On the Wing

Artists Christopher Forrest and Michael Dumas dive into the vast world of bird art, from observation to application

Part 1: References, Observation and Getting to Know Your Subject

Forrest discusses developing an awareness for birds, the basics of taking reference photos and more

Having previously been a full-time wildlife artist for some 10 years, in late 2019 I finally regained the desire to paint again—birds in particular—after a 30-year absence from art.

For anyone with an interest in bird art, the first step is to develop an interest in birds themselves, which likely goes without saying. Once this awareness is manifested, birds are everywhere. It is difficult to spend time outdoors without hearing and seeing them. In a coastal or marsh environment, the shorebirds, gulls, waterfowl and herons are ubiquitous. Inland, many of the same birds are present along with game birds, raptors, songbirds, etc. It stays interesting since the bird population frequently changes with the season. Pretty much wherever you live there are numerous wildlife refuges, parks and wilderness areas easily located by internet research. Back home, put up some bird feeders to attract songbirds (as a bonus you’ll also get to observe squirrels).

So how do you translate the observed bird to a paintable subject? In today’s digital age with Instagram, Pinterest and other photo sharing sites, there are no shortages of outstanding bird reference photos. Copyright issues aside, the art ethics of creating work dictate taking the photo yourself, getting permission from the photographer or buying the rights to use a photo. If the work is to be entered into most of the major juried shows, the rules require any reference images be taken by the artist. Thus the answer for me is field observation followed by individual reference photography, along with anatomical review.