Finding joy in sketching
Have you ever been enthralled watching little birds like sparrows and robins? Really observing how they dance with life? The way they hold their posture, head cocked to listen for worms, to each other, flitting from branch to branch, excitedly chattering, their entire being radiating a kind of joyful presence. When we approach sketching these charismatic beings, we have an opportunity to enter into that same state of presence and joy.
So, how do we capture that life, that essence, on paper? How do we move beyond just copying what we see to really connecting with our subjects through our art?
The robin watching for worms in your garden is doing something remarkable – they're fully present in their body, deeply connected to the earth beneath their feet, completely immersed in the moment. When we approach sketching these charismatic beings, we have an opportunity to enter that same state of presence. Not just to make art, but to remember our own wild nature.
Understanding Our Wild Bodies
Before we talk about putting pencil to paper, let's explore something fundamental: we too are animals. We have the same capacity for deep presence that we admire in robins. Our hands, holding pencils or brushes, are as much a part of nature as a robin's beak or wings.
Try this embodiment exercise:
Stand like a robin - feet grounded, spine tall
Roll your shoulders back and feel where wings might emerge
Turn your head slowly side to side, noticing how your neck moves
Feel how your whole body wants to bob slightly forward and back
Notice how this changes your awareness of your own animal body
This physical understanding transforms not just how we sketch, but how we see ourselves in relation to our wild kin.
The Science of Seeing
When we observe wildlife, something fascinating happens in our brains. Studies show that focused nature observation:
Activates our parasympathetic nervous system, reducing stress
Increases production of feel-good hormones like serotonin
Improves our pattern recognition abilities
Enhances our capacity for empathy
Strengthens our environmental connection
By combining this deep observation with artistic practice, we create neural pathways that strengthen both our technical skills and our innate connection to the wild world.
Five Keys to Transformative Wildlife Sketching
Ground in Your Animal Body
Before sketching, take time to embody your subject
Notice your own breathing and heartbeat
Feel your connection to the earth
Remember your own wild nature
Observe With All Senses
Notice sounds and movements around you
Feel temperature and air movement
Let your peripheral vision expand
Build a full sensory picture
Start With Energy
Begin by capturing the feeling of aliveness
Look for the gesture, the movement
Don't worry about details yet
Trust your intuitive response
Build Understanding Through Layers
Start with largest shapes
Add structural forms
Layer in details gradually
Let each layer inform the next
Stay Present to Process
Notice when you hold your breath
Feel when you tense up
Return to your body awareness
Celebrate each small discovery
I hope that helps you see that the secret (other than there is no secret!) to sketching with realism and intention isn't in perfect technique or expensive supplies. It's in something much more accessible and profound, but that requires a willingness to take time and practise: mindful observation combined with compassionate curiosity.
Let's explore how we can approach sketching robins (or any wild being, tiny or huge) in a way that honours both their spirit and our creative journey.
Finding Form Through Feeling
When we first look at a robin, we might get caught up in trying to capture every feather, every tiny detail. But the magic begins when we step back and really observe their basic form. What shapes make up their body? How does their posture tell their story? Try this: Before you put pencil to paper, imagine what it feels like to be a robin. Feel your feet gripping a branch. Notice how your head moves to track sounds. Let your shoulders roll back as if you too had wings ready to unfold. This embodied understanding will transform your sketching from mere observation to deep connection.
Then, turn that internal feeling into thinking about how they might feel under hand - how would you pat them? how would you hold them, use your fingers to scratch their little caps?
Building Layers of Understanding
Just as robins build their nests twig by twig, we build our sketches layer by layer. Start with the largest, most basic shapes. Don't worry about perfection – these first marks are about finding the feeling, the gesture, the life of your subject.
Work like a sculptor - whittle down from big shapes to ever smaller.
Once you have those foundational shapes, begin to refine them. Notice how the robin's body curves, how their eye shines with intelligence, how their feathers create patterns of light and shadow. Add these details gradually, always staying connected to the feeling of aliveness you're trying to capture.
The Joy of Process Over Product
Here's something I wish someone had told me earlier in my artistic journey: the real magic isn't in creating a perfect finished piece. It's in the process of deep observation, of building connection, of celebrating every small victory along the way.
Though perhaps I would not have believed them. Perhaps you have to be in practice before you understand that fully. But I will keep telling you, just the same 🙂
When we sketch with mindfulness, each mark becomes a meditation. Each layer builds not just our drawing, but our understanding of and connection to these remarkable beings we share our world with.
A Practice of Presence
Sketching wildlife isn't just about developing artistic skills, though that will naturally happen with practice. You are not a machine (even if we live in societies that act like they wish we were). We get to go more than surface level. Get deep. Enjoy even. Sketching wildlife with intention is about developing a relationship with the wild world through the intimate act of really seeing and honouring these beings through our art.
Building Your Practice
Create a dedicated nature observation ritual:
Choose a regular time (morning works well)
Find a quiet outdoor spot
Bring minimal supplies
Start with 10 minutes
Focus on one subject
Record both sketches and notes
Date and weather conditions
Physical sensations
Emotional responses
New discoveries
This simple practice can transform not just your art, but your entire relationship with the natural world.
Did this get the juices flowing? So, the next time you show yourself compassion and unfurl into that self-care act of sketching a robin (or any wild being), take a deep breath. Put your hand on your heart. Remember that you're not just making marks on paper – you're participating in an ancient tradition of humans honouring the wild through art.
And isn't that a beautiful thing to be part of?
Tell me, when was the last time you really observed a wild being? What caught your attention about their movement or behaviour?
