Bird Art & Artists

'Ripples' ©Ian Griffiths Website
Feathered Inspiration

Fatbirder country and state pages also have a section for photographers and artists located in that state or country (in the UK this is at county level). So refer to those to find the vast majority of listings. For anyone who is in the UK during late August should visit the British Bird Fair – apart from being able to rub shoulders with around 25,000 fellow birders and visit hundreds of stands for holiday companies, optics, conservation etc., the most ‘must visit’ area is the ‘art marquee’ where dozens of artists exhibit and sell their paintings, drawings, sculpture and photographs – the ‘Chelsea Flower Show’ of bird art!

Like any other form of art bird pictures come in a variety of styles and media. I may not know much about art, but, as they say, I know what I like. I love the super-realism images where fine detail even in backgrounds give images a surreal feel and are as accurate in their portraiture as a fieldguide illustration. Other people prefer the impressionistic art that gives atmosphere and jizz not just a virtual still life. You pay your money and make your choice and I’ll make mine. My walls are lined with inexpensive prints and originals – none would ever be worth a fortune but they are all fine examples of beautiful birds beautifully portrayed so I can live amongst birds even when its too dark and wet to go birding!

The painting featured is by an artist who has been BBC Wildlife ‘animals in their environment’ Artist of the Year in 2011 and runner up in both 2012 and 2013. I totally love his work… ‘Griff’ paints in oil, acrylic and water colour and, to my eye, has different styles that perfectly adopt and exploit the medium he uses.I love the sketches that show such movement and character but some of the oils and acrylics are perfect paintings that set the bird in its landscape wonderfully… moreover Ian Griffiths is a very nice chap. He works in a walk in studio when he can and sometimes sketches by the sea or in the countryside with his son.

This page is sponsored by Ian Griffiths Wildlife Artist

Useful Reading
  • American Birding Sketchbook

    | By Michael Warren | Langford Press | 2012 | Hardback | 144 pages, colour illustrations | ISBN: 9781904078470 Buy this book from NHBS.com
  • Artist Falconers

    | (The Falconry and Raptor Art of David Morrison Reid-Henry and Ron David Digby) | By David Glynne Fox, David Morrison Reid-Henry & Ron David Digby | Coch y Bonddu books | 2017 | Hardback | 199 pages, colour & b/w photos and colour & b/w illustrations | ISBN: 9781904784814 Buy this book from NHBS.com
  • Audubon's Birds of America - The Audubon Society's Baby Elephant Folio

    | By Roger Tory Peterson & Virginia Marie Peterson | Abbeville Press | 2005 | Revised Edition | Hardback | 435 pages, 482 colour & 435 b/w illusrations | ISBN: 9781558591288 Buy this book from NHBS.com
  • Bird Anatomy for Artists

    | By Natalia Balo | BFineArt | 2013 | Hardback | 128 pages, colour & b/w illustrations | ISBN: 9780987337306 Buy this book from NHBS.com
  • Bird Art

    | (Drawing Birds Using Graphite & Coloured Pencils) | By Alan Woollett | Search Press | 2017 | Paperback | 144 pages, 250 colour photos and colour & b/w illustrations | ISBN: 9781782212966 Buy this book from NHBS.com
  • Bird on a Wire: The Life and Art of Guy Taplin

    | By Ian Collins | David Messum Fine Art | 2007 | Hardback | 220 pages, 120 colour photos | ISBN: 9781905883103 Buy this book from NHBS.com
  • Birds - The Art of Ornithology

    | By Jonathan Elphick | London Natural History Museum | 2017 | Edition 2 | Hardback | 224 pages, 200+ colour & b/w illustrations | ISBN: 9780565094331 Buy this book from NHBS.com
  • Birds and Light

    | (The Art of Lars Jonsson) | By Lars Jonsson | 2002 | Hardback | 224 pages, Colour illustrations | ISBN: 9780713664058 Buy this book from NHBS.com
  • Birds in Flight

    | (The Art and Science of How Birds Fly) | By Carrol L Henderson | Voyageur Press | 2008 | Hardback | 160 pages, 179 colour photos, 15 illustrations | ISBN: 9780760333921 Buy this book from NHBS.com
  • Birds of the World

