I’m so glad you found this video helpful! I haven’t done any videos on how I do shading but that’s a great suggestion. Hope you enjoy sketching birds!

Thank you, Harmony!! You made my day! Trying to find my rhythm again so I can publish more often. So grateful for you and for your comment! 🥰

Thanks! Hope you have a great month! And thanks for watching and commenting!

So lovely to hear from you, Michelle! Thanks so much for your prayers!! Lots of love from Oregon! 💝

Thanks, Gina! Hope you’re doing well!

You are so welcome! I am so grateful to know that my video helped you to feel encouraged. That means so much to me! Keep going! The world needs your creativity and your art. Thanks for taking the time to watch and comment. Lots of love to you! 💝

Thanks, Arati!! Hope you’re doing well! 😘

Thanks, Michelle!! Hope you’re doing well! 💖

@@thebirdartistscottage going well, just over Covid but all good

@@millygit Oh no! Sorry to hear that you’ve been sick. Hope you’re all better now! 💖

Thank you so much, Harmony! That means so much to me! 😘

Hi Gillian! I use a Pentel Graphgear 500, 0.3, with HB lead. Nothing special really. I really need to draw every day. It’s almost like brushing my teeth; I just don’t feel right without it! Thanks for taking the time to watch and comment! Off to watch your latest one now. 😘😘

Thanks for watching some of my older vids-that means so much! Just layers and layers of graphite, nothing really special. That’s the Pentel Graphgear 500, 0.3, with HB lead. Thanks for watching!! 😘

Hi Michelle! So nice to hear from you! So cool that we’re using the same sketchbook! All those little steps and sessions really add up, don’t they? Hope you enjoyed the video and thanks so much for taking the time to watch and comment! 💝

It’s such a terrific book. I don’t know what I’d do without it! Thanks for taking the time to watch and comment!

Me, too! Such a great book. Hope you’re doing well! 💖

Hope you’re doing well, Michelle! Thanks so much for watching and commenting! 💝

Yay! Thanks so much for taking the time to watch and comment! 💝

Thanks so much! And thanks for all the great classes and instruction you provide to us! 💝

Yes, gotta move on! The one I’m doing now is going a bit better than the hummingbird did. Thank goodness! Hope you’re doing well! 😘

That quail was a job! The one I’m doing now is going a little faster. Thanks for watching and commenting! Hope you’re doing well! 💝

@@thebirdartistscottage yes. Thank you ⚘️

Finch has gotten so big! He’s such a goofy, funny dog. Thanks for watching! 💝

Thanks so much! I’m feeling a little better about the hummingbird now! 🥰

Thanks! That quail really stretched me, especially the colors! The one I’m doing now is going a little more smoothly. Practice helps!! Thanks for watching and commenting! 💝

Thanks! I took Jessica’s course-it’s wonderful! That’s the one I reviewed for my patrons. Just started another illustration using her techniques! Thanks for taking the time to watch and comment! 💝

Thanks 😍

Yes, suggestions welcome!! Thanks for watching! 💝

@@thebirdartistscottage I haven’t seen the reference photo so this is only conjecture based solely on your painting. I wondered where the light was coming from but that being said I would put a little more shading on the reddish feathers. I would maybe darken a little under the beak as if that is throwing a bit of shadow on to those feathers. Also at both sides I would sort of curve the last line of feathers at the side edges to sort of make them look like they curve around the head a little also adding some shading to create form and dimension. Please take this with a grain of salt. I love your art.

Thanks so much!! And it’s so lovely to hear from you. I hope you’re doing well and enjoying this beautiful spring we’re having! 💝

@@thebirdartistscottage I'm loving it! Including the rain that has moved in- I know it will keep everything green and beautiful, haha. I hope you're also enjoying it!!

Thanks so much, Reese! That Phoebe is one of my favorite things I’ve ever done. Thanks for taking time to watch and comment! 💝

Hi Ester!! Hope you’re doing well! Great-thanks for letting me know! More soon! 😘

So glad you enjoyed it, Michelle! Hope you’re doing well! 💝

@@thebirdartistscottage going really well thanks just on our way back from a Housesit on the coast. Will be glad to be back in my art space😀

These are all such good questions! I will work on putting together another video for you! In the meantime, I’ll just say: I usually sketch one bird a day because I usually don’t have time for more. I go to eBird and then the Explore tab and choose Search Photos and Sounds (just scroll down a little and you’ll find it). I pick a bird and do a sketch-quick, nothing fancy, just for practice. (By the way, these are the sketches you’ll see in the sketchbook tour post every month on my Patreon). As far as how many classes to do, I’d say only as many as your schedule will allow. Sometimes that’s one or even none depending on the demands on your time. Practice, just showing up day after day helps so much!! Even five minutes is better than none. Let me know if you have more questions and thanks so much for taking the time to watch and comment! 🥰

Nicole, you comment helped me profoundly!! I am still reaping the benefits from your wise words. And you are so right: we can’t grow or evolve where judgement happens. Thank you so much for watching and commenting!!! 💕💖💕