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La guía para dibujar aves
La guía para dibujar aves tiene sus propias alas y está dedicada no solo al arte, sino también a la vida y la figura de las aves. Aquí, el dibujo se convierte en el vehículo para disfrutar de los exquisitos detalles de historia natural entrelazados con la técnica artística. Esta guía práctica mejora las habilidades de cualquier artista y cuenta con un aporte aún más sirve de orientación a quienes creen que no son capaces de dibujar. En este libro, que guía la mano y la mente a través de una serie de ejercicios detallados y perfeccionados en cientos de talleres, Laws entrega lo que «dibujar aves nos hace más receptivos a la belleza de nuestro mundo».
Aprende * Observar y capturar las proporciones básicas de cualquier especie de ave. * Concentrarte en los aspectos más importantes al hacer un boceto rápido en el campo. * Dibujar pájaros en vuelo. * Desarrollar técnicas para usar lápices de colores y acuarela. * Evitar los errores más habituales al dibujar aves.
La misión de Audubon consiste en conservar y restaurar los ecosistemas naturales, centrándose en las aves y sus hábitats (así como en la vida salvaje) en beneficio de la humanidad y la diversidad biológica de la tierra. Para conocer la forma de apoyar a Audubon, se puede llamar al 1-800-274-4201, visitar www.audubon.org o escribir a Audubon, 225 Varick St., 7th Floor, New York, New York, 10014.
Audubon y National Audubon Society son marcas comerciales de National Audubon Society, Ink.
Aprende * Observar y capturar las proporciones básicas de cualquier especie de ave. * Concentrarte en los aspectos más importantes al hacer un boceto rápido en el campo. * Dibujar pájaros en vuelo. * Desarrollar técnicas para usar lápices de colores y acuarela. * Evitar los errores más habituales al dibujar aves.
La misión de Audubon consiste en conservar y restaurar los ecosistemas naturales, centrándose en las aves y sus hábitats (así como en la vida salvaje) en beneficio de la humanidad y la diversidad biológica de la tierra. Para conocer la forma de apoyar a Audubon, se puede llamar al 1-800-274-4201, visitar www.audubon.org o escribir a Audubon, 225 Varick St., 7th Floor, New York, New York, 10014.
Audubon y National Audubon Society son marcas comerciales de National Audubon Society, Ink.
136 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2012
78 people are currently reading
642 people want to read
About the author
John Muir Laws
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Free Teacher and Homeschool Resources
John Muir Laws is a naturalist, artist, and educator who has dedicated his work to connecting people to nature through art and science. From an early age his parents instilled in him a deep love and respect for nature. Over the years, that love has grown to a commitment to stewardship and a passion to share the delight of exploring nature with others. As both a scientist and artist, Laws has developed interdisciplinary programs that train students to observe with rigor and to refine techniques to become intentionally curious.
Free Teacher and Homeschool Resources
John Muir Laws is a naturalist, artist, and educator who has dedicated his work to connecting people to nature through art and science. From an early age his parents instilled in him a deep love and respect for nature. Over the years, that love has grown to a commitment to stewardship and a passion to share the delight of exploring nature with others. As both a scientist and artist, Laws has developed interdisciplinary programs that train students to observe with rigor and to refine techniques to become intentionally curious.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
November 4, 2017
Perfect book for anyone with an interest in drawing birds. Its unique perspective and outstanding tips makes this book stand out among others.
December 26, 2018
I think I've fallen in love with comparative anatomy. This book combines all-purpose technical pointers (for how to improve your drawing skills in pencil, pen, colored pencil, and watercolor) with a thorough survey of all aspects of bird anatomy, including both pan-species generalizations and more species-specific facts.
February 5, 2019
This is not only the best bird drawing book I’ve read, but possibly the best drawing book I’ve ever read. I pick it up every time I need to draw a bird and it always has more to offer every time I come back to it.
December 19, 2012
I think this may be the best of all the wildlife art instruction books I've seen (and there are a lot of good ones!). I've been drawing and painting birds for a couple of years now, and my work improved almost instantly through this book.
It is beautifully written, very enthusiastic and encouraging, and it handles a lot of common questions and problems that many other books don't address. I love all the little activities he suggests to help you visualize shapes and perspective. The information on anatomy is extremely useful and easy to understand. I'm also incredibly grateful for the detailed materials section, which explains exactly what tools Laws uses, often right down to the brand. This is something I wish all art instruction books would include, since getting the opinion of other artists is so helpful when trying to navigate all the choices out there.
All around excellent, awesome book.
It is beautifully written, very enthusiastic and encouraging, and it handles a lot of common questions and problems that many other books don't address. I love all the little activities he suggests to help you visualize shapes and perspective. The information on anatomy is extremely useful and easy to understand. I'm also incredibly grateful for the detailed materials section, which explains exactly what tools Laws uses, often right down to the brand. This is something I wish all art instruction books would include, since getting the opinion of other artists is so helpful when trying to navigate all the choices out there.