    | By Norman Arlott | William Collins | 2020 | Hardback | 640 pages, 280 colour plates with 25,000 colour illustrations | ISBN: 9780008173999 Buy this book from NHBS.com
  • Birds, Art & Design

    | By Larry Barth | Stackpole Books | 2015 | Hardback | 208 pages, illustrations | ISBN: 9780811713597 Buy this book from NHBS.com
  • Capturing the Essence

    | (Techniques for Bird Artists) | By William T Cooper | Yale YP | 2011 | Paperback | 128 pages, 139 colour illustrations | ISBN: 9780300176261 Buy this book from NHBS.com
  • Drawn From Paradise

    | (The Discovery, Art and Natural History of the Birds of Paradise) | By Sir David Attenborough & Errol Fuller | HarperCollins | 2012 | Hardback | 256 pages, b/w photos, 200+ colour illustrations, b/w illustrations | ISBN: 9780007487615 Buy this book from NHBS.com
  • Images From Birding

    | By Michael Warren | Langford Press | 2007 | Hardback | 68 pages, Colour illustrations & colour paintings ISBN: 9781904078241 Buy this book from NHBS.com
  • Nest: The Art of Birds

    | By Janine Burke | Allen & Unwin | 2014 | Paperback | Nest: The Art of Birds | ISBN: 9781742378299 Buy this book from NHBS.com
  • Robert Gillmor's Norfolk Bird Sketches

    | By Robert Gillmor | Red Hare Publishing | 2014 | Paperback | 64 pages, 2 colour photos, 100+ colour & b/w illustrations | ISBN: 9781910001035 Buy this book from NHBS.com
  • Safari Sketchbook

    | (A Bird Painter's African Odyssey) | By Martin Woodcock | Esker Press | 2010 | Hardback | 176 pages, 196 watercolour & pencil images | ISBN: 9780956401601 Buy this book from NHBS.com
  • The Art of Botanical & Bird Illustration

    | (An Artist's Guide to Drawing and Illustrating Realistic Flora, Fauna, and Botanical Scenes from Nature) | Mindy Lighthipe | Walter Foster Publishing | 2017 | Paperback | 144 pages, 550 colour illustrations | ISBN: 9781633223783 Buy this book from NHBS.com
  • The Bird in Art

    | By Caroline Bugler | Merrell Publishers | 2012 | Hardback | 276 pages, 250 colour photos and colour illustrations | ISBN: 9781858945682 Buy this book from NHBS.com
  • The Book of the Bird

    | (The Bird in Art) | By Angus Hyland & Kendra Wilson | 2016 | Paperback | 160 pages, 120 colour illustrations | ISBN: 9781780677507 Buy this book from NHBS.com
  • The John James Audubon Portfolio: Main Fleurie Edition

    | By John James Audubon | Editions de la Main Fleurie | 2004 | Hardback | 248 pages, 48 illustrations | ISBN: 9782960049305 Buy this book from NHBS.com
  • The Laws Guide to Drawing Birds

    | By John Muir Laws | Heyday Books | 2012 | Paperback | 117 Pages | 700+ Colour illustrations | ISBN: 9781597141956 Buy this book from NHBS.com
Organisations
  • Artists For Conservation

    Website
    The World's Leading Artist Group Supporting the Environment
  • Society of Wildlife Artists – SWLA

    Website
    The Society of Wildlife Artists is a registered charity that seeks to generate appreciation and delight in the natural world through all forms of fine art inspired by the world’s wildlife.
Other Links
  • Aves In Art

    Gallery
    Thank you for visiting our site. Here you will find a collection of images (drawings, paintings and photographs) about the beauty and diversity of the world of birds - as seen through the eyes of two longtime nature-lovers, Jorge de Le
  • Bird Artist - Christopher Cox

    Website
    Christopher is a St Lucia artist who works primarily in watercolour and acrylic, sometimes combining the two media to capture the subtlety of birds' plumages and the muted play of light and shadow in the forest environment. He is best known for his realistic interpretations of local flora and fauna drawing inspiration from wildlife artists that include Robert Bateman, Don R. Eckelberry and John James Audubon
  • Bird Artist - Andrew MacKay

