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HOW TO DRAB I R D S

. b y. RAYMOND SHEPPARD . ~

THE. STUDIO PUBLICATI N~LONDON. AND NEW YORK..

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First p""kri July ''-)40Second I ...P'eI Sl01l . 4 pT,1 1 < 1 4 IThird 'mpussilYlf January "H ZI-"""rlll 1...f :w~S$w. .H

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CONTENTS Page:)10II171819212325'2 6s a .'2 8293031J233. 3 435:3 73839. 1 { )

1 1424 3

I ntrod unionA Method of ApproachMute SwanA Talk about Anatomy and Construction

Skeleton uf BirdWings, Feathers and Flight

Bones and FeathersTypes of Wi.~Tail Feathers

BeaksTypes of Beaks

FeetTypes of Feel

DucksDruwings of Ducks

Ducks in the Wav..r .Drawings of Ducks in the WaterWeU-known Birds seen from the Breakfast TableMissel Thrush ..Thrushes, Redwings and Blackbird

StarlingsStudies of Starlings

Birds of Wood and HedgerowBlackcapNuthatchBullfinch

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Oyster-Catcher and CurlewStudies of Oyster-Catcher and Curlew-

HeronStudies of HeronKingfisher ..Studies of Kingfisher

PartridgeStudies of Partridges

Domestic FowlCockerels

44454647449505152

.. ' 53Raven 54

Studies of a Raven 55~ B irds of Prey-Barn Owl, Buzzard and Golden E.agk 56

Bam Owl 57Common Buzzard 58GOlden Eagle 59

On the Wi.ng~ Duck, Swallow and Kestrel 60Herring Gull and Black-backed Gull 61WUd Duck 62Swallow 63Kestrel 64

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INTRODUCTIONQuite reoendy 1 was asked by someone, why I liked drawing birds.

50much. Well, I bad never really considered wby-I just drew them,but when you really come to think of it, you know, there area lor ofamazing and interesting things about birds that most people don'trealise.

-J u s t think of all the varieties of plumage, in what lovely patt.emsthis is arranged, on some birds so indescribably delicate, Bw: didyou know that all this pattern, so lovely in itself, is there to serve thebird a very useful purpose ? It is really a sort of amoufiage. aboutwhich we have heard such. lot feceDdy, II " protecnve coloration "

, .which merges itseif into the bird's natural background of rushes,grass or stoDeS, and as loog as the bird is motionless i1 is iJ!visible to,its enemies. I expect our camouflage experts have learnt a lot fromthe study of these protective patteras and colours of birds. Thiscolour, too, is never quite the same. I was wndring some lapwingsme other day by a lakeside, and sometimes their dark backs appeared

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quite grey, and m e n pcrtUps th e tilht would catch ODC"> and it seemed togfisreo like lhot lilk with purpJa mil gra: :os .n..c biI aerapla.oes which fly overhead look rather lite great

birds. don't they? You see, the lDCD who design them have: hemsrudying the shape md 80w of I iDts of bird, which they call itssaam1inc. and they bsve Died COadapt these saapes to the dc:sigosbecause they know that birds are the most perfectly streamlinedc:reIlUrC$ in th e world But I un afraid man bas got a lang way to gobcCCft be produces II. 8ying I'IW"hjnc .IS 'cflicicnt as some of the birds.Loot at the sea-gull. bow easily be Hom on effortlesswings. ThrowIIpiea: of bread in th e air and he swoops w im the. precision of a Spitfire,o r counc man will DeVerbe able to m > t t J t covering far bis aeroplaneswhid:! . is ItS effi~- as the birdt-I mc:m fcame". Nothing else ~know of combines such lighmess and flexibility with such strength,It is these _wonderful things,-fr.:l.tba5-which make it possible forsuch a hl:avy bird as the swan C O fly many thousands of miles onmignling. You would n.aer dte:am this po5siblc to see him wliddl ins :aJoag the ground like something out of II Silly Symphony.

