The Importance of Observation When Drawing Birds

When depicting plants and animals, careful observation is essential. Here are some tips for drawing birds

Nature illustrator Antonia Reyes Montealegre (@antoniapajarito) is passionate about birds and their diverse anatomies, something she loves to capture in her drawings. Nothing’s as good as looking out to the treetops and capturing the essence of the colorful birds that live in them. It is necessary to focus on details to recreate a realistic picture of nature. For this reason, we must learn to observe these creatures.

An artist must pay attention to how the bird’s body is structured to draw it with precision. Birds are vertebrates, which means they have a spine of tiny bones connecting their skulls with their pelvis; their muscular system, skin, and plumage make up their volume.

Observe, first of all, the geometrical shapes that make up the body of the bird you want to portray: triangles (such as the beak), an oval-shaped body, etc...

Consider the relationship between the drawing’s height and width: this is the secret to keeping natural proportions. From there, think of the axes connecting the drawing and the space it will take up. In the example below, the blue heron occupies a triangular area.

Save a variety of photographs of the animal you are drawing and use them as reference images. Some will be useful for specific parts of the body; in some photos, the legs and feet will look better; in others, the eyes’ details will be more evident. The main thing is to keep your drawing consistent.

In conclusion: start by drawing the structure using geometric shapes in blue pencil. Then, draw the feathers and the curves in black pencil. Look at the following example:

If you’ve enjoyed these tips and want to master the art of drawing birds, sign up for Antonia’s course, Naturalist Bird Illustration with Watercolors.

English version by @acesarato

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