All About Drawing and Painting Birds
March 11, 2025 @ 9:30 am - 11:30 am
Tuesdays, March 11, 18, 25, April 1, 8, and 15
9:30 – 11:30 a.m.
Over six weeks, we’ll use photographs and online resources to learn the anatomy of eggs, nests, feathers, wings, and the whole bird, translating our learnings into drawings. Each week, a new topic will be introduced through slide lectures and demonstrations of various techniques. During the sixth class, you’ll have the opportunity to get tips and feedback from the instructor. Students may work in watercolor and/or colored pencil. The class will be held online and is open to all levels. Suitable for teens 14+.
Class content:
Session 1: Focus on drawing, measuring, and creating eggs
- Learn about the different shapes, sizes, and history of collecting eggs.
- Introduction to the scientific light source and armature drawing of the egg.
- Accurately draw, measure, enlarge, and transfer a variety of eggs.
- Create different patterns and color mixing: speckled, mottled etc.
- Create a full page of varying bird eggs in the medium of your choice.
Session 2: Drawing and painting feathers
- Discussion of the types of bird feathers and their uses in bird anatomy
- Demonstrations in color mixing to create patterns & iridescent colors in watercolor & colored pencil
- Create a page of feathers to practice color mixing, brushwork, and form
Session 3: Bird nests
- Discussion of the many types of bird nests
- Demonstration on how to untangle and successfully draw a nest
- Techniques for applying details in graphite, ink, and/or gouache to show depth and texture
Session 4: Bird wings
- Discussion of wing anatomy and posturing
- Demonstrations in how to successfully render a bird wing
- Instruction on how much detail to include in a bird wing
- Techniques for applying color and patterns
Session 5: Putting it all together!
- Quick tips for sketching birds
- Researching and putting a bird into a composition
- Feet, bill wing positioning from working with multiple photos
- Layering techniques to create a final composition
Session 6: review of final project.
Each class is a two-hour workshop via Zoom ( A link will be sent prior to the start of the course and will be used throughout the entire six weeks.)
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Materials:
The following list is recommended for artists working in graphite:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/19hJ1raO4d2WFpYcPTxFcyuv3rI78Khp2/view?usp=sharing
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Artist Biography:
Mindy Lighthipe
Artist Mindy Lighthipe is passionate about getting out into the natural world and discovering beauty in every rock, stream, and forest. With this passion, she carefully studies her subjects in their environment.
Mindy uses a variety of techniques and media to create her bold imagery. She paints in watercolor, gouache, colored pencil, and pan pastels. It is not uncommon for her to break traditional and classic rules by combining techniques to create her unique and breathtaking style.
Mindy graduated magna cum laude from Kean University with a BFA in studio arts and an MA in art education. She received her 210-hour certification in botanical illustration from the New York Botanical Gardens. After graduating, she went on to teach more than twenty different classes in their botanical art program and developed a 250-hour certificate in natural science illustration.
Mindy has been exhibiting her art since 1998 in juried and solo exhibitions. In 2009, she received a Silver Medal from the Royal Horticultural Society in London. In 2010, she had a solo exhibition at the Florida Museum of Natural History. Mindy currently teaches scientific illustration at the University of Florida. To learn more, visit www.mindylighthipe.com.