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Aren't there a lot of e1Citing things to know about binls? Youknow, the more you watch and observe rhtm as they go about theirordinary-e-I should say extraordioaty-Iive$, the more a.mzzing andwonderful things you will fiDd OUI about them. Idon't know ofany other living creatures who an: so much the masters of every element.Why, some ducks. besides being "'tty strong eyu" not only swim onthe water but under it as w e D and dive and walk! Of c o u r : s e to beable [0 do this they have developed perfectly and beautifully shapedbodies. It must take a very quick little brain to control thr: energyrequired for such rapid and varied action. This bright bird-brainlooks at you from every avian eye. No wonder that all through theages mankind bas been absorbed and fascinated by the srudy ofbird-life.On the temple w a l l S of ancient Egypt you may sec CUYings and

low reliefs of the birds men venerated and worshipped for threethousand years . Ago ago in Otin.a , artists had captured for everon Silk , graceful attitude and delicate pattern. MonumellQ to theeternal ppeal of birds ace these lovely relics, caught in stiUattitude

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upon Ithe 'ageless stone and silk.I think that the real reason I like so much drawing birds is not entirely

. because Iam so interested in their lives and actions, but more sobecause of the innumerable patterns Ican make out of their so variedand graceful movements, the limitless groupings, arrangementsand placings of curves and lines and shapes that arise from their ever-varying postures. It is so exciting trying to get [ust the right lines,t.o suggest an attitude or rhythm momentarily observed, be it :Ouentline of swan or heron, or rugged squareness of the eagle. Art andbeauty are so inseparably woven together, and birds are undoubtedlythe most perfectly formed of living creatures.Wouldn't you like to b e able to draw thein yourself? There is

nothing to stop you, because the whol; secret of drawing is learning to',' see properly," and we all have two eyes, so that once you have learntto observe and use' your eyes properly you too can get started on thisfascinating study of drawing from the living bird. The trouble withmost beginners is that they see too much.. B y too much I mean theybecome absorbed in details of plumage and delicate pattern before

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, they have learnt to see those big simple shapes upon the surface ofwhich these accessor ies are placed. Consequently they produce afiat feathered map of a bird.I have devoted a part of this little book to explaining the basic form

and construction of a bird, the few simple masses in which the feathersare arranged. And once you have got interested in these thingsand" learnt what few important facts to look for, it will surprise you.what fun you wil l get out of drawing from living, moving birds.

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A MET HOD O_F A P PRO A C HMost people I have talked to about drawing. birds have said that

...tmust be very difficult because birds move so quickly and neverkeep still." These people, of course, are thinking about the way theyhave been taught to draw such subjects as still-life groups at a posedmodel, where they are told to close one eye, hold a pencil at arm'slength, and measure uprelative proportions that they are unable tojudge with their own unaided eyes. This method is bad in any sortcL drawing (it makes you see things as ' flat not round objects, andkads to an expressionless sort of copying) and in our sort of drawingu'"> moving, l iving birds, it is of course a quite impossible method.WeU, you say, just how am I to tackle the subject?You will remember in the introduction I said that drawing I S really

Ic:;uning m It see properly,", "But," I hear you protest, .. I can seeprobably quite as well as you can. but I still canner draw!" PerhapsI should have said that' seeing properly' is really knowing what to lookfor. The reason your drawing is not good is probably because when,.you look at a bird. your eye is fuJI of a lot of really unimportant details

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MUlE. SWAN

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of plumage and small shapes. Now i { bikes quite a lot of study tobe able 00 .. see properly" and quickly too, the important shapes andmain lines or -rhythms of a pose. So 1 have told you a little aboutaruuomy, that is, the construction of birds. After all, if yOll knowhow a wing works, for instance, your birds are fa r more l ikely to lookas if they could . 8 . y than. if you know DOthing aboutsuch matters. Ifyou know that feathers are arranged in big masses which can be easHyseen, that diJluendy shaped beaks are diffc:ttn:tlyshaped for a reason,your drawings will look more convincing, more real. There area lotmore inttnsely interesting factsabour birds which you will probablyfind OUt for yourself when you are watching them. Tbc:yall belpyoUr -dnder3tandiDg of tbe shape of the bird, in deciding what to putin and what to leave out in your drawing, . and when yOll have learnt todows you are well on the way towards " .~ properly" andtherefore drawing properly. 1 say" well on the way 0 0 . " because ofcourse there is a lot more in drawing I U . C h beautiful creatw'eS as birdsthaD .noticing a few dry scienti.6c faas about theircoostruction.. Butyou will understand by DOW that with these filets in your head you arefar benereqeipped to draw birds in all their charm :lnd grace of