    Website
    Thank you for visiting my home page. Elsewhere in this site you can find a complete list of all the books I have worked on, and see examples of my work. Most of this artwork is for sale - simply click on the thumbnails to see a larger image with details of size, price etc. The quality of these on-screen images is necessarily limited by constraints on the size of the jpeg files. In the case of published illustrations, I would recommend looking at the printed material, as this is inevitably of much better quality. Stunning Illustrations! - Fatbirder.
  • Bird Artist - Anthony Galv

    Website
    During an eleven month assignment on the DMZ in Korea I realized I could draw birds and have them look like a bird. Here is sample of some illustrations. Raptors have always been my favorite, perhaps because I`ve seen so many in the plains of Kansas or the foothills of the Rockies.
  • Bird Artist - Betsy Popp

    Website
    The Northwoods of Wisconsin have always been home for Betsy. This has given her the opportunity to study and sketch her favorite wildlife within an easy drive of her home. Betsy works in a variety of mediums which include fine pencil drawings, colorful acrylic paintings, vibrant pastels, unique wood burnings, and detailed wood carvings. Such a wide variety of original art work, yet all uniquely the work of Betsy Popp.
  • Bird Artist - Chris Lodge

    Website
    Original bird paintings and prints from bird artist Chris Lodge
  • Bird Artist - Chris Shields

    Gallery
    Chris has produced to date in excess of twenty thousand wildlife illustrations in over 300 books, numerous calendars, greeting cards, posters and jigsaw puzzles. He has exhibited his paintings widely in the UK and China and has paintings in public and private collections all over the world
  • Bird Artist - Chris Vest

    Website
    I have a long history of taking pretty mediocre bird photos.
  • Bird Artist - Christopher Schmidt

    Webpage
    The finished picture are not so much the target of painting. They are rather the product of an experience which was made in free nature.
  • Bird Artist - Colin Woolf

    Website
    Colin is one of the UKs leading watercolour artists. Take time to examine the images on these pages, and you will see how he uses pure watercolour to create beautiful works of art…
  • Bird Artist - Dana Gardner

    Website
    I am an artist who has illustrated over 2 dozen books since 1977 on birds and natural history, including field guides to Costa Rica, Singapore, and Wallacea. My time overseas includes 6 years in the New World Tropics and 3 years in Southeast Asia. I have illustrated many of the books of the renowned ornithologist, Alexander Skutch. There are more than 180 images for you to enjoy.
  • Bird Artist - David Hyde

    Website
    Fine watercolours form this UK artist…
  • Bird Artist - David Mead - Hawkart

    Website
    I am one of the artists who worked on Raptors of the World (Helm 2001) and Pheasants, Partridges & Grouse (Helm 2002). The originals of my illustrations for these books feature on my site
  • Bird Artist - David Miller

    Website
    Very fine bird paintings
  • Bird Artist - David Tomb

    Website
    Current exhibition: Arkansas Art Center, Little Rock Art Center, Little Rock, Arkansas, September 12 - November 9, 2008
  • Bird Artist - Derek Robertson

    Website
    Wildlife artist with some fine portraits of birds
  • Bird Artist - Don Wesley

    Website
    Strange and intesting bird paintings…
  • Bird Artist - Eric Ennion

    Website
    Welcome to ericennion.com the website dedicated to the life and work of Eric Ennion, a remarkable all-round naturalist who was one of the twentieth century
  • Bird Artist - Francisco Jos

    Website
    Born in Andaluc
  • Bird Artist - Heidi Lots

    Website
    Heidi is a self-taught artist born in Argentina - South America with German ancestors, now living in Germany..
  • Bird Artist - Ian Bowles

    Website
    Ian Bowles has been a full-time professional artist for over 30 years, selling his watercolour paintings through exhibitions, galleries, commissioned work and by personal recommendation
  • Bird Artist - Ian Griff Griffiths

    Website
    Wildlife paintings; mainly birds of artist Griff, who lives and paints in Cornwall originally from Yorkshire. He will be featured in Birds illustrated, Wildscape and Artists and illustrated magazine
  • Bird Artist - Ian Lewington

    Website
    I have been watching and drawing birds for as long as I can remember. My fascination was kindled at the age of five when my father began taking me on nature walks in the south Oxfordshire countryside (it was Berkshire then). During my early teens it was the diversity of birdlife, the subtleties of plumage variation and the unending learning curve of birding that captured my imagination
  • Bird Artist - Jackie Garner

