The Laws Guide to Drawing Birds

About the book

John Muir Laws's guide to drawing birds is itself winged, soaring between a devotion not only to art but also to the lives, forms, and postures of the birds themselves. Here, artistic technique and the exquisite details of natural history intertwine, and drawing becomes the vehicle for seeing. As Laws writes, "To draw feathers, you must understand how feathers grow, overlap, and insert into the body. To create the body, you must have an understanding of the bird's skeletal structure. To pose this skeleton, you must be able to perceive the energy, intention, and life of the bird." This how-to guide will perfect the technique of serious arists but also, perhaps more importantly, it will provide guidance for those who insist they can't draw. Leading the mind and hand through a series of detailed exercises, Laws delivers what he promises: that "drawing birds opens you to the beauty of the world." An Audubon Book.

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Quotes

''John Muir Laws has created a quintessential field guide for drawing birds that can be used by people of all skill levels, young and old. This book could cause a renaissance of the illustrated journals and sketchbooks of earlier times.'' -- -- "San Francisco Book Review"

John Muir Laws Biography

John (Jack) Muir Laws is a scientist, educator, and author, who helps people forge a deeper and more personal connection with nature through keeping illustrated nature journals and understanding science. His work combines science, art, and mindfulness. He observes the world with rigorous attention, looks for mysteries, plays with ideas, and seeks connections in all he sees. Jack teaches techniques that make, observation, curiosity, and creative thinking a part of everyday life. Visit his website at johnmuirlaws.com. Facilitator, author, educator, and poet Emilie Lygren has cowritten dozens of outdoor science publications with the award-winning BEETLES Project and has published poems in a range of literary journals. Visit her website at: emilielygren.com. ... Read full biography