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movement, in all their subtlety of line, than if you were without sucbknowledge. 1 do not suggest, howcl"eI", that you set yourself tI:e, task of learning anatomy like you would a lesson at school, filedrawing is not a subject that can be taught like a school-room lesson-it is a subject to enjoy, and you will soon discover what an ex~adventure it will become. So Ida to the anatomical pan of m:sbook, just when you feel the need to--look for the things I have poinredOut On the birds themselves. Look and observe-look and obsereeand dra~d draw---tild draw ag;Dn. That is the way, the inter~way too, to learn,You know, it isn't really a disadvantage at all that your modds

(the birds) are always moving and changing their poses.' Y&bould take advantage of these changes and instead of trying to do let drawing of just one pose that may be really quite ordinary ard-dull-like those awfully boring and tedious sort of" feathered mapsof birds, generally standing Itiftly sideways, and looking as fiat _-ancakes in Natunl History books-take a large sheet of pap:::pinned to a board and make a lot of drawings, Each time the bird lIKm:$

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start a fresh drawing. You w iD find that I:bc bini will often rake up aformer 'anirude again and you can resume drawing on any of yourstudies at once. You willicam far more about. birds in this way, and

- produce drawiugs that are more interesting-that look alive. If Iwere you, Ishouldn't usc a lot of elaborate shading, at least not tostart with. Try looking hard at the birdmd noticing what are themain lines of a pose and put t hem down in free. long strokes. It willsurprise you how a few lines can suggest such IIlot. I have tried toshow you in some of my own studies bow a few lines are sometimesall that is necessary to hit off a pose.Did you realise that every time you look at the bird and then look

at your sheet of paper and make a line you are using your memory?To start with you will ollly remember a little for a very short time, butas you get to know IDOre and have more practice you will find yourselfable [0 reDltlmber II lot more for a great deal longer. It is this abilityto memorise which will enable you to draw birds in action, e'ipecially inBight, when sight' d raw ing is out of the. question. So practisememory drawing ilor: it ~ help yOu to ~cmbcr impo.rtI.Q[ thinp.

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Sometimes. of course, you will come across birds at rest or asleep--perhaps basking in the sun. Cormorants and shags often standmotionless 'with wings half-outstretched, 3$ though it were so -muchwa.iliing hung out to dry !Details such as beaks and feet, and particularly eyes-should be

seized upon for study. An ourstretched wing of a basking birdpresents an opportunity fur solving the problem of its foreshortening.For rapid sketching it doesn't matter what you draw with-whether

it be pen, pencil or c:haIl::-jt is the " rightaess .. of what is put downthat matters. The drawings reproduced in this book were done,for the most part. with 1 1 carbon pencil on cartridge paper-but anypaper will do. It is only by experimenting with different mediumsthat you will find the one which suits your own personal taste.Now I am goiogo r:llk to you about what is really the most

important thing in any Jnwing. It is what artists cali" Feel ing. 'B y If feeling" I mean that quali.ry in your drawing wh,ich shows thatyou have yourself had .m ezciting expuience, that you have feltwonder at the 80wing rhythm the springing life that is the bird. In

IS

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short, you show evidence of using your imagination.When you draw an eagle, try, in imagination, to be an eagle-you

are the claws that grasp so firmly-th.e hooked, cruel beak; and theunquenchable fire that is the sheathed and stabbing glance of theKing of Birds. If you can do this, almost unconsciously this willshow in your drawingand make of it a work of art, a thing of beauty.This .. feeling" is really the emotion you feel-that peculiar,unexplainable tightening inside that makes you want to laugh some-times, sometimes to sing and dance for joy, and sometimes just alittle sad. This is the most important thing of all to cherish, so doDot pore over this or any book over long-Rush out into the sunshiae-Art does not grow in dusty rooms and is not to be found by searchingthrough books by learned men. No, it is under the great arch ofheaven in the pure and sparkling air, through which on wondrcuspinions fly the birds we draw, and you in your imagination can flywith them into what unknown and pleasant regions of the mind, to.that perfection of Beauty towards which all art aspires.

