The Laws Guide to Drawing Birds
By: John Muir Laws, David Allen Sibley (Foreword by)
Paperback | 14 May 2015
At a Glance
128 Pages
27.9 x 21.6 x 1.2
Paperback
$45.90
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About the Author
John Muir Laws is a naturalist, educator, and artist. He has degrees in conservation and resource studies from the University of California, Berkeley, and in wildlife biology from the University of Montana, Missoula, as well as certification in scientific illustration from the University of California, Santa Cruz. He is an Audubon Together Green fellow and a research associate with the California Academy of Sciences. He is the author of The Laws Field Guide to the Sierra Nevada and Sierra Birds: A Hiker's Guide.
Industry Reviews
"Tips that only an expert could provide are included throughout. Bird-watchers will be pleasantly surprised to discover how helpful this book can be toward fully seeing and understanding the birds they spot." -Library Journal
"I have read through Jack Laws's Guide to Drawing Birds, and my only comment is that it is outstanding both from an artistic and ornithological perspective. I wish I had such a book when I first began to draw birds. Reading through the text and, more importantly, exploring his drawings and paintings, leads me through the visual journey that Jack took when he observed the subtle details of each bird. The book is well written, richly illustrated, and beautifully designed." -Robert Petty, Director of Field Support, Audubon
"At some point, I expect more than a few birders have tried (or at least considered) drawing their favorite bird. There is something quite natural about wanting to do this. If you are one of these birders, and even if you are not, take a look at the newly published Guide to Drawing Birds, and find out why I believe it is a must-have book for artist-birders. For that matter, I think it has value for anyone who simply wishes to improve their skills of observation. There is a lot to celebrate in the pages of this book, trust me. It is truly a birder's guide to drawing." -10,000 birds
"Best Bird Book Pick for the Holidays: perhaps the most visually stunning bird book of the year, an insanely beautiful and useful guide to not only drawing and painting but seeing birds." -The Birdchaser
"If you've ever even remotely considered drawing birds, you will find Guide to Drawing Birds eye opening, and then essential." -The Birder's Library
"This instruction book on drawings birds is everything I had wanted and so much more. It never gets boring and doesn't speak over the level of beginners like me." -Birding is Fun!
"Even those who may not consider themselves qualified to wield a pencil for anything more than writing a grocery list might well come to discover just how enjoyable and effective as a learning exercise sketching birds can be ... The techniques he demonstrates can be applied in as rudimentary or as polished a form as one likes. Whether one's drawings are merely augmentations to field notes or developed into fine artistic renderings, the essentials skills needed to produce them are the same. Laws presents these skills in easy-to-understand chapters, including an entire section devoted to what is perhaps the most commonly misunderstood element in avian locomotion: flight." -BirdWatcher's Digest
"Naturalist John Muir Laws has produced more than a guide to the techniques of drawing. He has drawn on a lifetime of work in conservation and wildlife biology to connect drawing with the actual lives of the birds." -Examiner.com
"A beautiful new book ... not simply for 'gifted artists' but for anyone who wants to heighten their appreciation of birds and nature." -Golden Gate Birder
"Tired of merely watching birds? Ever consider trying to draw them? There s a method to do so. John Muir Laws is very good at this and he's written a book that can help you get started, maybe even become good at it yourself." -National Geographic Society
"A good introduction for those wanting to learn how to draw birds." -The Guardian (UK)
"Guide to Drawing Birds is a fine recommendation for any involved in drawing, birds, or birdwatching and any crafts or arts collection will want it. It's devoted not to the art but to the natural history and postures of birds, blending techniques with keys to observing birds and capturing them using field sketches which then can be developed further off field. From using colored pencils to avoiding common problems in bird drawing, this is packed with step-by-step color illustrations throughout." -Midwest Book Review
"I would highly recommend this book to someone ... who'd like to be less intimidated by the thought of drawing birds." -National Parks Traveller
"John Muir Laws has created a quintessential field guide for drawing birds that can be used by people of all skill levels, young and old. This book could cause a renaissance of the illustrated journals and sketchbooks of earlier times." -San Francisco Book Review
Foreword by David Allen Sibley - ix
Bird Drawing Basics - 1
The Joy of Drawing Birds - 2
Draw a Bird in Six Steps - 4
Posture, the First Line - 5
Proportion - 6
Head Position - 7
Angles - 8
Everything Follows Shape - 9
Step by Step: Warbler - 10
Step by Step: Sparrow - 12
Mastering Bird Anatomy - 15
Songbird Bills - 16
Cranial Kinesis - 17
Feather Groups vs. Markings - 18
Step by Step: Drawing Head Details - 19
Turning Heads - 20
Head Angles - 21 Body Feathers - 22
Suggesting Feathers - 23
Feathers of the Chest - 24
Chest Patterns - 25
Back Feathers - 26
Wings and the Automatic Linkage System - 28
Spread Your Wings - 29
Wing Tricks - 30
Wing Proportions - 31
Step by Step: Drawing Wings - 32
Technical Points - 34
Suggesting Wing Detail - 35
Tail Shape and Structure - 36
Moving and Foreshortening Tails - 37
The Thigh Bone's Connected to the… - 38
How to Balance Your Birds - 39
Understanding Bird Feet - 40
Simplifying Bird Feet - 41
Leg Position and Angle - 42
Bird Leg Details - 43
Windows of the Soul - 44
Iridescence - 45
Details and tips for
Common Birds - 47
Birds of Prey - 48
Raptor Anatomy - 49
Raptor Body Feathers - 50
Step by Step: Peregrine Watercolor - 51
Drawing Waterfowl - 52
The Angles of Heads and Tails - 53
Duck Details - 54
Duck Heads - 55
Waterfowl in Motion - 56
Step by Step: Ruddy Duck - 57
Working with Waders - 58
Wader Heads - 60
Step by Step: Shorebird Value Study - 61
Hummingbird Helper - 62
Birds in Flight - 65
Build a Flight Frame - 66
Angled Flight Frames - 67
Another Angle on Wings - 68
Wing Tip Tips - 69
Make a Flight Model - 70
Sketching Small Birds in Flight - 71
Underwing Anatomy - 72
Step by Step: Raven in Flight - 73
Field Sketching - 75
Go Outside and Draw - 76
Field Sketching Is Not Field Guide Art - 77
Working in the Field - 78
Field Sketching Zen - 80
Drawing Moving Birds - 81
Birds in Habitat - 82
Travel Sketching - 83
Documenting Rare Species - 85
Materials and Techniques - 87
Keys to Better Drawing - 88
Observing Light and Shadow - 90
Planes and Texture - 91
Using Negative Space - 92
Combining Shapes - 93
How to Show Depth - 94
A Few of My Favorite Things - 96
Fast Sketching Combinations - 97
A Portable Watercolor Palette - 98
Paper Selection - 99
Painting on Toned Paper - 100
Color Theory Heresy - 102
Reinventing the Wheel - 103
Using Colored Pencils - 104
Step by Step: Colored Pencil Warbler - 106
Step by Step: Mixed-Media Steller's Jay - 107
Watercolor Choices - 108
Watercolor Techniques - 110
Mixing Complementary Colors - 111
Step by Step: Mixed-Media European Starling - 112
Using Reference Material - 113
Bibliography - 114
List of Illustrations - 115
About the Author - 117
ISBN: 9781597141956
ISBN-10: 159714195X
Published: 14th May 2015
Format: Paperback
Language: English
Number of Pages: 128
Audience: General Adult
Publisher: HeyDay Books
Country of Publication: US
Dimensions (cm): 27.9 x 21.6 x 1.2
Weight (kg): 0.49
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