What's included
1 live meeting
1 in-class hours per weekAssessment
There will be no formal assessment; however, we will take the time to hold up our drawings and celebrate and encourage each other's progress several times throughout the drawing process and again at the end of class. I'll watch for opportunities to give more guidance or tips throughout the lesson.Class Experience
US Grade 6 - 9
Intermediate Level
In this weekly class we have lots of fun chatting about birds while we create artwork about birds in a realistic style. Most of our lessons focus on a specific type of bird, however, sometimes we also study how to draw tree limbs, nests & eggs, and other things in their natural habitat. (When studying backyard birds, we usually include lessons about drawing birdhouses, birdbaths & feeders, too.) We'll also work on a variety of natural body positions for birds throughout our lessons. We create both drawings and paintings in this class. When our final result is a drawing, we usually take only one class to create it. However, when our goal is a painting, we split the lesson into 2 or 3 class sessions. In the 1st part, we draw the bird while chatting about some interesting facts about the bird. Then the following week(s), we bring our drawing back to class to paint. We paint our background first and then move into painting the bird last, so it depends on the details of the bird whether we need 2 or 3 classes to complete it. So although some of our lessons build on the previous lesson, we usually cover about 2 birds each month which makes it easy to jump into our class between birds. (Just send me a message when you get ready to join us and I'll let you know the best spot to jump in as we start a brand new lesson instead of joining us in the middle of our drawing/painting lesson.) When painting, sometimes we'll work with watercolors and other times we'll use acrylic paints. Check our classroom page each week to know a day in advance which supplies we will be using so you have time to gather those before your child signs into our class. Occasionally, our lessons take a few minutes longer than expected (depending on the pace of the students) but will generally last about 55 minutes to 1 hour and 15 minutes. (Sometimes a student will need to leave class a little earlier than others, but I am usually able to stay a little past our class time if needed.) No prior drawing or painting experience needed because I'll lead each child step-by-step through each project and still include options along the way, too. Even though students enjoy talking about their birding experiences, it is not necessary to have seen any specific birds to be successful with these art lessons. Students will show us their drawings or paintings several times during and at the end of our class so we can celebrate and encourage each other's progress and success. This also helps me watch for opportunities to give more guidance or tips throughout the lesson. This is why it is also important for students to leave their cameras on during the class so that I can see their work and give them feedback often throughout our lesson. We study a wide variety of birds in this ongoing class. Here's the basic plan for Jan 30-Feb 27 to give you an idea of our pace. Occasionally a 2 Part Lesson turns into 3 class sessions, but I make that decision as we draw and paint together to see what the students need. WINTER 2024: (Arctic Birds) Week 1, Tues Jan 30: Long-tailed Skua (Drawing) Week 2, Tues Feb 6: Great Northern Diver Part 1 (Drawing Plus 1 Layer of Paint) Week 3, Tues Feb 13: Great Northern Diver Part 2 (Painting) Week 4, Mon Feb 19: Red Phalarope Part 1 (Drawing) Week 5, Tues Feb 27: Red Phalarope Part 2 (Painting) Usually in other seasons we study Birds of the Rainforest, Backyard Birds, Waterfowl, Seabirds & Shorebirds. SPECIAL NOTE ABOUT ANY SCHEDULING CONFLICTS. WHENEVER POSSIBLE, LET'S BE SURE TO LET EACH OTHER KNOW AT LEAST 5-7 DAYS IN ADVANCE IF EITHER OF US CANNOT MEET AT OUR SCHEDULED TIME. (Sometimes we are able to schedule a different class time or day to meet for class with enough advance notice.)
Learning Goals
Students will learn about the anatomy of a bird as we draw and focus on specific parts as well as some interesting facts & identifying features about a variety of birds as they learn how to draw specific birds. They will also learn drawing, shading and textural techniques in drawing and painting mediums and how to create a balanced composition while keeping the bird at the focal point. Although the bird is our main goal, we also practice creating believable backgrounds for our bird, as well, in most of our artwork.