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A TALK ABOUT ANATOMY ANDCONSTRUCTION

To start with I am going to tallt about the general shape of a bird,and how the various parts of rrs body wer.K .Youall knew that a bird comes from an egg, and

consequently a baby bird is shaped rather fik.e an eggtoo.' Indeed the bi~'s body reta ins this egg-like form

even in the adult bird. Of course there are variationsin shape adapted to the different species' mode of _l iving. For instance, in the gulls and herons it iselongated, whilst in ethers, the small perching birdsparticularly, if is rounder.A bird's body is built like our own on a bony. \ - . . . _ _. "'=- - -

framework. "Although most of the bones correspond to ours they havebecome "welded together into one solid framework,

bones in the neck than we have,

b

which gives the bird a far m orei fle xi b le neck than anim als . or m an.I ,

It ~s far more

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The sl!:Qll is nearly a U eye-seeker, and you wil l notice that pigeons,ducks, sparrows, etc. have the eyes placed on each side of theskull so that they can ~ all round them. whereas those birds thatprey upon them have their eyes set more nearly in front.In the drawing of the bird's bones, the black parts, i.e., the neck,

J~ and bones of W in~ are the only movable parts. The body is,as I have said, built on a solid bony framework. This I have shadedin grey.

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WINGS, FEATHERS AND FLIGHTThe wing of a bird is just like the arm of a man as regards its

bony structure, the main difference o c c u r r i n g atthe hand,' which in birds has.become one largeand elongated finger. Over these bones the wing-

muscles and feathers are placed in such a way as to formwhat is known as the camber of a bird's wing. You will realise thiswhen looking along a bird's open wing, as in the little sketch of a heronHying , it will be seen to :mve upwards, umbrella- fashion. If youpusb an open umbrella up and down quickly you will find it mucheasier to push it up than down because the camber of the umbrellaseems to grip the air on the downward pull. This is roughly theprinciple that enables a bird toBy.On page 21 is a view of a bitd's wing as seen from above. The

feathers are grouped in clearly defined masses. Into the long finger or.. hand. '~ of the bird are fitted the f i rst flight feathers or primaries,usually 10 in number. From the forearm grow 'the secondary flightfeathers, usually about 12 or a in number. The other groups serve to

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streamline the wing, build up its camber and give support to theflight feathers. The underside of the wing is supported in the samemanner. At the junction of the wing and shoulder are a clearly markedgroup of feathers called the scapular. These feathers in most birdsare quite large. and besides streamlining the lines of me wing to thebody they also cover the junction of wing and body when the wingis folded in the resting bird, preventing moisture from trickling downinside. The d iag ram. shows. you how these groups arrange themselveswhen the wing is folded.This arrangement of feathers is the same in all birds, although the

re~ative proportions of the various groups may differ. You will seefrom my diagrams that the feathers overlap each other and all pointone way.. They act like the tiles of a roof for draining water off.You will see iI! the drawing of a feather that th e quill or central rib isnot in the middle. This is because this particular feather is a flightfeather and it is only the flight feathers which have the quill in thisposition. In the overlapping of the feather1, th e broad edge isunderneath 80 that a wing looked at from above shows only the narrow

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BOI''S OF WIN(; Of IWRIl

C o .

1Prim . .r i t. . .lI' ~.c.ond ..ri e~m : T.. l"'t'"ric.1$" '! > r....~c. rp.. IJ..."t...,. co..... h.

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or leading' edge of the feather and from beneath only the broad ortrailing edge. . This is a very importmt thing to remember when. drawing birds in flight, because when the wings are pressed down. the trailing" broad edge of the feather is pushed tightly against thenat fc!.tber. On the upstroke however th e broad ends trail down-wards, making gaps between each feather through. which the air canpass : - it is by the power of resistance to the air of the downwardstroke t:htt a bird can haul itself up into the sky. The drawing3 ofiii .heron md iii gull Hying show this principle at work .

