I am fond of the cockatiel and the duck's bill shape. The cockatiel shows a lot of observation to the form and behavior of the bird.
equinehugger3 - (Grading your second one) This looks great! Don't worry about fingerprints, art is often messy.
DuckLover179 - Thank you for your duck drawings! Are they your ducks? I am really digging on the sleeping duck and the one in the lower right. You've observed the shape of the wings quite accurately for this type of sketch and I can tell you were drawing what you saw! Very good! B+
animalloverabh - Are these your cockatiels? You nailed what I was looking for in this assignment almost spot on! I really adore the series of preening gestures. I get a very good feel for what the cockatiel was doing, the mood he or she was in, etc. I like that you suggested where you saw a change in details/textures, but didn't try to fill them in since these were fast sketches. A+
If anyone has any questions or comments or anything please let me know.
I will get together our next lesson and assignment shortly!
- Apr 14, 2010
- 10,563
- 2
- 344
Quote:
OMG. How COULD you do better?!
OMG. How COULD you do better?!
They are my cockatiels by the way...and yep, you caught me filling in extra detail! I tried to stop my self but i couldn't help it...
- Thread starter
- #29
-<< ASSIGNMENT POST >>-
First we will do an exercise on looking at shapes! Now that you've done a few life drawings, you may start to realize that overall shapes and impressions can show a lot about what is going on with a bird even without details. Next week we will begin exploring anatomy.
You may either do this on a sheet of paper or in your head. I'd recommend that is you really want to get better, to do this yourself as you follow along! You can practice by doing it on other photos too. The more you practice the better!
Doing this exercise is not required but it might really help you.
For now I am going to look at ducks... their smooth bodies are great for learning shapes!
Let's look at this photo I took of a Wood Duck. I removed the background so that it is not distracting.
If you are following along and doing this exercise at home, please do a sketch of the basic outlines/shapes of this duck. Do this before scrolling down any further! After you do this drawing, set it aside for a moment.
This is the same photo of the duck, broken down further. We are still getting too much detail information about the shapes the duck's body is making, however...
Broken down slightly further:
Here we have just the silhouette of the duck, which is its most basic shape. Without the distraction of details (especially the eyes-- we are designed to usually look at the eyes first!) we can see his sleek shapes and how his posture suggests that he is alert but not alarmed. It is amazing how much a simple shape like this can tell us about this duck.
Now, for those of you following along and drawing, it's time to draw the second part of this exercise! Look at the image below. IT is made of simple black and white shapes. I want you to carefully draw an outline of only the abstract black shapes.
What you drew is actually the negative space around the wood duck! Flip your newer drawing upside-down and it should resemble the silhouette of the wood duck. How does this outline compare with your first sketch? Which is more accurate to the overall shape of the duck (not counting details!).
Sometimes the second drawing of just the black shapes is a more accurate outline of the duck than the first that you drew from the photograph. Why? You are overriding what your brain "Thinks" it sees in the wood duck photo. Your brain has pre-programmed biases that we learn as we grow up. By looking at the photo in a totally different way you make yourself draw what you see, and not what you think you see!
For your actual assignment I'd like you to apply what you have learned above about looking for general shapes, and draw this lovely wigeon!
I would like you to draw the general shapes that make up this duck. His overall shape, of course, but also see if you can 'break' his body down into other simple shapes that describe his overall flow and posture. Fiddly details like his spotting and striped markings are not important at this point (and deduct from your grade).
Assignment Specs:
Title:
Basic shapes of a duck
Requirements:
- Draw the above Wigeon duck, with an emphasis on overall shape and shapes that make up the body.
- Details are not important and fiddly details are discouraged for this assignment.
- You may use any drawing or painting medium that you like!
- You may use color or black and white, or a combo. But it's probably best just to use a pencil or pen for this assignment.
- Don't be intimidated! You are not making a finished drawing and it doesn't have to look 'good'.
- Resist your eraser if you can!
- Due by Monday, June 27th please.
First we will do an exercise on looking at shapes! Now that you've done a few life drawings, you may start to realize that overall shapes and impressions can show a lot about what is going on with a bird even without details. Next week we will begin exploring anatomy.
You may either do this on a sheet of paper or in your head. I'd recommend that is you really want to get better, to do this yourself as you follow along! You can practice by doing it on other photos too. The more you practice the better!
Doing this exercise is not required but it might really help you.
For now I am going to look at ducks... their smooth bodies are great for learning shapes!
Let's look at this photo I took of a Wood Duck. I removed the background so that it is not distracting.
If you are following along and doing this exercise at home, please do a sketch of the basic outlines/shapes of this duck. Do this before scrolling down any further! After you do this drawing, set it aside for a moment.
This is the same photo of the duck, broken down further. We are still getting too much detail information about the shapes the duck's body is making, however...
Broken down slightly further:
Here we have just the silhouette of the duck, which is its most basic shape. Without the distraction of details (especially the eyes-- we are designed to usually look at the eyes first!) we can see his sleek shapes and how his posture suggests that he is alert but not alarmed. It is amazing how much a simple shape like this can tell us about this duck.
Now, for those of you following along and drawing, it's time to draw the second part of this exercise! Look at the image below. IT is made of simple black and white shapes. I want you to carefully draw an outline of only the abstract black shapes.
What you drew is actually the negative space around the wood duck! Flip your newer drawing upside-down and it should resemble the silhouette of the wood duck. How does this outline compare with your first sketch? Which is more accurate to the overall shape of the duck (not counting details!).
Sometimes the second drawing of just the black shapes is a more accurate outline of the duck than the first that you drew from the photograph. Why? You are overriding what your brain "Thinks" it sees in the wood duck photo. Your brain has pre-programmed biases that we learn as we grow up. By looking at the photo in a totally different way you make yourself draw what you see, and not what you think you see!
For your actual assignment I'd like you to apply what you have learned above about looking for general shapes, and draw this lovely wigeon!
I would like you to draw the general shapes that make up this duck. His overall shape, of course, but also see if you can 'break' his body down into other simple shapes that describe his overall flow and posture. Fiddly details like his spotting and striped markings are not important at this point (and deduct from your grade).
Assignment Specs:
Title:
Basic shapes of a duck
Requirements:
- Draw the above Wigeon duck, with an emphasis on overall shape and shapes that make up the body.
- Details are not important and fiddly details are discouraged for this assignment.
- You may use any drawing or painting medium that you like!
- You may use color or black and white, or a combo. But it's probably best just to use a pencil or pen for this assignment.
- Don't be intimidated! You are not making a finished drawing and it doesn't have to look 'good'.
- Resist your eraser if you can!
- Due by Monday, June 27th please.
Last edited:
I hope you can see it....
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