    Website
    I'm a Gloucestershire-based artist, who originally concentrated on British wildlife art as well as making occasional forays into still life and portraiture. Since then my wildlife art has been inspired by the wildlife of the Falkland Islands, and my latest venture is illustrating research into the wildlife art found in ancient Egypt
  • Bird Artist - James Coe

    Website
    James Coe is best known as author and illustrator of the Golden field guide, Eastern Birds.
  • Bird Artist - James McCallum

    Website
    James McCallum is a wildlife artist living and working in North Norfolk. He is best known for his watercolour paintings and sketches of natural history, particularly birds, made outdoors from life at the time of watching
  • Bird Artist - Johannes Nevala

    Website
    Welcome to an artistry with birds in the focus. In oil-colours and water-colours I create paintings from the inspiration that days at the Gotlandic seashore gives me
  • Bird Artist - Johannes Nevala

    Website
    This site enables you to experience artistry where the birds are the main attraction. With pen, sketchbook and telescope I catch impressions of the life of the seashore and its birds. In the studio these field drawings help me create my oil- and watercolour paintings. On my page you can study my artistry and order paintings.
  • Bird Artist - John Gale

    Website
    John Gale`s Paintings of British Birds, UK rarities and European birds.
  • Bird Artist - John Ridyard

    Facebook Page
    John trained at Harrogate School of Art and the London College of Printing, then in industry providing graphics, artwork and high quality illustration covering a wide spectrum of subjects. These drawings are from many for Wildlife of Britain for which, John is illustrator and consultant.
  • Bird Artist - Katrina Cook

    Webpage
    Drawing is a neglected skill in modern-day art colleges, but happily wildlife artists maintiain the tradition for recording their observations in the field. Katrina Cook, in association with Birds Illustrated, shares her sketches and observations from a trip to Shetland.
  • Bird Artist - Keith Hansen

    Website
    Bird art site, depicting prints, books, t-shirts and tours by Keith Hansen, bird artist
  • Bird Artist - Keith Nash

    Website
    Whilst born in the South of England, Keith Nash
  • Bird Artist - Martin R Murk

    Webpage
    A native of Wisconsin, Martin R. Murk's wildlife art has earned him many awards, including the 1982 Wisconsin Wetland's for Wildlife Artist of the Year, 1984 Wisconsin Ducks Unlimited Artist of the Year, 1986 Wisconsin Waterfowler's Artist of the Year - as well as the 1987 Great Lakes Wildlife Artist of the Year. Winner of the 1977 Federal Duck Stamp Competition, the 1979 Wisconsin Trout Stamp and the 1980 Wisconsin Duck Stamp contests, Marty also designed Wisconsin's first Great Lakes Salmon and Trout stamp and the first North American Endangered Species Conservation stamps in 1982.
  • Bird Artist - Martin Ridley

    Website
    Gallery of wildlife and wilderness art depicting birds and other animals, paintings in oils and watercolours with accompanying original sketches by artist painter & illustrator Martin Ridley.
  • Bird Artist - Mike Langman

    Website
    Terrific UK artist and illustrator
  • Bird Artist - Mike Warren

    Website
    Early paintings contained very decorative backgrounds to the bird subject. This emphasis has gradually given way a greater realism while retaining a strong design element. Pictures are painted with acrylics or watercolours on pure rag paper
  • Bird Artist - Mike Woodcock

    Facebook Page
    I am a wildlife artist specialising in owls and birds of prey, both wild birds in natural settings, and those used in falconry.
  • Bird Artist - Neil Allen

    Website
    Neil Allen won the title "BBC Wildlife Artist of the Year 2009" with his painting "Bee orchid", and the prize of a place on Wildlife Worldwide's Festival of Wildlife 2010 in the Pantanal, Brazil.
  • Bird Artist - Nick Derry

    Facebook Page
    Half birdwatcher and half artist, Nick divides his time between sketching wildlife in the field and playing with those memories and images at home on the dining room table that serves as the studio.
  • Bird Artist - Nicolas Fernandez

    Website
    A wonderful sketch book of birds
  • Bird Artist - Noah Stryker

    Website
    Noah studies Fisheries & Wildlife and Fine Arts on a full academic scholarship. When not in class, he travels in search of birding adventures.
  • Bird Artist - Paschalis Dougalis