There is iii page of drawings OD ~ 23 which show you some of r:bevarious types of wings there are, in aD of them I have indicated the main1IWSe$ of the feathers, The first is a gull which spends a great part ofits life in gtiding and bas developed a laug, narrow pointed wing for thispurpose. Nptice the perfect streamlined appearance of the whole bird.Of quite iii different order are the birds which live in woods and enclosedcountry: they have little short rounded w m g , [0enable them to flythrough dose-covcr with ease. Some, like the blackbird. have longtails to ...-nable th.em to make rapid tums whilst flying at speed,

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I,IARIOlloS T'(PES OF WIN GS

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Game birds and others of the open moorland where straight flyingis all that is required have shert, rounded tails.You will recognise the big bird in the middle as an eagle. Look at

its great wing-span-errotice how the ends of its flight feathers arc cutaway towards the tip-they look rather like fingers when the bird isseen soaring in the sky. In varying proportions this type of wing isseen on buzzards, herons and crows. Ducks display them on the down-ward thrust of their wings during their first jump off from the water.It is the falcons and hawks who combine the most perfect stream-

lining with the greatest muscular power. Their powerful musclesgive them the heaVY-1ihouldered look of the true athlete, and drivenarrow pinions with such force and rapidity that they can easilyoverhaul most other birds on the wing.The tail of a bird is formed in a fan of overlapping feathers. usually

about 12 or 14. Tbe main thing to remember is that m e centralfeather is on the top of the tail, the others overlappmg each otherfroar heneq(/r it. on e a c h side,$(} that when w m il is dosed it is thecentral feather you see, with the edges of the others receding bebeatb.

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1

I ...,ooOPlGEON (~1. WOOOPl"E,ON .(opm):5 ~'-I"\Al.f. W I L . .D OU(;Kl' MAGPIE

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s " e A K SIhave drawn aD page ' IT!Cme of the var ious types of beass , These

differences in shape are guvemcd by the wily they find and eat rheirfood . Some are like boob-th.e eagles and haw'ks-wh() usc tbcirbeaks to tear and rend thei r food. Some are long and dagger-shaped-like the herons who spear fish and eels on it. Different again are m elong probe-like beaks of some of the waders. These they use [0 probe

\

the so~ mud of the estuar:it:swhere ~ey search for their food.Curlew, oyster-catchers, mipe and woodcock come under this

category. The woodcock bas a very interesting adaptation. Itpossessesa very sensitive, movable tip to its long bill, which enables it to graspa worm unde r the mud, and withdraw it with very little effOrt.

-,Swallows and swifts possess short beaks which, however. haft" amouth of great width to embk them to catch insects as they ~y._ " "A duck possesses a very special sort of beak. The inside contains

rows of small plata, like teeth w_hich act as sieves. through whichwater is strained, the smal l panicles of food being retained. Theseare just a few of the various ~ there are many more.

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\

.~~"~I~ -, ~~.''1. \' " :\\ .,,rmI1','II' /' "':.t: ',),I ! /... 'ruFFIN ~ " : " ~ 'I ' ! ~ # ' . ',',I'.fJ~

WQCII)CJX.I(.

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FEETThe .scales of a bird' foot are most beaurifully parterued, being

arranged in a very decorative way. The first toe which corresponds.to our thumb, is at the back, the seecnd OQ the inside and bas twobones. th e third is in the middle and has three joints, the fourth on theoutside has four joints. This arrangement is the rule "in practically.every son of bi rd.Opposite are various types of feet. The birds which perch, you

will notice, have a long thumb or hind-toe in order to grasp the bough.These birds hop on the ground, Eagles and hawks have it strongJydeveloped in order to grasp their prey and consequently have a veryfree move.mBlL Inducks. and most birds who spend the best part ofthdrtime on the water. the three toes arc joined by aweb and the hind-meis barely seen at all. In the swallow, which spends the greater pan ofirs life on ~ wing, the (eet an: used mainly for dinging so all f o mtoes are toget:bt:r. Woodpecken and cuckoos are different: theyhave their toes in pairs, two in front and two behind. The cuckoo .can transfer iu 5eCOnd toe to dJe back or front as it pleases,

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GOl.D EN EAGLE~l

~,

GOUlEN EAGLEtLase.o)

DOt1E.ST1CFOWL

OSPREY

COOT

OlFFERENT 1 '(PESOF FEET.

