The Nature of Birds: Drawing Bird Species with Colored Pencils
Instructor(s):
Natalija Stojanovic
Dates:
Mondays, September 8 - October 27
Times:
6:00 - 8:00 pm EST
Fees:
$400
Class Cap:
12
This eight-week course explores the beauty and diversity of avian species through colored pencil techniques. We’ll begin with discussions on essential resources for drawing birds and croquis sketching to sharpen our observational skills, then move on to applying various colored pencil techniques to render details such as feathers, eyes, beaks, and feet. We’ll illustrate six bird species
from distinct categories—flightless, shore, aquatic, perching, raptor, and exotic—focusing on composition, texture, and detail.
Optional weekly homework includes detailed instructions and curated resources such as eBooks, guides, excerpts, articles, illustrations, and reference photos. Homework topics cover colored pencil techniques, bird topography, the skeletal and muscular systems, feathers, wings, eyes, beaks, feet, eggs, and nests.
By the end of the course, you’ll have strengthened your technical skills and deepened your appreciation for birds.
About the Artist: Natalija Stojanovic
Based in Michigan, Natalija Stojanovic is an artist with an interdisciplinary background and various certifications in scientific and natural science illustration. Her education has supported her teaching experience in university-level art instruction, studio settings, and online platforms. As a college art professor, she is continually inspired by the diversity and complexity of the natural world, particularly enjoying the depiction of distinctive bird species and rare flowers using graphite, colored pencils, watercolor, and gouache.