Drawing Brids: Heads, Wings & Feet

When the bird lands in front of you, you must be ready to get the basic form on paper with a few lines. But what do you do then? Once you have this basic shape you are ready to fill in the details but this is hard if you don’t understand what you are seeing. One of the keys to fast field sketching is to understand the structures and features of whatever you are looking at, to know what to expect as the typical way a detail will present, and to have a shorthand way to get that down on paper in a few strokes. Understanding the details and having a tool kit of techniques to get them on paper will make field sketching easier, accurate, and more fun.
How do bird beaks fit into the head? Where should I look for nuance of shape?
How do you draw the eyes?
Wings- this is a biggie, how do you suggest the detail without getting lost in a wing diagram (which you actually don’t see on most birds).
How does the tail attach and how to simplify the shape and angles?
How do I indicate feather texture and groups of feathers?
Whats up with bird feet and how do I draw them?

[@birdwatcher1015]

This lecture was one of the best I have ever heard. John Muir Law makes external feather anatomy completely understandable-something that has baffled me for years. I am only sorry I didn't discover him earlier. I am in the process of listing to as many of his lectures as I can find. BRAVO to an excellent teacher!

[@harbeckc1]

My new thing to learn during the Covid-19 "Stay at Home" order has been Nature Journaling. Thank you soooo much for making your awesome videos (I have ordered one of your books too). The way your draw on top of the photo is a great teaching strategy. I am a high school librarian and I am hoping I can take Nature Journaling to the students in some capacity. Thank you for all you do.

[@ralfwilhelmschmidt-artist]

dear John, thank you for sharing your incredible knowledge

[@lauradunne1949]

Only this: you are amazing in your knowledge of birds and your ability to teach it to the masses.

[@Linda-qq5mg]

Your classes are so very interesting and your manner of teaching easy to understand! I bought your awesome book on drawing birds and much to my surprise actually drew a sparrow that looks like a sparrow! Thanks so much!

[@abasheerahmed1253]

Hats of you there is no words to congrates you sir

[@xilat2495]

absolutely fantastic... i flipped to this video to take some quick wing notes, stayed for the whole video and scribbled notes the whole time. I love this guy. great energy ,tons of knowledge, wonderful at pointing out and breaking down patterns. This pedantic minutia of birdstuff is exactly what I wanted to find. Thank you!

[@mercykoimburi1984]

My name is Sierra I am an eleven year old turning twelve. I am using my mothers account I love your work and I would like to be a Nature Journalist like you I would love to be a birdwatcher and would like to be recording the birds I see on pieces of paper. I am practicing as much as I can. Thank you for all your work.

[@jamesmedalla7043]

Wow i learned so much about fldrawing "brids" thanks john!

[@denisejones6762]

Your style of teaching is so informative and easy to digest. Even when I'm doing other types of art, I always put on your tutorials so I can look up at them and learn something in the midst of other projects. Thanks so much!

[@SDW90808]

I love this guy. Really inspires me to step up my game.

[@neenakandwal6191]

Today I learned a lot about birds. Thank you :)

[@gingersneed2555]

Wonderful! Ifeel ilk I could illustrate. Very inspiring…I watched 4 of your utubes.😊

[@sallyredmond4452]

Thank you so very much for the generosity of your soul to post such in depth teachings....I am learning a great deal from you...many thanks from NZ 🌹🌹🌹....so sad we have lost such a great deal of exotic birds in this corner of the world...

[@michelleshorts9424]

I'm learning so much from this video. Thank you so much for making this public. BTW looked up feather count on alulas. 3-5 depending on species.

[@williamforward7524]

Just excellent. The workshop footage was great, and the more intimate, detailed section at the end was a terrific addition. Thank you!

[@greggillson388]

Great information. I knew the anatomy of head feather tracts and wing feathers and bones already, but now with the understanding of the toe joints it will make my drawing of bird's feet so much easier!

[@Benjamin-og5yj]

Wonderful class .I am learning a lot .My perspective about wings changed with this class thanks a lot. :)

[@caspercries6441]

i too, love to draw _brids_

[@arcsims4]

Thanks for sharing, and I really enjoy your teaching style!

[@vesnak670]

Thank you for this lecture - I learned so much and improved my drawings to the point that I simply can’t believe it was so easy - thank you!

[@m072049]

Superb lecture in a style I can understand and enjoy! You are a master teacher and you have shared so much enthusiasm as well to make learning exciting! Many thanks, John!

[@amysamin]

Another super-helpful lesson. Thank you!

[@ellen7930]

This video is amazing! I love bird watching and seeing how they work and move (also maybe re read the title of this video if you can still change it)

[@tommasoridolfi3561]

i wanna thank u so very much for the amazing lesson u gave me on this couple of videos... it was so usefull and very well explained! keep on with your beautyfull work!!

[@semtaart9010]

I like having my cockatiel next to me as i watch this so i can also look at the feathers on him and see where the feathers are and notice all the new things about him as I learn from you. :p

[@niacherryblossom]

Same I'm usıng my orange winged parrot as a model.....lol

[@MarceloJost]

Jack, at 43:50 how do you call that white patch behind the yellow supraloral? It's a crown part like in a rufous-collared sparrow (Zonotrichia capensis)? I see it depicted as "eyebrow", but it's a different tract from the crown? Thanks ;)

[@محبهساسكي]

شكرا جدا على هذا الكم الهائل من المعلومات لقد استفدت حقا 😀😀

[@vibegonzalez]

John, I'm writing to you from Argentina. I really appreciate your classes. You are very generous. I want to ask you: where can I find information about the feathers of the hummingbird? Thank you very much!

[@malihemir5377]

I like your methods thank you teacher

[@danielsutton2290]

Genius!

[@richarddoran3288]

Very informative

[@DFringeMinority]

Forget how talented he is, he is hot...

[@HogashTheOrc]

john, you wrote BRIDS instead of BIRDS in the title ^_^ By the way, as allways, nice istructional vid

[@mishapaauw7727]

Does anyone know what species John is drawing from around 1:34:50?

[@sofiep7861]

It is rainbow bunting bird.

[@eyeonart6865]

I wish he make make downloads of these video’s for sale. so we can use them off line!

[@janetpassek6598]

You are referring to the US Fish and Wildlife website as Game and Fish. They are two different agencies with totally different missions, one state one federal. US Fish and Wildlife does not have Game Wardens., they have Federal Law Enforcement officers and Special Agents that investigate migratory bird laws and endangered species. I know I’m nit picking this , but as nature journalists, we should know the difference in agencies that protect our wildlife. Sorry this is one of my buttons, same goes for the difference between Park Rangers and Forest Rangers. Rant over, love the video . Thanks for taking the time to do these.

[@Vinterbukser]

Drawing "brids"? : s