INTRODUCTION

I’ve loved birds since I was a child. The many parrots and parakeets at our house were my earliest non-human friends. I like watching the sparrows in our yard, and when I venture into the woods and forests slightly outside of the city, I enjoy hearing birds’ songs and sensing them all around me. And at the zoo, I encounter all sorts of interesting birds from around the world, such as penguins and shoebills.

In this book, I introduce ways of drawing different kinds of birds. I’ve included how to draw characteristic features or to bring out the texture of the feathers, as well as various hints about how to draw each bird. But I’m not suggesting that you have to draw birds exactly my way. Feel free to draw whatever birds you like, using whatever colored pencils you like—it’s all up to you!

When you discover a bird that interests you, part of the fun is to learn about its eggs and chicks, its songs, what it eats, and where it lives. When you draw the fast-running ostrich, it’s even more fun when you can sense the strength of its powerful legs. You can be dazzled by the beautiful plumage of a brightly colored bird as you learn more about how to draw the birds that catch your fancy.

There are lots of different kinds of birds in these pages, and I hope you will discover many new favorites.