#334 Noatak River, Alaska, con't . . .

During our Noatak “impromptu bird anatomy workshop” I described the four basic bird wing shapes illustrated below, see post #333, Oct. 26.  Understanding that all birds fall into a semblance of one of the four basic shapes helps the viewer establish relative proportions and identify the bird.

I will be teaching a Bird Sculpture and Anatomy
Workshop at Scottsdale Artist School, 
www.scottsdaleartschool.org/ on January 21-25, 2013 and at Brookgreen Gardens rsalmon@brookgreen.org on April 15-17.  Beginners and especially painters who have never sculpted are welcome.

Below, drawings from my sketchbook journal: Top, workshop data; middle, wing shapes; bottom, Tern sketch

There are four basic wing shapes and all birds fall  into a semblance of one of the four configurations. 

The size and shape of wings give clues to how the bird lives.

1.  Long and wide wings are used by soaring birds

     such as hawks, eagles, and ravens.  A wing is

     considered long when it exceeds the length of

     the bird's body.

   

2.  Narrow and pointed wings are used by fast

     flying birds such as swallows, swifts, and many

     migratory birds such as ducks and geese.

3.  Long and narrow wings are used by gliding

     birds such as albatrosses, gulls, fulmars,

     shearwaters, and terns.

4.  Wide and rounded wings are used for short,

     fast and quick-escape flight birds such as

     grouse, pheasants, pigeons, and owls.