I’m so excited to teach a bird sketching workshop at the upcoming MOS conference in Hagerstown! There are few spots left still, so sign up if you can!

The class will be setup to have few demonstrations and drawing exercises at the beginning, then we will move onto the fun world of drawing birds. I’m most interested that you have fun, learn something, and give you enough information and tips/tricks to continue on sketching birds as you go birding. Just like learning a musical instrument, a team sports, or a language, sketching takes a lot of practice.

Here you will find all the information you need that you can refer to before and after the workshop in a week or so. In the meantime, here are some suggested materials for the class. Most of these supplies can be found in art supplies stores such as Utrecht, Plaza Art, or Michaels. Online stores with good prices are Jerry’s Artarama, Dick Blicks, and Amazon.

Bird Sketching Supply list

As you know, art materials can be pricey and add up pretty fast! Please don’t purchase materials you know you won’t use (example: If you just wish to work in black and white, don’t buy colored pencils). If you already have a favorite set of sketching tools, please bring them along.

I will have all the materials you need and extra material so can experiment with/purchase at the workshop.

If you are looking to purchase a whole set when you arrive at the workshop (small 5.5″ square field sketchbook, 3 pencils, pencil sharpener, 2 erasers, 1 pen), please let me know if you are interested in purchasing a set by Friday May 8 and bring $25 for supplies at the workshop.

Suggested materials (Descriptions in parenthesis are my personal recommendations only. If you have your favorite tools, please bring those)

-Your favorite sketchbook (If you plan on taking these on birding trips, I suggest smaller than 9″ x 12″, any quality)
–I like to use Handbook Journal Co. Travelogue 5.5″ square available for ~$15 at Plaza Art
-Your favorite pencils (mechanical pencils with HB lead, high-quality pencils such as Staedtler Mars Lumograph or Faber-Castell 9000 in hardness of H, HB, and B)

-Your favorite colored pencils (Prismacolors, 12 or 24 set box)
-Your favorite pens (Sakura Micron 05 black)

-Your favorite erasers (try to look for the white plastic erasers. Some brands include Staedtler and various stick type erasers)

-Some scratch sheets of paper (any print paper or copy paper will do. They can even have printing on the back. Recycling!)
-Pencil sharpener if you are planning to bring pencils and colored pencils

-Highly optional: Any traveling sketching sets, markers, watercolors, etc.

-If you wish to work from a photograph, please bring them along as prints or loaded on an iPad. We’ll talk about how to honor intellectual property and copyright while using photos found on the internet as reference.

Update: We have access to use MOS collection of stuffed birds at Cylburn Nature Center for our workshop.

Optional supplies: Desk lamp similar to one above, and extension cords if you have them handy.

That’s it for now! If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

Looking forward to meeting you and working with you!

Best wishes,

Ikumi