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Due KS_ Dta.w with tong sure lines. Do not be afraid ora mistake, you canalways swt again if tbiogsgQ wrong, and besides there is 1\0 time towaste in making tentative scratches when drawing_ from a. mode l thatmay fty away any minute !- . -The Drawing of the standing duck c o A" is executed mostly in longsweeping curves indicating the direction and area of the principalshapes. Curved lines always suggest movement and rhythm-butthe basic- construction and squareness of the bird should not be over-looked. Diagnun" B " sho,wswhere this squareness- m a y be looked forasa corrective to any ten.dency to over-emphasize thecurves, Suchover-empbasis always makes the drawing look weak.' and lacking inconstruction. The little drawing of the head shows how the position. 0 the eye ayl always be determined by its relationto the owl shape ofthe cheek,

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DUCKS. IN THE WATERA duck's body is built like a boat, to Boat, and if you remember

this you can't go far wrong. Care fu l observation of the way its breastpushes the water in front of it, and the posicion of the waterline, isvery necessary. Make the bird Boat in the water and not merely sit011 it. Willing models can easily be obtained 'In every park-lakeby arming your.idf with breadcrumbs.. There are many different species of wild duck but perhaps the bestknown is the M.allard. The drake looks very handsome with hisglossy green bead and neck, whi te collar. grey back and black.upcurled tail COVUts. IH i s mate looks quite drab in comparison in herdress of mottled brown and buff. But then this sombre dress rendersher nearly invisible when sitting motionless on the nest. Youngmales are marked in just the same way, only their beads and backs aredarker.

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IlLCKS INTHE """TERABO VE _ - M Al..L AADSLEFT .- ' T l.IF T'fD DIJCK

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M IS SE L iH R US !-t

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study of the markings, and shading was used only to indicate thedifferences of light and dark colour in the plumage pattern.These rapid sketches of thrushes were all done by the same method

of observing and drawing the big shapes first with simple .long lines-with a mere indication of pattern where it is thought such markingswould be useful. These are the sort of drawings you should try for(I hope you will be more successful though I).Speed is essential to catch such momentary poses as that of the

cheeky thrush, standing on tiptoe. who watched me as Idrew him!The Missel thrush is the largest British thrush-the spotting on its

breast is bolder than that of the song thrush. Its habit of singing inm e wildest weather has earned it the name of the Storm-cock.The bottom left of the page au two studies of the Redwing-a

continental thrush which visits us in the winter and is particularly inevidence in cold frosty weather. The remaining studies are of song-thrusheS--excepting for the' outline sketch of a blackbird-(bottomright) instandy recognisable from a Starling by his long tail and jetuniform and orange bill.

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~~.~'. l~- -~~1~'~~.,

~

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STA~L INGSA most amazing bird-always racing across the lawn at top-speed in

an CPdeavour to ssrisfy an insatiable appetite, Inhis off-duty momentshe lIlay.sometim.:5 be seen OD a chimney pot, with the feathers of histhro:tt loosened EJd $pi.ky. opening his beak and indulgmg in anysong but his own, fur he is a great mimic-CA.). Starlings congregatein huge Bocks a : J : l ' d do great service to the farmer by their wholesaleslaughter of grubs and other insect pes ts .Ax sunset they return in their thousands to their ancestral roostingplaces. In Lon&:m there are many such roosting places OD oldbuildiDgs, and fic:::::iliar to the business man returning home is theirpeculm "frirz.li:rIg~' soag mingling with the roar of the evening

,ttaffic. The pJll:IlII2:geof this bird is a most beautifuJ irridescent coatwhich gleams in thesunligbt with ever-varying hues o f shot purplesand greens,

These birds roD on the ground, not hop, and a general l lPib.nessand angularity of lXlIline seems characteristic of thcl!l, and this feelingshould be app~ in the studies,

