Drawing and Painting Birds

Birds are much admired, revered and envied.  They have featured in art for many thousands of years and our fascination with them continues.  They do though pose a challenge to paint and are not always the most cooperative of models.  By understanding their anatomy and recognising their type, the artist can learn a shorthand way to capture movement and attitude.  With technique and colour mastered, style develops and a special scene can be captured uniquely forever.  Explains bird types and how identifying specific similarities can help the artist.    Advises on painting in the field, using photographs and working in the studio  and describes how to paint plumage and birds in flight.   The author demonstrates how to compose a painting with emphasis on the birds’ habitat and gives insights into painting birds from 30 leading artists, as well as illustrations of their work, including John Busby, Robert Bateman and Charles Tuncliffe.  Author Tim Wootton has been watching and drawing birds since childhood.   He now lives in the Orkney Islands where he works directly from observational drawings in the field, usually painting and completing the piece in the studio. His work has been exhibited across Britain and is held in private collections throughout the world.