All around excellent, awesome book.
February 10, 2020
This is an excellent guide book! A wonderful reference. Oh, my, do I have a LONG way to go!
July 29, 2018
The first third of the book had objective value. It had a few step-by-step bird drawing tutorials and basic bird biology, which was nice as someone who loves natural history but tends to gravitate to non-birds and has rarely drawn birds. However, the rest of the book was a waste of time for me.
I think it's more geared toward adults who didn't grow up with direct observation-based interests like drawing and natural history. The books spends a large amount of text on reiterating to draw what you see (what else would you draw? The imaginary monster you dreamed as a kid?), don't draw everything you presume you should see (like, as mentioned 10 times with no exaggeration and this is not a long book, individual feathers), and other ways of tediously spelling out what I thought was common sense. We didn't even get talked to like that as kids and teens in art class. However, I think there's a different mentality in adults that are just starting to express interest in art and birds, and they may need the reinforcement to observe what's immediately before them as opposed to preconceived notions ("but that's SUPPOSED to be red" or "it's TECHNICALLY red" when that's not how the color actually looks in context) or some other conditioned thinking.
I think those people would benefit from this book. I simply don't think I was an appropriate audience. There were few tutorials and a lot of text explaining what's already obvious to the way my brain works. I got bitter by the end, tired of thinking, "No ****." I had to remember I was thinking of four stars at the beginning.
I think it's more geared toward adults who didn't grow up with direct observation-based interests like drawing and natural history. The books spends a large amount of text on reiterating to draw what you see (what else would you draw? The imaginary monster you dreamed as a kid?), don't draw everything you presume you should see (like, as mentioned 10 times with no exaggeration and this is not a long book, individual feathers), and other ways of tediously spelling out what I thought was common sense. We didn't even get talked to like that as kids and teens in art class. However, I think there's a different mentality in adults that are just starting to express interest in art and birds, and they may need the reinforcement to observe what's immediately before them as opposed to preconceived notions ("but that's SUPPOSED to be red" or "it's TECHNICALLY red" when that's not how the color actually looks in context) or some other conditioned thinking.
I think those people would benefit from this book. I simply don't think I was an appropriate audience. There were few tutorials and a lot of text explaining what's already obvious to the way my brain works. I got bitter by the end, tired of thinking, "No ****." I had to remember I was thinking of four stars at the beginning.
September 13, 2025
I really want to learn how to draw and paint birds. (And from that hopefully just know how to draw so the idea of a pencils blank piece of paper doesn’t intimidate me. And, I really want to be able draw pics of my dog - who I catch in the most endearing positions at least once a day. 🐕) There is so much to take in. This author/bird lover/naturalist follows the school of thought that to draw a bird well you have to understand its anatomy. After reading and drawing from this book, I think it absolutely correct.
And there is a lot of anatomy with a bird. I think there are more common parts to a bird that you have to know about to properly draw it than there are to a person. For example, an arm on a person is like a wing on a bird. A person’s arm has 7 basic parts (shoulder, upper arm, elbow, forearm, wrist, hand, fingers). How many would you think a tiny little bird has? They have the same humans do, even the fingers - just a few less. But add primary, secondary, tertiary feathers, lesser coverts, median coverts, greater secondary coverts, primary coverts…. It almost doesn’t stop. And the best wing drawing will account for all of that.
It is a lot. I draw better now as I am learning this anatomy, and it has helped with my field study. By drawing birds with such detail and over time I remember what they are composed of. All very good. The author even includes suggestions and comments on the equipment needed for drawing and painting. Two entire pages are spent on water color mixing. That is my big hurdle right now. I don’t know how to mix just the right colors. This author does. He painted every pic and diagram in the book; all using a Pentel water pen. I bought one on his suggestion and love it.
He also has on-line drawing classes. I’ve taken a few. Aren’t bird people awesome!! The one thing to be aware is that this book is older. From the on-line classes I’ve taken, which are newer, I can tell this author has evolved his bird drawing a little bit from what is in this book. In the book he starts with ovals for the head and body and builds out from that. His newer technique is to outline the large shapes of the bird (normally the back through nape), then infer a tail line and head outline. The author explained that his previous method (what was in this book) took too long for field drawing. I find the new method easier and because I’m paying attention to the outline, the positive and negative space, I have greater accuracy, and actually have the hubris to say to myself (and now you), “Hey girl, you can draw!”
And… a big thank you to Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, the owner of this book. By the time this book got into my hands it had become well worn but still well cared for. Maybe because this is an instructional book that taught me so much, maybe it’s because with each new page I had a sense others came before me reading this page and practicing drawing as I was. Whatever the reason, I’m returning the book today and hope it has a long life in countless more homes helping people learn to draw magnificent little birds.
