Sketching Birds with Cathy Johnson

This little video explores seeing and sketching birds QUICKLY. It's one of my favorite things to do, and I usually work from life, not my photos--but wouldn't you know, when I got ready to do a demo, there were almost NO birds at my feeders! Thank goodness I do shoot a lot of photos too...

[@violetsme6960]

I love your work. I'm trying to collect all of your books too. Just found you on youtube today. Thanks for sharing so much of your work and tips with us!

[@hollymc3]

Thank you! It's lovely of you to share your methods. I really enjoyed it and it did give me some insight.

[@SB-qs9zu]

A pleasure watching you paint and chat.

[@CathyJohnson]

Thank you!

[@Pit.Gutzmann]

Absolutely wonderful! It looks so simple!

[@liamsmyth3849]

These videos are adorable and highly useful! Thanks so much for showing us your process!

[@jillnigro9387]

I enjoyed watching your videos! Thank you!

[@susierubio1096]

It's been a long time since you post it But thank you I loved how they came out especially with watercolor I'm learning

[@JohnMuirLaws]

You inspire us with clear and supportive technique. Thank you.

[@CathyJohnson]

Thank you so much, John! Your work is inspiring as well, I always recommend your Law's Guide to Drawing Birds as a necessity for anyone wanting to capture this subject.

[@PeterWloch]

Wonderful, to watch you drawing.. i love this... So nice to see how the Bird comes more and more on the Paper... :) I turn the Volume off - just to look at the Paper... Thank You Cathy..!

[@Naturepainter]

My favorite sketching subject! Thank you!

[@CathyJohnson]

One of mine too, Melissa!

[@suzieirby2137]

I've watched this twice now! Love it! Love your kitties too!

[@CathyJohnson]

Thank you, Suzie, so do I!

[@auntbarbara5696]

The sound of your voice is so soothing, you're a wonderful artist--

[@Naturepainter]

Just enjoyed this one again. Watching your videos is both calming and inspiring, Kate. Thank you so much!

[@CathyJohnson]

I'm so glad, Melissa...thank you!

[@_S-O-S_]

So nice Cathy! Thank you!

[@Bubbless555]

Loved it! I'm new to color theory and never thought about mixing those colors to get black, thank you!

[@lionpaw55]

Beautiful! Tfs Hugs

[@djibriroukane6234]

Great work

[@ashamaree369]

What is the brand of the water colors that you are using?

[@mimiqhtani2602]

👏👏👏👏👨‍🎨

[@1876Susan]

I have heard your Blue Jays in the background of your videos. :)

[@jaguar661000]

What pencil are you using?

[@debboye]

Not buying the reflected color either. When my boy baby blue bird we’re getting their color before they fledged.....they were in a box, and it was dark without the sky to reflect and you could see that beautiful gorgeous blue....only boys....sorry girls. And the girls were as mousy brown/grey as you can get. But no sky here! So I am with you. And I have picked up blue bird feathers and brought them inside and again no sky in my house. At least today. Hurricane Dorian May say different in a few days. Thank you for the hints and techniques on field sketching.

[@CathyJohnson]

That may be the scientific explanation, but it's heard to disbelieve our own observations, isn't it!

[@Garrett_Rowland]

From my understanding, it's not that the color is a reflection of the sky, but rather that the feather's color is created the same way as the sky's color; prisms. The sky is just air, which as we all know is clear. It appears blue to our eyes because of how light scatters as it hits the air (over vast distances, as the density of the air is so low). In bird feathers, there are keratin formations that act as prisms as well, and scatter in such a way that they appear blue. If you were to sufficiently grind up the feathers, or if you were to get a microscope and zoom in super far, the effect wouldn't work anymore, and they wouldn't appear blue to you. Pretty cool how they do that. Brownish, redish pigment is fairly common, but blue pigment is exceedingly rare; simply using prism shapes to create a blue illusion is a novel workaround.

[@charleneengler5113]

Hi Cathy...I don't care what the "experts" say, I have picked up bluejay feathers and they are BLUE, in the house, not reflecting the blue of the sky!

[@maelysambos8233]

Hello! What paper do you use? Is special for watercolor? Thanks¡ :)

[@CathyJohnson]

This one was Strathmore's watercolor Visual Journal, though I often make my own journals with a variety of papers. (Usually watercolor paper, though!)

[@diegosanchez8393]

feather colours are neither pigments nor reflections of anything. They aré refractions Of light. Yes feathers act as prisms.

[@marybirder5663]

i frequently find little, feather gifts left by Blue Jays that I collect and save so that I can sketch and do watercolors. I store them in a special box and can attest to the fact they are indeed various shades of blue. However, if you''re referring to birds such as a Great Blue Heron fishing along the shoreline, then the principle of "refraction of light" does indeed apply.

[@greetingsfromchilliwack5702]

Did you use a charcoal pencil to sketch with? I love the simplicity of your work!

[@CathyJohnson]

No, it's a wax-based colored pencil from Prismacolor--my favorites.

[@greetingsfromchilliwack5702]

wax based pencils? I've never heard of them.

[@greetingsfromchilliwack5702]

I wouldn't think that watercolour pigment would stick to wax??

[@CathyJohnson]

Julie Bishop Give it a try!

[@marybirder5663]

@@greetingsfromchilliwack5702 it's best to use the colored pencils over your dried watercolors. They''re great for adding details towards the end of your paintings.

[@kan-zee]

I don't understand why ,People say your Cheating ? Everything is a re-creation, whether that be in Nature environment, or a photo..what do you mean , when you say "cheating" ? I always thought it was about creating the image...how you create, where you create, is not the point, imho

[@ratherbfishing455]

Traditional painters prefer to paint from real life observations. My aunt called it cheating when she used a photo as reference.

[@kan-zee]

How is this possible that the blue is a reflection of sky color...when you get a Blue jay feather, take it indoors, away from the sky ...and it remains blue ?? LOL Experts ??...lol

[@Gibbons3457]

You're ingredulity isn't a supstitue to understanding. Blue in bird feathers is structural, it isn't pigment, the microscopic structure of the feather scatters light to create the blue colour. Which just so happens to be the same way that the sky gains its blue colour. Experts, they know stuff you don't.

[@kan-zee]

@@Gibbons3457 You got that right... I know a little of somethings...but alot of nothing....thank you for your response...have a great day.