| If
you have ever wanted to capture the beauty and grace of birds
in pencil, then this book will get you started. Mr. Forkner
has also produced a book on painting bird portraits in acrylics,
but this time he takes a look at working just with graphite
pencils for a monochrome look.
You won’t need to purchase much to produce any of the
projects in here, just the materials associated with graphite
pencil work. A detailed list of these is given, together with
tips on what to buy and why you need it.
After
a very brief look at the history of the bird in art, there
is a chapter on getting set up, including how to set up your
work area, assembling reference material, transferring layout
sketches to drawing paper and more. In order to draw birds
and make them look lifelike, it is necessary to understand
their anatomy, and there is a useful chapter on bird features
with exercises and diagrams. Draw feathers, wings, eyes, beaks
and feet and take a look at how birds look in flight.
The
project part of the book is divided into bird groups, each
of which shows some drawings of relevant birds with drawing
tips and a project. This is shown in captioned stages, not
photographs but actual drawings, showing how the picture is
built up. Each project comes with a traceable outline, so
you can get started on the details without worrying about
getting the sketch right. Choose from a moorhen, Canada geese,
puffin, lanner falcon, snowy owl, goldfinch and partridge.
Even a drawing beginner will be able to get plenty out of
this book, with its clear, well worded instructions and clear
diagrams. This primer is worth obtaining for anybody of any
level who wants to draw birds.
Reviews
of other titles by this author
A-Z
of Bird Portraits
Drawing
Birds
If you cannot find a good range of
drawing materials locally try www.searchpress.com for a list
of suppliers.
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