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David Sibley – Sketching and Painting Impressions
“It’s how I study the birds.”
David Sibley’s paintings connect millions of people with the lives of birds. His talent in observing and portraying birds culminated in The Sibley Guide to Birds. Sibley described how he learned to sketch and illustrate birds, like the pictured Townsend’s Warbler: "I spent years in the field, just traveling and birding and sketching," he said. "The drawing was so important to me, that there was never any question in my mind of continuing to paint the birds. It’s how I study the birds." Watch David Sibley sketch a Townsend's Warbler in the BirdNote studio!
Support for BirdNote is provided by Marjorie and Ed Ringness from Seattle, Washington — and generous listeners around the world.
BirdNote®
Sketching and Painting the Impressions With David Sibley
Written by Chris Peterson
This is BirdNote.
[Song of House Finch]
David Sibley’s paintings connect millions of people with the lives of birds. His delight and skill in observing and portraying birds culminated in The Sibley Guide to Birds.
[Song of Canyon Wren]
“I spent years in the field, just traveling and birding and sketching. Just doing pencil sketches – getting to know the birds – learning the shapes and the postures and the general patterns.
[Cooing of Morning Dove]
The drawing was so important to me, that there was never any question in my mind of continuing on to paint the birds. It’s how I study the birds.
[Drumming of American Three-toed Woodpecker]
And when I go into the studio to paint, I have my sketches, I gather together all the photographs I can find, I’ve already visited museums and looked at specimens and taken notes on those…but what I try to put into the painting is sort of a synthesis of all of the things that I’ve seen, all the things that I’ve learned. It’s the impression of many experiences.”
[Song of Townsend’s Warbler]
You can watch a video of David Sibley sketching a Townsend’s Warbler at Birdnote.org. For BirdNote, I'm Michael Stein.
Support for BirdNote is provided by Marjorie and Ed Ringness from Seattle, Washington — and generous listeners around the world.
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Senior Producer: Mark Bramhill
Producer: Sam Johnson
Managing Producer: Jazzi Johnson
Managing Producer: Ariana Remmel
Content Director: Jonese Franklin
Bird sounds provided by The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York. Song of the House Finch [ML 105669] and song of Canyon Wren [120251] recorded by G.A. Keller; cooing of Morning Dove [22930] by W.R. Fish; drumming of American Three-toed Woodpecker [63077] by D.S. Herr; call of Black-capped Chickadee [49751] by R.S. Little; ambient drawn from [12051] Canyon Wren; song of Townsend’s Warbler [47707] recorded by D.S. Herr. JK Studio Tracks 17:57, 14:12, 18:95
BirdNote’s theme music was composed and played by Nancy Rumbel and John Kessler.
© 2014 Tune In to Nature.org July 2014 / 2021 / 2025
Narrator: Michael Stein
ID# sibleyd-01b-2014-07-15 sibleyd-01b
Chris Peterson
Writer
Michael Stein
NarratorSights & Sounds
