Category Archives: birds

one sketch, many outcomes

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I was considering what to write about this week . I had just scanned a page from my December sketchbook and it struck me how one sketch can have so many purposes.

This is a sketch of  objects Mum has left out for the Satin bower bird to collect .

here is more information and a picture of this amazing bird

 

 

29Dec15 bower bird cropped

The simple and quick act of sketching these objects allowed me to

  • document an occurrence from Mums house in a sketch.

 

  • have a conversation with my mother about the Satin Bower Bird visits. The visits  started recently and I really didn’t know much about it , apart from the fact that it visited. I was able to ask lots of questions and make notes. It will also have more meaning  when she talks about him in the future.

 

  • bring back memories of a camping trip to O’Reilly’s  National Park when I was about 12. This is the only other time I had seen Satin and Golden Bower Birds. You could feed them and the rainbow lorikeets in the campgrounds. I never thought that one day there would be one in a backyard !

 

  • fill in 15 minutes while waiting for a taxi to arrive to take us to the bus stop. I have always been an impatient person But since I started sketching I have never had this problem. I sketch and the time flies by.
  • practice sketching . I sketch daily and any sketch is an opportunity to observe, measure, make judgments on colour etc

And here is my finished sketchbook page.

29Dec15 bower bird

a visit to the waterbird habitat

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This past week of Christmas holidays has been very busy and I have filled many pages of my sketchbook.  For this blog I decided to share one little series of sketches from a  morning walk.

28Dec15 ducks cropped

My mother and I had promised my nephew (age 9) that we would visit the local waterbird habitat and sketch the ducks. He had been there recently and videoed them. On the video he bravely started to name the ducks and then decided they were all called Geoffrey. (They are Australian Wood Ducks)

 

28Dec15 ducks2cropped 3

Unfortunately when Mum & I visited, there were hardly any ducks in sight. We sketched what we could. The ducks in the above sketch may be Geoffrey 5, Geoffrey 27 and Geoffrey 341.

28Dec15 sketcher

After a while I gave up and sketched the sketcher. Mum stayed still for ages !

28Dec15 ducks3

Then a family arrived with bread and the ducks came out of nowhere but moved a lot.  Sketches completed, the day was warming up, so we headed home.

Below are some links to more duck and nature pages I have previously sketched

I enjoy drawing nature and you can view some more of my Nature Drawing on my Flickr site

I have sketched and written about another  duck . The Pacific Black Duck

some previous step by step drawing blogposts on drawing feathers and nests

Drawing a Tawny Frogmouth feather

Drawing feathers

Drawing a small nest

and of course, Greeting cards featuring my feather and nest drawings are available to purchase on my Etsy online store

 

New cards on Etsy

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I am very excited to announce a new set of eight Greeting Cards on my Etsy shop featuring my feather and nest drawings. I have had a busy and productive day today putting the images online.

These follow on from my first venture of Library books and shelves Greeting Cards that were printed in March.

all cards for log

Those who know me will be well aware of how much I enjoy drawing feathers and nests. I am continually amazed by the delicacy, fragility and strength of nature. I love to try and capture the patterns and colours of feathers and the complexity and intricacy of nests. I have chosen eight drawings that I hope convey this. They are printed on cream 300 gsm card and come with a cream envelope  and are beautiful to send with (or as) gift or to keep and frame for yourself!

Printing these cards provides me with an opportunity to share my love of drawing and nature.ibistwo7

This adventure into the world of greeting cards has been exciting and challenging. I am on a learning curve about printing, websites, Etsy and marketing.

Please visit my Etsy Shop to view my drawings on my Greeting cards and spread the word.

 

 

birds at the museum

I  spent a few hours at the Australian Museum in Sydney on Saturday and today. I wish I visited more often. I have a membership so can get in for free, so I should make effort to visit. The problem is  – to many wonderful things to draw, to many projects !
 
The Australian Museum
 
Although there are many wonderful floors to explore and sketch, I seem to always head for the Search & Discover Room . It is an information and resource centre. You have a chance to  touch and feel real specimens, and take them to a desk to position and sketch. I had SUCH a good time. Sometimes lines just flow from the pencil. It happened here.
 
I have sketched a few Australian birds before . As with any subject, the more you draw and really LOOK and SEE  it, the more understanding you have of it and the better you get.
 
 
 
 
I usually draw in a 13 x 19 cm Moleskine Watercolour sketchbook.  The only times that I want to draw BIG are at the Museum and the Zoo. So I took an A3 sketchbook this time.
I also took an old ledger that I had bought. I want to explore drawing on printed surfaces.
 
Currawong

 
 
He is almost all black in colour. but I decided to finish in this sketch stage and not “colour in”
 
A3 Arches 300 GSM Smooth Watercolour Paper
 
Pied Currawongs are found throughout eastern Australia. They prefer forests and woodlands, and has become well adapted to suburban areas. Throughout its range it is common and familiar. Average size: 48cm Source: http://www.birdsinbackyards.net/species/Strepera-graculina
Their song  can be heard in Australian suburbs

Currawong
 
I sketched him again, but really  had to add all black otherwise he looked like a penguin with a white front.
 
 

magpie
 
The Australian Magpie is black and white. It is slightly smaller than the currawong  Its nape, upper tail and shoulder are white in males, grey in females. Across most of Australia, the remainder of the body is black. They are common and conspicuous birds.Australian Magpies are found wherever there is a combination of trees and adjacent open areas, including parks and playing fields. Australian Magpies can be very aggressive during breeding season and attacks on humans and pets can occur.
They have a beautiful song which I love to hear. It is a loud musical flute-like song, often performed as a duet or by groups
 
 

I always draw in watercolour pencil. On this page I was showing another sketcher, Jane how I use watercolour pencils to draw and blend. I have been using them everyday for over five years and love what can be done with them.
 
 
I draw lots of things and they all go on flickr https://www.flickr.com/photos/alissaduke/