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!liUD18 OF5" AR LI NGS

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BIRDS OF WOOD AND HEDGEROWThe f irst of these is a page of studies of the blackcsp=-wbich, as

might be assumed from its name, is easily recognisable among warblersby its jet black bead. The neck is ashen grey-back wings and tailIlon ash-y-buff----chin white-l.egs and feet lead-coloured. It is amigrant and as a songster second only to the nightingale. it sings bynight as well as by day, and its song is sometimes mistaken for th enigbtingale's. It is a delicately built little bird and in some of these -studies its feathers an: loosened a n d fluffed out, giving it a more rotundappearance than usual.The next page is devoted to studies of the Nuthatch, who spends mostof his time running up and down tree-punks searching in the crevices of',the bark for the insects on which he lives most of the sununer. He seems,just as much at homewhen hanging upside down as in any other position.The squat bullet headed shape' of the bullfinch is typical of a U

the linches-its strong squat beak for cxtnlcting seeds. Its bright redbreast and black bead with pale grey back-make it easily recognisableamong th,e finches.

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o Y S T E R _CA T C H E R A ND CUR lEW. The oyster-catcher is one of our most beautiful shore birds with itsstriking plumage of black and white simply divided into clear-curmasses-s-ir is an excellent subject to dr :aw .When drawing birds at rest, balanced on one foot, note bow the

supporting leg leans slightly inward to preserve the balance of thebird.The birds in the sketch are resting, waiting for the tide to fall, when

they will wander over the ooze and rocks in search of cockles andworms .The top left hand bird is a curlew. Its long curved bill m ay vary

in length from four to seven inches. It takes its name from its pecul iarwild cry-familiar on shore and estuary.

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HER 0 NThis most graceful bird, is an expert fisher, and may be seen wading

. along the banks of stream or lake. He hurls his beak like a spear at hisvictim, and transfixes the fish. Often he stands still on one leg,for bis characteristic attitude when at rest, with his head drawn inbetween hunched shoulders. These birds offer great decorativepossibilities to the artist. Birds of this type were a constant sourceof inspiration to the far-Eastern artists of Japan and China. e m thewing they axe equally magnificent, rising slowly with long legs trailing,the he-ad gradually drawn back into the shoulders as the bird gathersspeed and rises. .Its flight feathers are black, but only the ends of these show in the

sketches, protruding from beaeath its grey mantle.The beak is yel low and the legs greenish yellow. When drawing

the outstretched neck, look for mgu1arity at' the bend rather thancurvature-too great an iasistance on the curve will make it look likea piece of bent tubing. The bony structure is inferred in a judicioususe of straight lines and angles,

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HE.RON

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KINGFISHERTo the casual wanderer along the shores of a stream the Kingfisher

is generally a darting f lash of blue as the bird dashes for the shelter ofthe bank. This bird however, is more common than is usuallythought, its favourite resorts being rivers and streams which havestretches of perpendicular clay banks. These banks are necessary for thelocation of its nesting-hole-a tunnel driven into the face of the clayto a depth of about two and a half feet.The sketches opposite show the bird m its most characteristic

_, position seated on a branch overhanging the water, into which it willplunge in pursuit of small fry and minnows. It is a very beautifullycoloured bird with its unmatched, brilliant-blue back and rufousbreast.Its eye has 8 cold and fisby gleam-and its feathers indeed look

.rather like scales. It is to the smaller fish what the heron is to welarger trout and eels-a terror I

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-d KJNGFISHER

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PARTRIDGEI have chosen this little bird to represent the great family of' game

birds' because it is by far the one most commonly met with in thecountry, indeed most of us must at one time or another, have had ourcountry rambles suddenly startled by its abrupt departure on rapidlywhirring wingl;, from OUf very feet. In five of these studies the birdhad so puffed out its feathers as to give it almost the appearance of,a

feathered footbal1. It was basking in the sun on a bright frosty day.You will notice that in some of these studies I have utilized light and

shade in order to obtain a greater appearance of solidity. The ruleis-light C01l1es forward and dark retires-put any sphere, an orange,for instance, on the table in front of you-and you can learn all theprinciples of light and shade from it.The bottom right band drawing shows the bird with feathers pressed

down. The partridge is a beautifully marked bird, with dark rufousstripes on breast-fearhers. The light quills of its wing coverts makea dear pattern of rate tlid:s again~t the dark mottling of the back.The head study is of J red-legged partridge.

