California Botanic Garden Nature Art: Drawing Winged Animals | February 21, 2026 10 am-noon

Description

Back by popular demand, we are taking a close look again at birds, butterflies, and other winged insects in our Drawing Winged Animals class. This session we will focus on drawing with even more detail. If you took the class last year, come again and practice your technique and hone your observation skills. And if you didn’t take the class last year, you are in for a treat!

The best way to learn how to draw birds and insects is by watching them in their natural habitats. Observing their movements and behaviors can teach you so much about their structure and form. But some birds and insects move quickly and constantly, making them tricky to capture in a sketch. In this class we will work from taxidermy models and glass insect cases to improve your observation and drawing skills in a beginner friendly environment. We’ll take a step-by-step approach to drawing birds and insects, breaking things down into simple shapes to make the process easier. You’ll learn to see anatomy in a new way by focusing on key details like feet, antennae, and feathers. By understanding what’s underneath all those feathers—like the shape of the wings or the way joints bend—you will create more accurate and lifelike drawings.