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The Unfeathered Bird has almost fledged (1 Viewer)

U

unfeathered bird

Member
Hello again Bird Forum!
Sorry I left you for so long. The last few months finishing The Unfeathered Bird were too gruelling even to get pleasurably sidetracked, and since then I've been too busy chewing my fingernails to the bone through the production process. Anyway, not long to go now - it'll be out in November. Please do spread the word. There are still a lot of people out there who think anatomy is distasteful, gothic or downright weird. Let's prove 'em wrong, eh?
And if there's anyone out there who could help by putting up a poster in their museum or college, please get in touch - thanks!
Greetings to all,
Katrina
 

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Is there anybody out there?

Tried to post a few more images, but I'm having no end of trouble attaching them. Anyway, here are two more pictures from the book.
 

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unfeathered bird said:
Tried to post a few more images, but I'm having no end of trouble attaching them. Anyway, here are two more pictures from the book.
Click to expand...

astonishing stuff, as art and learning

(by the way, if you are having trouble attaching it may be because the jpgs have long names- sounds daft, but I've notice the same thing on here..)
 
Why should we be interested in anatomy anyway?

Good call, Ed; I'll try that. Thanks.

I suddenly realized that many people out there may not remember my previous posts in which I introduced the book, so The Unfeathered Bird may mean nothing to you.
So, a few words about it again:
It's been my lifetime's ambition (from start to finish it's taken me 25 years) to produce an accessible, jargon-free anatomy book for bird artists - something that combines art and science in a 50:50 ratio. No labelled diagrams, no long words, no guts or gizzards, maximum biodiversity, nice to look at, useful, and fun. I rejected offers from publishers to produce a lab manual or a textbook - that's the antithesis of what it's all about! Over the years it's evolved into something bigger - equally relevant to artists and general bird lovers alike - that relates form to function; anatomy to adaptation.
But, you might ask, why should we be interested in a book about bones, when we draw wild, living birds?
Someone in an earlier post quoted Lars Jonsson saying 'draw what you see; not what you know'. That's all very well, but isn't what we really see conditioned by what we know and understand? How many of us can honestly say we wouldn't draw birds' feet better knowing where the joints in the toes are? And how many drawn birds would fall on their beak (if they suddenly sprang to life) because the artist wasn't aware of the position of their knees? (No - not their ankles...) An appreciation of anatomy is vital to all artists for this very reason. And even if we exercise our right to distort, stylize or abstract our subject matter in the artwork we do, a basic three dimensional understanding should underpin this development. Shouldn't it???

Interested to hear your comments...

 
It was good to see you and catch up at Rutland Katrina, and I can confirm that those fingernails have taken a hammering ;)

Mesmerising work, good to see you laughing and looking forward to the release when all that graft comes to fruition.

Mark
 
Good luck with the release Katrina and I look forward to getting my hands on a copy..

What I have seen so far is stunning...

Those flight studies are remarkable, makes one realize the Archeopteryx is not so far remove from modern birds;)
 
unfeathered bird said:
Good call, Ed; I'll try that. Thanks.

I suddenly realized that many people out there may not remember my previous posts in which I introduced the book, so The Unfeathered Bird may mean nothing to you.
So, a few words about it again:
It's been my lifetime's ambition (from start to finish it's taken me 25 years) to produce an accessible, jargon-free anatomy book for bird artists - something that combines art and science in a 50:50 ratio. No labelled diagrams, no long words, no guts or gizzards, maximum biodiversity, nice to look at, useful, and fun. I rejected offers from publishers to produce a lab manual or a textbook - that's the antithesis of what it's all about! Over the years it's evolved into something bigger - equally relevant to artists and general bird lovers alike - that relates form to function; anatomy to adaptation.
But, you might ask, why should we be interested in a book about bones, when we draw wild, living birds?
Someone in an earlier post quoted Lars Jonsson saying 'draw what you see; not what you know'. That's all very well, but isn't what we really see conditioned by what we know and understand? How many of us can honestly say we wouldn't draw birds' feet better knowing where the joints in the toes are? And how many drawn birds would fall on their beak (if they suddenly sprang to life) because the artist wasn't aware of the position of their knees? (No - not their ankles...) An appreciation of anatomy is vital to all artists for this very reason. And even if we exercise our right to distort, stylize or abstract our subject matter in the artwork we do, a basic three dimensional understanding should underpin this development. Shouldn't it???

Interested to hear your comments...
Click to expand...

I think you're right Katrina. What we know always does influence what we see, or in my case often all I don't know! I wouldn't say that anything SHOULD underpin our work. But my guess is that things are a whole lot easier when it does. As someone who just started with birds six years ago I continue to realize how much there is to learn. I was surprised to find how much I enjoyed the anatomy section in Tim's book, mainly I think because it helped to explain many mysteries I'd run across.

My birthday is in November so barring an extraordinarily high price I'll suggest to my wife that it might make a nice present.
 
You'll pleased to know that it's an extraordinarily low price for what it is: you can pre-order it on Amazon at the moment for £29.71!!
I see you're based in Philadelphia - I'll actually be giving a talk and signing books at the Free Library on 19th February. Hope to see you there!
 
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Reply to buzzard12:"Those flight studies are remarkable, makes one realize the Archeopteryx is not so far remove from modern birds":

Thanks. Frigatebirds look primeval with or without their feathers on. Amazing birds!
 
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unfeathered bird said:
You'll pleased to know that it's an extraordinarily low price for what it is: you can pre-order it on Amazon at the moment for £29.71!!
I see you're based in Philadelphia - I'll actually be giving a talk and signing books at the Free Library on 19th February. Hope to see you there!
Click to expand...

That's great Katrina. I'm amazed at the quality of the talks that they have. I was actually going to suggest that you contact the Academy of Natural Sciences here. I'd guess that they would also be interested.

I'll mark it down on my calendar.
 
one thought these "tailless" images really drive home is that artists try and make birds look balanced- equal weight in front of and behind some imagined mid-point

which makes for quite conservative poses

whereas on a real bird most of the mass is upfront, head and breast, with the apparent balancing mass at the rear not being real at all, being just undertail, rump, tail feathers

so on a real bird there is much more tension than balance, weight at the front, all cantilevered on that switchback of bones from ankle to true knee

its like the old question of why sleeping birds don't fall over- its not because they are balanced, its because their tendons stay awake and hold them up
 
Exactly; all the weight is up-front. That's why the knees are so far forward, and the thighs almost horizontal; to bring the centre of gravity over the feet. But tendon power in those legs does play a large part in keeping the balance - think of some of those small heron species that feed from raised banks and boulders - they almost look as though they're suspended on invisible wires!
The Academy of Natural Sciences was approached, but they felt that an exhibition was too adult for a family orientated museum. Pity. And in my experience, kids really love bones.
 
By the way, SolitaryVSong, I very much like the drawings you have on your website. In fact the whole website - the design, and honest way it's written - is really excellent.
 
unfeathered bird said:
By the way, SolitaryVSong, I very much like the drawings you have on your website. In fact the whole website - the design, and honest way it's written - is really excellent.
Click to expand...

Thanks so much Katrina! I recently redid it hoping to make it simpler and cleaner. It's always nice to know that someone appreciates it.
 
What a great project. I've always had a fascination for the skulls of animals and birds and I have a small collection of different bits that I've picked up over time. I remember having that interest as a child too so you're right; kids do love bones (Although I suspect that's more of a boy thing to be honest!).

Good luck with the book

Mike
 
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