Other Details
Supply List
Each time I introduce a new bird we usually begin with a drawing lesson and will need our basic drawing supplies first. As the lesson progresses in following class sessions, we usually add either watercolor paints or acrylic paints but sometimes complete it with only drawing materials. Please watch for the supply information each week on our classroom page. BASIC DRAWING SUPPLIES pencil eraser sharpener Plus these Drawing Supplies IF our Goal is to Finish it as a Drawing. paper (sketchbook or drawing paper) coloring tools (crayons, colored pencils or twistables - we might occasionally request oil pastels) (Tip: Markers can give bold color but are not well-suited for blending and shading possibilities so we will not use markers in this class.) PAINTING SUPPLIES for OCCASIONAL WATERCOLOR PAINTING: pencil, eraser, sharpener 9" x 12" Watercolor Paper (or similar size) A set of Watercolor Paints (just a simple set of 8 or 16 colors in a pan type set - no watercolor tubes necessary) A few Watercolor Paint Brushes in different sizes Water in an open cup, can or jar Paper Towels We may request Oil Pastels in a variety of colors occasionally (be sure they are not the type that can be blended with water--it would say it on the package if it is) Optional Substitution: (If your child does not already have a set of oil pastels, crayons could be used instead.) SUPPLY LIST for OCCASIONAL ACRYLIC PAINTING: ONE 8"x10" White ACRYLIC PAINT SURFACE (See Several Options Below): Stretched Canvas, Canvas Panel/Board, or Acrylic Canvas Paper (What are the differences? . . . Stretched Canvas has primed (coated white) canvas stretched over a wooden frame & stapled to the wood. Canvas Panel/Board feels more solid like the canvas is mounted/glued to a stiff cardboard. Acrylic Canvas Paper is thick, coated paper that is flexible but won't warp and tear as easily as other papers and comes in a pad of multiple sheets.) ACRYLIC PAINTS: (not tempera, not watercolor, not oil) I suggest tubes of several different colors including Blue, Red, Yellow, White & Black plus also Green, Orange, Purple & Brown although your child may not choose to use all of the colors. (Thicker acrylic paint in tubes are the best consistency for our painting techniques. If possible, try to avoid using the thinner acrylics in plastic bottles that sound watery when shaken.) PAPER PLATE to use as a paint palette. (Optional to use a plastic paint palette instead or even a disposable pie tin) ACRYLIC PAINT BRUSHES in a variety of sizes. Include a couple of medium size ROUGH Flat Brushes (looks like a square on the tip but bristles are rough and a little prickly to the touch as well as a larger flat one approximately 3/4" wide. Also include a couple of very small SMOOTH Acrylic Brushes (1 very small Round brush like a pencil tip shape and 1 slender Flat Square Shape) Please avoid brushes whose bristles are flimsy and bend when put under a stream of water. (Those are watercolor brushes instead of acrylic brushes.) WATER in a metal can, plastic cup or glass jar. PAPER TOWELS
External Resources
Learners will not need to use any apps or websites beyond the standard Outschool tools.
Sources
I sometimes use "The Audubon Backyard Birdwatcher" or other bird identifying sources as a resource for factual information about birds, however, there is no required book for your child during our classes.
Teacher expertise and credentials
Bachelor's Degree in Education from Middle Tennessee State University (Bachelor of Science Degree in Educ: Art K-12 & Elem 1st-8th grades)
As a child, my art projects about birds always peaked my interest. Now as an adult, I feed & study 36 different types of birds that visit my own backyard, and I love looking for other birds on our travels. Their beautiful colors and details intrigue me, and I love leading students to also look carefully at the specific details of birds to add high levels of realism to their drawings and paintings of birds.
Reviews
Live Group Class
$20
weekly1x per week
60 min
Completed by 2 learners
Live video meetings
Ages: 9-14
2-4 learners per class
Financial Assistance
Tutoring
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