The poet Marjorie Allen Seiffert said, “A bird is three things: feathers, flight and song, and feathers are the least of these.” In this class we will approach the drawing of birds from a similar angle. In the beginning weeks of the class we will explore the basic shapes and gestures that give each bird it’s wren-ness, or egret-ness, or hawk-ness in a welcoming and supportive environment. We will learn to look not only at the contours of a bird but the rhythms, forms and proportions that inform those contours. We will work from photographs, from video and observation of living birds, as well as from images of avian art in art history. Instruction will be given to help you focus on fine-tuning your observation and achieving fine detail in your work, however artists of every sort and experience are welcome, not just those who focus on fine detail.

WHAT WILL YOU LEARN IN THIS COURSE
1. How to simplify the complex shapes of birds
2. How to capture gesture and expression
3. Techniques for drawing birds from the field to the studio
4. An introduction to avian anatomy for artists