Be inspired by Richard Allen as he shares his secrets for sketching birds from life and demonstrates a watercolour sketch of birds on the shoreline (see below).

Incoming Tide, Avocets, Dunlin, Lapwings, watercolour on Bockingford Rough 140g (300gsm), (21x30cm)

'I’ve always been fascinated by nature and wildlife and I have drawn and painted the natural world around me since I was a small boy,' says Richard. 'I was particularly inspired by the illustrations by C.F. Tunnicliffe in the Ladybird Books What to Look for in Spring, What to Look for in Summer, What to Look for in Autumn and What to Look for in Winter. The images of a countryside filled with stoats, butterflies and grebes encouraged me get out into the woods and fields around my home in Berkshire, and it seemed natural to take my sketchbook and record what I saw.

'These days I am fortunate to make my living from illustration, printmaking and painting. I live near the Colne estuary in Essex, which teems with a variety of waders and wildfowl all year round, is on my doorstep and provides a wealth of potential subject material.'

READ MORE ABOUT THE WORK OF C.F. TUNNICLIFFE

Drawing from life

I am often asked how I sketch birds from life as they are always moving but with careful observation it is possible. The starting point is to watch closely and study a particular bird or group of birds, then get down on paper as much as I can of a certain posture before the bird moves or my memory fades. I do this again and again, ending up with a page of half-drawn birds, but eventually patterns and regular shapes appear. As you get to know the subject the whole form takes shape.

A good place to try this is pond at the local park; there will be ducks, geese and gulls, all tolerant of people and often in groups loafing, preening and sleeping. Pick a subject, look, start drawing, when it moves start a new study. You soon become absorbed, not realising how fascinating the plumage of a Canada goose could become. Take a special note of the angle of legs and bills, as these give the birds balance and movement; it’s especially important with long-legged wading birds, but also note how small birds grip their perch.

Brent Geese, Alresford Creek, watercolour on Fabriano Not, 140lb (300gsm), (21x30cm)

These small geese are a feature of the Essex coast in winter as they arrive from their Arctic breeding grounds. I was attracted to the slivers of sky stretched across the mud flats.

Field work

When doing a watercolour in the field I usually do a few preliminary pencil sketches to warm up. Often, however, a particular individual or group of birds will appeal to me and I sketch the scene in pencil as quickly as I can.

Avocets, lapwings and shelduck are favourite subjects of mine – their bold markings help to define their form. In winter there are always some around feeding and roosting, whatever the weather or state of tide and I’m drawn to the shapes of these birds against the patterns of light, mud and water found on the estuary. Of course the birds move and the light constantly changes, but I try to fix the image in my mind and get it down on paper.

Lapwings, Abberton, watercolour on Fabriano Not, 140lb (300gsm), (21x30cm)

Lapwings are a favourite of mine with their bold markings and wispy crests, along with the fact that they regularly roost in flocks and allow prolonged study.

When opportunity allows I like to travel with my sketchbook. One particular favourite destination is the RSPB reserve at Minsmere in Suffolk; here I can sit in the comfort of a hide and sketch marsh harriers quartering the reedbeds to my heart’s delight, and I might even catch a glimpse of a bittern. Another regular trip is to the west coast of Scotland where the light is amazing and there are divers and eagles to sketch, as well as the incredible landscape.

These sketches often form the ground work for linocuts or oil paintings, sometimes many years later. Photography is a useful tool, but you cannot beat the live, in-the-field experience you get from studying and recording the birds in their element.

Puffins, Skokholm Island, Pembrokeshire, 3B pencil on cartridge paper, A2

These delightful auks made very good subjects. They were relatively tame and adopted the same posture a lot of the time, allowing me to develop their quirky character.

Capturing the essence of the moment

The step-by-step watercolour (see demonstration below) was undertaken by the River Colne in late afternoon in early spring; the sun was low and the tide was coming in fast, covering the mud flats. It was a scene of high activity, as birds feed excitedly in advance of the tide. It seemed all confusion and action, so where to start? There is order, however, and a few moments of observation revealed this. With their longer legs, the avocets scythe through the deeper water chasing shrimps, while in the nearby shallows knot and dunlin were scurrying along the edge of the creeping tide. In the foreground lapwings roost facing into the wind with their crests trailing behind them. Estuary scenes are usually a balance of blues, greys, golds and blacks and the limited palette I used reflects this.

In field paintings like this I try to capture the essence of my experience at that moment: the light, weather, tide, season and the birds hopefully all come together on the single sheet of watercolour paper.

Richard’s top tips for sketching birds

• Start with familiar, easily observable birds – ducks and geese in the park, and garden birds.
• Really look and study before putting pencil to paper.
• Get as much down as you can before the memory fades, then stop and look again (don’t make it up).
• A good pair of binoculars are recommended - 8x40 or 10x50 are best.
• Don’t worry if you end up with a page of half-drawn birds.
• Use a big, good brush, work quickly, don’t get bogged down with detail
• Enjoy it!

 Demonstration:  Incoming Tide, Avocets, Dunlin, Lapwings