hello from fledging bird artist (1 Viewer)

I'm hoping to join this group after lurking for the past month. I've gone through every page of Tims, thread, and most every page of all the others, like Nick, Andrew etc. I've just completed my first 100 birds on a thread of another forum, a sort of total immersion I do to get the basics down. I've learned to field sketch, and have an uneasy battle going on currently with watercolor, I just try and copy what Tim does:-O

To introduce my work and me, I've been trying out the processes here, I have the gallery thing down ok, but I have questions I hope someone can help me with.

How do I post images on my blog here, I see it's html code, but where do I get that? Do I have to put it in the gallery first or something?

Second how do I post attachments on a thread like you all have here, where click and get a large image. Is it just a matter of downloading from my computer file, at the right pixel size? I've looked in the help sections but can't find it hope you don't mind this from a newbie.

One more question, don't know if I'm ready to start my own thread, should I just put stuff up on the joint thread, will anyone see it there if I need help?

I really admire all the great artists here, and want to learn all I can, I'm coming to this bird thing very late, I should have started around 5 not 65:gh:

thanks
Colleen

Hi Colleen and welcome from the Staff and Moderators.

To upload a picture to a post, first re-size to the same guidelines as you have for your artwork that's in the Gallery.

In your post, (advanced mode - not quick reply), scroll down and you'll see Manage Attachments. Click on that button, then look for your picture on your computer. Then select Upload... wait a moment and it should be listed. You can add 5 per post.

Certainly you can start your own thread in the Artists forum, or join in with the Joint Thread, whichever you feel more comfortable with.

Hope this helps

D

Hi Colleen,
Glad you're finally dipping in the 'best bit' of Birdforum. Delia has done the technical stuff so it remains to welcome you to Birdforum (I know you've made a couple of posts already) and I look forward to you sharing your experiences and progress in this genre.
For information, please see: http://www.wetcanvas.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=563498

Hi Colleen and, as Tim says, welcome to the best bit of BF. Do start your own thread, it seems to have become the tradition here so jump in whenever you like!

Mike

Thank you Delia,
I did manage to post in the blog, I guess I didn't scroll down enough

And Tim has "outed"me at wet canvas, where you can read more than you ever want to know about my first month as a bird artist, and all the trials and tribs of dunking myself in this extraordinary genre. I'm sure it will take me the rest of my life to work out all the visions that came in that short 4 weeks, I have at least 5 paintings in my mind to do, but all of them are beyond my skills for the moment, so back to basics, field sketching, anatomy, and working out what John Busby has in his wonderful book Birds.

Right now I'm working on flight. Just figuring out how to make marks to represent that in my sketch book. I don't know where to start, well with wings I guess|8.|

Here is a page from my sketch book, my first encounter with avocets. Some are field sketches, some are from my photos, I would need a lifetime to do what some of you here do, coming in late like this I'm going to blend the two, could never do it with only photos, and couldn't make more detailed work without them, so from the get go I'm working out ways to blend it so the end result is indistinguishable. Even tho I've only been working a bit over a month, I've already booked 50 hours in the field. For final paintings I do a lot of prelim work in my computer, with comps, color, lighting etc, so it is an extension of my sketchbook.

It's taking a very long time to upload attachments, even tho I cut the file size down ( about 10 min per) While waiting I see Mike has said hello and encouraged me to start my own thread, so I'll think that over, and begin one soon...

I'm so looking forward to learning from the incredible artists here, you have already taught me a lot!

Colleen

Avocets sketchbook page, pencil, faber-castell pitt artist pen, and my first battle with watercolor added afterwards in the studio

Welcome to the best bit, Colleen! Superb piece of field work you've got here -- seems you've already got the hang of this! And first battle with the medium or no, you obviously know how to handle a brush. Looking forward to more.

Mike and Jomo thank you for the welcome,
I took the advice given and now have my own thread started Wings over Winecountry, where I hope to put to use all the wonderful things I've learned lurking here, and share this strange new passion that's taken over my life.... Please drop in for a glass of wine...B

Colleen

nice to see you here colleen, welcome... been following on w c, bird are really quite addictive arnt they... Paul

additive is too mild a word Paul

it all started with one pastel turkey, while I was doing it I remembered you, and how you did feathers, finally ended up numbering them like you said in a post on wc I think. That turkey really inspired me in some deep way...then things just seemed to flow from there. And now I've found this place where I can be a nutty as I like about them without being weird.( no weirder than the rest anyway)

I think to become a better artist, it helps to hang around the best you can find, so that's why I came here. The emphasis on field studies here has transformed how I work.
I have my own nesting site here where all my work will be posted.http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=144726