The Laws Guide to Drawing Birds

Called a ''modern Audubon'' by the Washington Post, renowned artist and naturalist John Muir Laws brings us this full-color how-to guide to drawing birds. Laws's book, with an illuminating foreword by beloved ornithologist David Sibley, is devoted not only to art but also to the lives, forms, and postures of the birds themselves. It intertwines artistic technique and the exquisite details of natural history, and drawing becomes the vehicle for seeing.

As Laws writes, ''To draw feathers, you must understand how feathers grow, overlap, and insert into the body. To create the body, you must have an understanding of the bird's skeletal structure. To pose this skeleton, you must be able to perceive the energy, intention, and life of the bird.''

This inspiring guide will enhance the skills of serious artists but also, perhaps more importantly, it will provide help for those who insist they can't draw. Leading the mind and hand through a series of detailed exercises, Laws delivers what he promises: ''drawing birds opens you to the beauty of the world.''

An Audubon Book