Start simple

Geese, ducks and swans in your local park are accustomed to people, and they’re big enough to see clearly without needing binoculars. 

Garden birds can be good, though they tend to move fast; a bird bath with a nearby perch will be useful as the birds will spend time bathing and preening, and you’ll see some interesting poses.

Ducks, watercolour and ink, (11x15in.)

Find a good spot

Good places for sketching birds are cafes with outdoor seating, picnic sites and car parks where birds are used to picking up scraps of food. 

If you want ‘wilder’ subjects, check websites and social media accounts of your local bird clubs or Wildlife Trust to find the best places and times to spot birds.

Nature reserves often have hides, which provide comfortable places to draw.

Lapwings Returning, watercolour, (10x12in.)

Make the most of technology

Many wildlife organisations now do live webcams, especially during the breeding season, so you can practice “life” drawing from your own living room.

Baby Blackbirds on Berberis, watercolour, (9x11in.)

Watch the tides

High tide is a good time to draw wading birds, as they come close to sea walls to roost. But be careful you don’t put yourself at risk from the rising tide!

Oystercatcher Bathing Party, water-mixable oil on paper

Make the most of gatherings

Birds in a group are a good subject as, if one moves, there’s likely to be another in a similar pose.

Fishing at Middlehaven, mixed media

Make sure you look

Spend plenty of time looking at the bird before you begin. Look for shapes, angles, colours, distinctive features. 

A good tip I was given was to imagine you’re describing the bird to someone else – what are the distinctive features that make a particular bird different from another? How does it move, feed, interact with others?

When you feel you’re getting an understanding of the bird, that’s when to start drawing.

Blue Tit Sketches, pen and watercolour

Sketch one step at a time

Don’t try to draw the whole bird in one go; focus on one area and draw as much as you can before the bird moves, then start a new drawing.

You can put all different parts together later when you have more time.

Knot, Low Tide, mixed media

Know your sizes

If there are different species present, draw one next to the other and show the relative sizes to each other.

Oystercatchers and Sanderlings, watercolour, (8x12in.)

Look, look and look again!

Draw what you see, not what you think is there, or what you saw in a bird book.

Stay focused on the process of drawing and don’t worry about the end result.

Seafront Sketch, Gulls and Waders, ink and wash

Watch the weather

Note down wind and sun direction on the page, so that you keep the shadows and wind effects in the same direction.

Look carefully at shadows and reflections too – are they sharp or soft, light or dark, still or moving?

Small Bird, Long Shadow, watercolour and ink

Ignore the details

Don’t worry too much about fine detail, you probably won’t see a high level of detail with the naked eye, so you don’t need to put it down.

Suggestion can be more effective than a photo-realistic drawing.

Misty Morning Curlew, Chinese brush and ink, (9x6in.)

Keep notes

If you’re working in monochrome and want to add colour later, add colour notes and labels to your drawing. 

Make sure the notes are meaningful: “light brown” could mean anything but “same as our dining room table” will be more useful when you get home.

I also write notes on any interesting behaviour that I see.

Sketches from the Garden

Sketch the surroundings

Include bits of habitat or found objects that can be useful in later paintings. These have the advantage of being stationary, so you can draw them while you’re waiting for birds, or after they’ve gone.

Coal Tits in a Larch Tree, watercolour, (16x12in.)

Be prepared!

Be prepared for the weather; take waterproofs and a hat (for shade in summer, warmth in winter).

You may need extra layers in winter as once you sit still you start to get cold. You can’t draw with cold fingers! I’ve now got an electric hand warmer which I can keep in my pocket, or cheaper disposable ones are available.

There may not be anywhere to sit, so take something. I have an inflatable cushion that I got from a camping shop, but do be careful before you sit down – check the ground for nettles, rubbish and wasp’s nests!

Woodpigeons in the Snow, watercolour, (14x10in.)

Choose your materials

Experiment with the drawing media that suit you best.

I prefer a small, A5 sketchbook and waterproof 0.1 fineliner pen, and usually add colour at home when I have more time. But everyone’s different – find what works for you.

Whatever you use, unless it’s a block or canvas you’ll need something to hold the pages down; I find bulldog clips are best and will stay put in high winds.

Skylark, Wharfedale, watercolour, (6x5in.)

Take reference photos

If you have a camera and/or binoculars, use them.

I often take photographs before I begin to sketch then, if my model flies off, at least I have something that I can use.

Sky Study, watercolour

Take a guide book

A good bird book or app can be really helpful if you’re struggling, or just for finding out more about the species that you can see.

Ringed Plovers, acrylic, (14x10in.)

Remember - nature comes first

Remember the bird’s welfare is paramount; don’t get too close to achieve a better view, use your binoculars or just draw what you can see. 

Scaring the birds into flight means they use energy which they need to keep warm.

Leave no trace; take everything away with you, including painting water, if used – don’t throw it on the ground, there’s enough pollution in the environment already!

Goldfinches in the Knapweed, Middlehaven, watercolour, (10x13in.)

Stay safe

Stay safe, especially if you’re alone – use your common sense around cliff edges, river banks and wetlands; make sure you know how to get back; keep your phone switched on (but on silent!), and tell somebody where you are.

Stay aware of your surroundings and don’t stay somewhere you feel uneasy.

Dipper at Cauldron Snout, watercolour

Have fun!

Above all, have fun – drawing birds from life is very enjoyable and rewarding; whenever you look at your sketches you’ll be taken back to that moment and that day.

Wigeon, Ealy Morning, Saltholme, watercolour, (18x12in.)

For top tips on how to paint birds in flight, see our article by Becky Thorley-Fox