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decription ::
This book is for every artist who has ever
wasted hours searching through field guides and magazines for photographs
of birds to work from ... only to find photos out of focus, poorly
lit or lacking details.
Wildlife artist Bart Rulon - also an experienced wildlife photographer
- understands the value of a good photo. His extensive travels have
yielded an inspirational library of reference material, which he
now shares with you. In this book, you'll find more than 500 photos
of 43 bird species, all taken with the special needs of the artist
in mind.
Each bird is shown in a large primary photo, with additional photos
showing a variety of angles and poses; close-ups of feathers, feet,
and other details; and the bird in its natural habitat, perhaps
in flight or at nest. You'll also find key information on habitat,
feeding, physical characteristics and other helpful facts to help
you create accurate works of art. Four step-by-step demonstrations
in a variety of mediums show you how to use reference photos to
paint beautiful birds.
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excerpt from introduction ::
The sound of three killer whales surfacing within twenty feet startled
Dave Sellers, Kalon Baughan and me as we paddled along in our kayaks.
We were in awe of being able to paddle alongside some of the most
beautiful animals in the world. Travelling in the wild photographing,
sketching and painting wildlife subjects is, for me, the most enjoyable
part of being an artist, and having friends to travel with that
have the same enthusiasm about fieldwork makes it even better.
The photographs and sketches representing my experiences in these
trips have always served as inspiration for my paintings. With the
improvement of my photography skills and multitude of adventures
under my belt, I noticed my work steadily improving. Having a library
of my own references of wildlife photographs made all the difference.
Although my photographs are often less than perfect, they give me
a vital starting point to make a painting that sums up an experience.
Even if I stopped taking photographs today, I would never be able
to use all the reference photographs I already have for my paintings.
That is part of what sparked the idea for this book, which is intended
to provide bird references from an artist's point of view. With
all the species you'll find in the following pages, I have attempted
to show the birds in a variety of situations, using different angles
and poses, close-up photos for minute details and shots at a distance
to show the bird together with its habitat. Unless otherwise noted,
all my photographs are taken of wild birds, in the wild. This variety
of photos should serve as a good form of reference for both bird
painters and carvers, who often need more information to work from
than they can find in their own files. And the four step-by-step
demonstrations scattered throughout the book show you how to use
reference photos to create beautiful bird paintings in various media.
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