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PARtRIDGE.

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DOMESTIC FOWLAlthough not a British Bird in the strict sense of the word, the

domestic fowl is such a typical pan of the farm and countryside.Points to notice are the wedge-like shape of the masses, particularly

the hen-which is not a very beautiful bird, unless one searches verycarefully for the main lines and rhythm which follow through herrather ungainly bulk. The Cockerel, however, isa very lordly bird,and in the hands of theartist is full of great decorative possibilities,particularly in the curve of the sickle feathers whicb hang over thereal tail.

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COCJ

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RAVENThis fairly ~ b ird , is bo~ tint in popular imagination of the

crow fam ily ,. and I suppose is responsible fo r n:'0I'C legends than mO$ tbirds. It does in faa stand first among its kind. being more intdligent:and highly devcloped m an. any other of our birds.Its remarkable q'esight can spot carrion miles away-and i~ equally

n:marbble stomach seems to digest anything dead,-or alive fer thatmatter-which f a J l S beDc:atb this great pickaxe of iii beak, T h e O O 1 o u ris really 3. wond afully sbor ' purply-b lad : : , which glistens in the SUD.To thea:rtist and naruralis[ ir is a bird fulJ of interesting character,

An ageless wisdom gleams in its cunning eye: a cunning whichboweve:r seems to be tempered wima roguish sense of bumour. Itis remarkable that in the face of suchrelentless persecution from th ebands of man, sucb a large bi rd has escaped complete eztinctioa,A straight and rugged squareness indicative of a compact stre.ngtb

are the characteristic lines to be looked for when drawing the siniDgbi rd . On the wing it appears to bea beavy Jlier-but in reality is .slIperb master of wing-craft,

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S,UD\E5 Of A AA\lE.N

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THREE BIRDS OF PREYBARN OWL. BUZZARD AND GOLDEN EAGLEThe Owl, like the Raven, is a bird which has been immortalized by

the literature of the world. These drawings are of a Barn Owl, a fairlycommon bird but owing to its dislike of sunlight is rarely seen. Note thearrangement of the feathers, forming the facial disc round the eyes, sotyp-ieal of these birds. Their round heads have a startling fiexibilityand theycan turn their heads right round and look straight at you over their backs.In these studies I have not attempted to delineate plumage markings,

but have concentrated on the beautiful simple forms of the bird itself.Ihave used the light and shade as in the studies of the partridge andraven to bring out the main solid forms.The Buzzard, scarce in the greater part of England is fairly common

in Wales and the west country. It is easily recognisable on the wingby its habit of soaring for hours often wheeling in circles, risingeffortlessly on the ascending air-currents,The Golden Eagle, our largest bird of prey, is practically confined

to tbe highlands of Scotland.

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.r. ./ r

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ON THE WINGGULLS - DUCK - SWALLOW AND KESTRELDrawing birds OD the wing requires e.adJess srudy and hoUl'S of

patient observation. At fi rs t try and get down on paper only the,few lines sufficient to indicate the main position of wings in relation tobody and tail, details can be added from :memory afterwards.The page of duds in ftigbr shows some of the positions assumed by

the wings visible to the human eye. The ODC in the bottom-righthand comer is just leaving the water. For the firs t few strokes, thewings make their greatest stretch upwards, forwards and downwards-indeed sometimes 'the wing-tips meet above their heads in this initialstretch up-the downward pressure separates the pointed pinion tips,whose ftaible ends bend almost at right angles to the shaft . The duckrises in a spiral gradually drawing up its feet under its tail,The remaining plates are of swallQ'RS and B k.cstrel- note the

zig-zag line about the cut of the wings and tail of the swallows. Ane.lDphasi&on th is chnacteristic always ronveys a great impression ofspeed and dub.

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W1LD !lUC.KAIlOJE,. FOUR ""''''~~~ ,ot " r > < 1 ! I'l-tQ-rT

I'tT RIG1T, R151t.IG.FROM 1"ttE WA.Tfll.

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,a,1I " .. 0 TOil - SW"~L.C>.Y fLVINOliT R.IOHT- 1-CN6IINc:, "T ItE'>T

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