Red-Breasted Nuthatch

Red-Breasted Nuthatch Color Pencil

Red breasted nuthatches are blue-gray birds with strongly patterned heads: a black cap and stripe through the eye broken up by a white stripe over the eye. The underparts are rich rusty-cinnamon color, paler in females. (All about Birds)

1. Take a nature walk at the Garden and keep your eyes out for red-breasted nuthatches.

2. Take a picture, use the link provided below, or draw on location if you see one.  https://flic.kr/s/aHsmTB3yQF

3. Begin by drawing the overall shape of the bird, most likely an oval, or circle.

4. Next refine the overall shape, like a lemon or teardrop shape.

5. Look for lines that make angles in the bird’s body, draw diagonal lines for the beak or tail.

6. Use colored pencils to color the bird. Begin by using light grey to outline any grey areas, shapes and lines you see on the bird.

7. Look for light and dark values within those grey areas.

8. Next do the same with blue, yellow, and brown areas on the bird.

9. Red Breasted Nuthatches are compact birds with a very short tail, almost no neck, and a sharp bill. Sharply marked with a black crown, white eyebrow, and black eyeline, blue grey above and rusty below, females have greyer caps and paler rusty underparts (All about Birds)

10. Now draw the birds feet using curved and diagonal lines.

11. If you want, draw a stick or branch for your bird to sit on using diagonal lines.

12. Add details, layer different blues, yellows, and browns to add values to your bird.