The daily morning journal and courier., 1907-05-14
DRAWING FROM NATURE
HINTS ON BIRD LIFE
One of the Difficult of the Many Branches of
 Artists Work.

The only materials needed for sketch ing from live animals in the field are two pencils. one soft and blunt, and one fairly hard and well sharpened; a sketchbook, preferably of the loose leaf kind, of small size; and a soft eraser. A fieldglass is a great help. but not absolutely necessary for the beginner. Any one who has shot with a gun i at moving and stationary targets can pretty well realize the difference be- tween drawing animals from life and drawing from mounted specimens or any "still life objects. Positions of per feet rest are characteristic of few birds. Not that birds are so rarely quite still, but that they are seldom still long enough at time to impress the eye. Except in the case of a comparatively few species, it is wel-nigh impossible to make thoroughly satisfactory and complete drawing in the field The problem is how to work to the very best advantage toward success which we must remember can be only rela- lively complete, that is, merely a, sketch.
 Whether the bird to be sketched be the laziest heron or the most animated warbler it is always best to allow for It's changing position or flying away, for there are always chances of these. Therefore, always begin your sketch with the most important lines, and work gradually toward the least im- portant details. Otherwise you must often be provoked by making a com plete but nasty and unsatisfactory outline. and then seeing your subject fly away leaving you to regret not having spent the time in getting good sketch of some one or two parts of the blrd-say the head and neck, or the fold of the wings.
 In making your sketch keep in mind it's main purpose-to save time, which is so valuable in this work. If you are making a sketch to aid you in naming a bird the things you should indicate are the outline (which means the shape and relative size of the various parts of the bird, especially of the bill, legs, wings and taiD, and the color, by dif- ferent shades accompanied by notes
 If your sketch is for the purpose of showing some familiar birl in pecu- liar or striking attitude every second of your time should be given to outlin- ing the pose. When you are trying for simply a good bird picture, first get the slant of the figure and the angles formed by the head and neck, legs, wings and tail, and then, if the bird is still before you, proceed with the smaller details; but do not waste time on details which may be drawn as we'll from mounted specimen, such as the exact shape, curve or length of the bill and feet.
 The perching birds are not the only i ones who are lively. and that should be drawn in position full of life and &C., tion; but many of the water birds and birds apply also to drawing the four at rest and sometimes offer a model { for a fairly well-finished drawing Ex- perlence will teach you what to ex- pect for your bird mo5els. You will try for careful, fairly detailed picture of heron watching for fish, and you 1 will make your entire sketch of vireos, warblers and certain other birds after single glance at your subject.
 Most of our remarks on drawing birds apply also drawing the four footed and other animals, it being only necessary to change fly" to run" wing to leg and so on. In order to draw live creatures of any kind a good plan is to begin with domestic animals. A pet dog or cat makes an excellent subject; with these it is not difficult to have several "sittings" for single picture, and So one can make quite q well-inished drawing, Take, for example, a cat tapping milk or watching for a mouse. In such cases it Is best to attempt only little at each sitting Then there are pigeons, chickens, horses, cows, guinea pigs and rabbits, to say nothing of birds in cages.-St. Nicholas,