Welcome!

I’m thrilled that you’ve decided to learn to sketch birds with me. They really are easier to draw than you’d think, with a bit of knowledge and practice. Please watch the orientation video to get started.

What’s included

This course includes all the foundational information you need to get started sketching birds. You’ll get downloadable booklets and video tutorials on such topics as basic drawing skills, bird anatomy, sketching birds in the field, and sketching different types of birds that you may see in backyards of North America or Europe, such as common songbirds, woodpeckers, and hummingbirds.

Additional tutorials may be added in the future depending upon the popularity of the course.

What art materials do I need?

Since this course is about sketching, we will focus on using graphite pencils in a sketchbook. I usually don’t advocate for using any particular type of art material since I want students to create in whatever medium they have access to and that suits their style. Certain tutorials may utilize other art materials, whose properties and uses I’ll thoroughly explain for you.

To get started, here’s all you’ll need:

• Mechanical pencil
•  Shading pencil (such as a 2B lead)
• Sketchbook; I prefer ones that are hard-covered and spiral-bound. 9” x 12” is a good size.

In what order should I do the exercises?

I suggest starting with my one-hour introductory course called ‘Stick Figures to Songbirds in Just 60 Minutes’. You’ll find a link to this quick course on the left sidebar under the heading ‘Included Courses’. It includes the ‘Six Step Roadmap to Sketching Success’ technique that I encourage you to use throughout this course.

Next, I suggest doing the exercises in the FOUNDATIONAL TUTORIALS section of this ‘Sketching Backyard Birds for Beginners’ course. Next I suggest doing the BIRD TOPOGRAPHY workshops.

Once you’ve tackled the three sections above,you will be ready to begin any of the bird family workshops in any order that most interests you.

How long do I have access to this course?

Since this is a stand-alone course, and not a monthly subscription, you have lifetime access to this course.

What if I have questions?

I welcome your questions, comments, and feedback. I'd also be thrilled to see samples of your bird sketches completed as part of this course!

Contact me at: [email protected]

Assistance with Teachable

Your course is hosted by the online platform called Teachable. If you need help with such behind-the-scenes things as logging in, navigating, or billing, the best resources for you are the TEACHABLE STUDENT GUIDES.