Capturing the Essence – Techniques for bird artists

Art and birds will always go hand-in-hand and there are, perhaps not surprisingly, many books on the market giving you instruction on how best to draw the birds around you. This attractive little book is a little different. Using examples from the author, a well-known Australian artist, he takes you through his methods of putting together the jigsaw that finally results in a finished painting. Working from birds in zoos, measured drawings, sketches of wild birds, their habitats and prey he builds up a resource from which his major paintings grow. The final part of the books looks at the development of some of his large paintings and the processes he goes through. A lovely looking book and a fascinating resource for anyone passionate about painting birds and their environment.

Book reviewed by Su Gough