I never thought I’d be able to draw birds. They seemed so elusive and difficult to capture on paper. I didn’t see myself as a “bird artist” at all. But as I traveled through Central America, I found myself increasingly fascinated by these beautiful creatures. The more I tried to draw them, though, the more I realized how challenging it was. I needed a way to work from better references, so I picked up a camera with a decent zoom lens and started taking photos.

At first, my photos weren’t what you’d call “quality bird photography”—many were blurry, out of focus, or missing important details. This made creating anatomically accurate bird drawings a struggle. That’s when I decided to dive into bird anatomy, something I had always found intimidating.

To my surprise, once I began studying feather patterns and the structure of birds, everything became clearer. I learned how feathers were layered and positioned on wings and bodies, and suddenly, drawing birds felt more achievable. Working from multiple photos and applying my new understanding of bird anatomy, I was finally able to create lifelike bird illustrations.

Soon after, I received an unexpected opportunity: Quarto Press reached out, asking me to write and illustrate a book titled *The Art of Botanical and Bird Illustration.* I was thrilled but terrified at the idea of creating step-by-step tutorials on how to draw birds. There are so many amazing bird artists out there—I wasn’t sure I could measure up.

Botanical illustration had always come naturally to me, but birds? That felt like new territory. Fortunately, at the time I was teaching Scientific Illustration at the University of Florida, where I had access to the ornithology department. We worked with bird wings, eggs, feathers, and taxidermy specimens, which provided invaluable hands-on experience. When the pandemic hit, I had to transition my in-person class to an online Zoom format. With UF’s support, I discovered an abundance of online resources that made teaching bird illustration possible.

The internet is a treasure trove of bird anatomy information, and it didn’t take long for me to feel comfortable navigating these resources. What started as a daunting challenge has turned into a passion, one that I see continuing for a lifetime. I’m excited to share this passion with others through my upcoming bird drawing course. If you’ve ever wanted to draw birds but felt intimidated, I understand—and I’m here to help you make it feel achievable, too.

Together, we can explore the beauty of birds and learn how to bring them to life on paper! Here is a sneak peak at some of the things we will learn about.

Join My 5-Week Course: All About Birds! Together, we can explore the beauty of birds and learn how to bring them to life on paper!

Calling all bird lovers and artists! draw and paint birds using **Graphite Watercolor, Watercolor Pencils & Colored Pencils** in a fun, hands-on class.

Course Details:
Dates: 5 Mondays –September 30, October 7, 14, 21, 28, 2024

Click here to register 

Time: 9:30–11:30 am EST
Cost: $199 (includes reference photos and resources)
Limited to 15 participants

What You’ll Learn:
Week 1:Drawing and painting bird eggs
Week 2:Creating feathers with color and texture
Week 3:Drawing bird nests with detail and depth
Week 4:Rendering bird wings and anatomy
Week 5:Composing a complete bird artwork

Includes weekly critiques, Q&A, recorded sessions, and a supply list. Perfect for beginners to advanced artists!