Bird-Lore, Vol. 24 PDF Download

Author: Association of Audubon Societies
Publisher: Forgotten Books
ISBN: 9780484581059
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 524

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Book Description
Excerpt from Bird-Lore, Vol. 24: January February, 1922 HE form of a bird at rest is so definite, its lines so simple and continuous, rthat one might imagine they could be reproduced by anyone with even slight talent for drawing. Nevertheless, good bird artists are rare. Possibly the very simplicity of the bird's outline makes it a difficult subject, for although each species possesses its own characteristics of form, pose, and expression, which to the bird student are pronounced and Obvious, they are not evident to the artist who has not sufficient interest in bird-life to study his subject sympathetically. How many otherwise excellent paintings are marred by the introduction of the figures of birds as anatomically incorrect as would be a human figure drawn with arms, let us say, attached to the hips instead of to the shoulders! No artist would attempt to draw a man without having previously studied the original; why, therefore, should he hope for success in bird portraiture when he relies on his imagination rather than on nature for a model? It requires, however, something more than study from life to produce a wholly adequate bird picture, just as it requires something in addition to good draftsmanship to paint the portrait of a human subject. Where, on the one hand, there is needed that sympathetic insight into human nature which per mits of character interpretation, so, on the other, there is need for that love of birds which sees not merely a feathered form but a.creature marvelously endowed with its own special traits, disposition, and potentialities, which are evident only to one who is familiar with what we call the habits Of his subject. It is clear, for example, that one should not depict a Dove with the expression of a Hawk, but only the bird student knows the difference in expression, physiognomy, and attitude between a Warbler and a Vireo. Without going further it may be said, in a word, that no one has ever reached or ever will reach the first rank of bird artists who is not possessed of that keen interest in birds which marks the horn ornithologist. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.