Course Suitability: Suitable for all

Maximum Participants: 12

Course Description:

A one day workshop aimed at introducing and exploring the subject of sketching birds. Suitable for anyone with an urge to draw!
The day will include:
•    A look at simple avian anatomy, focussing on the movement of the skeleton and feathers and their effects upon form and structure.
•    Simple sketching techniques for capturing an image.
•    A brief discussion on suitable materials for use in the field.
•    A brief look at foreshortening effects.
•    Adding colour to a sketch.
•    Putting it all into practice using reference material.

Participants will need to provide the following materials:

1/ A good quality pad or book of cartridge paper, or loose sheets.
2/ A selection of B grade pencils, charcoal, or graphite drawing pencils.
3/ An eraser.
4/ A colour medium; for example: Watercolour, coloured pencils, pastels etc,
for applying colour to sketches if desired. (one medium is enough)
While colour can be applied onto cartridge paper with good results, watercolour, or pastel paper or board may be preferred by some participants.

NB – Reference material will be supplied on the day, but participants are advised to bring photographic reference of desired subjects, if the intention is to draw a particular species.

About the artist: 

Trevor is a wildlife artist whose inspiration comes from British wildlife; working from life wherever possible.
Sketching in pencil and watercolour, his sketchbooks provide a unique connection to a living subject that is of great value to him; they provide a record of his encounters with wildlife and, acting as aide memoirs, allow recall of past events with clarity.

The immediacy of watercolour makes it his chosen medium with which to achieve this.

Trevor is self employed and has spent much of his career working in wildlife conservation.
‘Britain’s wildlife and wild places are under threat as never before. As wildlife artists we are better placed than many to witness this decline, but can also be influential in highlighting the loss of biodiversity by helping to shape opinion to reverse that loss’.
Trevor has taught fellow artists and novices alike to sketch birds, for many years now, specialising in passing on his experience of sketching from life, in the field.

To secure your place on this course a £25 non-refundable deposit is required.

All courses are £59 per day for members, and £75 for non-members