And there is a lot of anatomy with a bird. I think there are more common parts to a bird that you have to know about to properly draw it than there are to a person. For example, an arm on a person is like a wing on a bird. A person’s arm has 7 basic parts (shoulder, upper arm, elbow, forearm, wrist, hand, fingers). How many would you think a tiny little bird has? They have the same humans do, even the fingers - just a few less. But add primary, secondary, tertiary feathers, lesser coverts, median coverts, greater secondary coverts, primary coverts…. It almost doesn’t stop. And the best wing drawing will account for all of that.
It is a lot. I draw better now as I am learning this anatomy, and it has helped with my field study. By drawing birds with such detail and over time I remember what they are composed of. All very good. The author even includes suggestions and comments on the equipment needed for drawing and painting. Two entire pages are spent on water color mixing. That is my big hurdle right now. I don’t know how to mix just the right colors. This author does. He painted every pic and diagram in the book; all using a Pentel water pen. I bought one on his suggestion and love it.
He also has on-line drawing classes. I’ve taken a few. Aren’t bird people awesome!! The one thing to be aware is that this book is older. From the on-line classes I’ve taken, which are newer, I can tell this author has evolved his bird drawing a little bit from what is in this book. In the book he starts with ovals for the head and body and builds out from that. His newer technique is to outline the large shapes of the bird (normally the back through nape), then infer a tail line and head outline. The author explained that his previous method (what was in this book) took too long for field drawing. I find the new method easier and because I’m paying attention to the outline, the positive and negative space, I have greater accuracy, and actually have the hubris to say to myself (and now you), “Hey girl, you can draw!”
And… a big thank you to Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, the owner of this book. By the time this book got into my hands it had become well worn but still well cared for. Maybe because this is an instructional book that taught me so much, maybe it’s because with each new page I had a sense others came before me reading this page and practicing drawing as I was. Whatever the reason, I’m returning the book today and hope it has a long life in countless more homes helping people learn to draw magnificent little birds.
April 12, 2018
This is an awesome book! I think the title could be more like The Laws Guide to Understanding and Observing (and Drawing) Birds--it's a bit clunky, but it's more accurate! I love that he emphasizes understanding birds in order to draw them (thus an extensive--but practical--section on anatomy), but also drawing birds in order to understand them. He says the point of drawing birds, at least in the field, is not to create great art but to learn how to observe. In the process of observing, of course, your drawing skills will greatly improve!
February 9, 2022
After reviewing Muir's book, I found myself going back to his guidebook to quickly identify birds. As a photographer, I realize how knowing more about the anatomy of birds is crucial, certainly not only in artistic endeavors but in their identification. I highly recommend this book to any budding artist or photographer. This beautiful book will find a place in my bookcase.
July 4, 2016
A very specialized book, I recommend reading his Laws Guide to Nature Drawing and Journaling first.
December 5, 2024
While you could read this in a day, it's meant as a guide to help you learn to draw birds/nature journaling, so really you could do a daily challenge for a year or take a lifetime. I get overwhelmed to think of that, but it's nice to know this book is there when I need it. Unlike most how-to art books I've read, this one actually gives you the information you'd need to succeed.
Bonus for me, it counts as an indie publisher prompt for a reading challenge this month. 😃 I hope the publisher keeps all Law's books in print, as they are gems.
Bonus for me, it counts as an indie publisher prompt for a reading challenge this month. 😃 I hope the publisher keeps all Law's books in print, as they are gems.
December 16, 2023
This is the most comprehensive and well-conceived book on how to capture the essence of a bird. John Muir Laws goes into great detail on the behavior, geometry, and skeletal structure of birds. He also provides excellent examples and beautiful renderings to guide you. In my opinion, “The Laws Guide to Drawing Birds” is a must-have for anyone who plans to use birds as a subject matter in their artwork.
June 13, 2022
I read this book about 2 years. And really like the way how it present in the book. It is very detailed and lovely to learn more about bird drawing. Definitly a book I would recommend. And if you can´t get enough, his youtube channel is also full of learning material.
November 13, 2018
An excellent tutorial on birds and how to draw them, but also a guide to looking more closely and observing carefully the things around you
January 7, 2021
Beautiful book, I am glad I bought it.
March 23, 2025
Indispensible!
December 23, 2025
the premier guide to bird anatomy, functionality, and uniqueness
December 15, 2012
Beautiful, passionate and inspiring book on the subject. I'd recommend this to anyone in my shoes: intermediate in theory (knowing terms such as negative shape, value, etc) looking for an interesting and worthwhile subject to draw. I especially like how the author in both theory and practice teaches how improving technical drawing skills or producing art may not be the main benefit of drawing birds, but instead learning to see and appreciate one's surroundings.
May 24, 2014
Great technical information about drawing birds that you will not find anywhere else. Helpful for beginners and experienced artists.
August 19, 2015
A top notch guide for anyone wanting to learn or expand skills in drawing birds. Technical but accessible for all levels. Excellent resource.
May 2, 2017
If you want to draw birds, this is the book to have.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews