Bird Project (sketches)

When I was young I really enjoyed learning the names of all the birds and identifying and watching the ones I saw. Like so many things, over the years I’ve forgotten pretty much all of what I once knew.

It’s knowledge I’m keen to regain, especially since moving to Weymouth, which has two bird reserves, a long beach and acres of countryside all around and about. I’ve found it frustrating to see lots of birds (mostly seagulls!) and not know what they were.

The first bird I drew, the Herring gull, which is everywhere around here

I turned to a set of Procolour pencils Derwent were kind enough to send me a year or so ago. They’d been gathering dust as my initial attempts to use them resulted in disappointment. I just wasn’t very good with them. But… there are over 400 British birds. Perhaps if I use the pencils to draw a picture of every one I might get better while also learning the birds’ names.

This is my project. I’m trying to draw one a day but I’m not worrying if I miss a day or two now and then. I’m not spending more than a few minutes on each one. Making the focus learning about something has taken away the pressure of trying to draw something great with the pencils. I’ve drawn 23 bids so far and I can see a small but definite improvement in my technique.

If you’re interested in following the project, you can do so on Instagram using the hashtag #pppbirds

Most of my drawings are copies of those on the RSPB website but some are from my own photos and some from photos on Wikipedia.