    Website
    Paschalis is a wildlife illustrator-artist, living and working in Munich, Germany.
  • Bird Artist - Richard Allen

    Website
    Starting as a freelance illustrator in advertising, publishing and newspapers, my work has gradually drifted towards my main interest of birds and wildlife especially after winning "British Birds - Bird Illustrator of the year" in 1993
  • Bird Artist - Richard Roberts - Sculptor

    Website
    Brilliant styalised sculptures from the norfolk-based artist
  • Bird Artist - Rick Pas

    Website
    In addition to exhibiting at Birds in Art, Rick has also exhibited at the 1992 National Park Academy of the Arts, Jackson Hole, Wyoming - Arts for the Parks; 1989 College of DuPage, Glen Ellyn, Illinois - Birds in Art, and in 1979 at the Flint Institute of Arts, Flint, Michigan.
  • Bird Artist - Rita Sklar

    Website
    Watercolors by Rita Sklar Inspired by the Colors of Birds
  • Bird Artist - Stephen Message

    Website
    Stephen Message lives in the village of Benenden, Kent, England. It is here around the country lanes, meadows, woods and nearby Romney Marsh, that many of his inspirations for paintings derive
  • Bird Artist - Steven Lingham

    Website
    Steven Lingham is a British wildlife artist based in Yorkshire. Working mainly in oils his work covers a multitude of subjects including birds, mammals, insects and landscapes, and now adds still life and people portrait paintings to his repertoire.
  • Bird Artist - Susan Shimeld

    Website
    Initially self-taught wildlife artist and life long lover of all things wild
  • Bird Artist - Toni Watts

    Facebook Page
    I hope you enjoy looking through the latest original paintings, limited edition prints and greetings cards. All are available to purchase securely and simply through the online shop…
  • Bird Artist - Wes & Rachelle Siegrist - Reflections of Nature`s Details

    Website
    Discover inside our available paintings and miniatures of wildlife art, fact-filled newsletter, Artist`s statements, step by step paintings, personal photos, upcoming exhibits and insights into our world. View Wes`s paintings of the Florida Panther used to illustrate a Nature Conservancy Habitat book. Join our rapidly growing family of online visitors and collectors.
  • Bird Carvings - Randal Martin

    Website
    Carvings to fit every budget
  • Bird Carvings - The Bird Whittler

    Twitter Page
    Glyn is a professional bird whittler, and has extensively studied birds in their natural habitats. Each individual edition songbird is whittled from a block of lime, using only a knife. They are then hand painted with acrylics
  • Bird Crafts - Countryman John

    Website
    Unique Wildlife Roller Blinds, Tiles and Linens
  • Bird Sculpture - Joel

    Website
    Sculptures by Joel
  • Bird Sculpture - Tim McEachern

    Website
    Natures wings - where the vision and inspirations of nature are captured
  • Carver - Teresinha Roberts

    Website
    Teresinha Roberts carves ducks, geese and swans in lime and other hardwoods. The natural movement and rhythm of the birds is reflected in each unique piece and is a result of careful study in the wild
  • Charting Nature

    Website
    Charting Nature is a family-owned print company that specializes in restored antique wildlife illustrations and gift items. We offer bird identification charts as well as over 100 antique bird prints by turn-of-the century wildlife illustrators and various books on birding and bird identification
  • Gallery - Birding Art

    Website
    The online gallery for bird art and illustration displaying original bird art and prints from many leading British and International bird artists
  • Gallery - Mountain Galleries

    Website
    Mountain Galleries is one of the largest commercial galleries in Western Canada with locations in Banff, Jasper & Whistler Resort. New location in Stratford, Ontario opened May 2019. The collection represents major and mid-career artists.
  • Illustrator - Gina Mikel

    Website
    Wildlife artist and scientific illustrator
  • Lynn Kerr - Hand Painted Bookmarks

    Website
    While I have my favorite birds to paint (cardinals, blue jays, chickadees, hummingbirds), it will be my pleasure and joy to paint any bird you would like
Blogs
  • Natural History Artworks

    BLOG
    A blog on natural history art - especially bird art. Here I will post my own works in progress, sketches, technique tips and share thoughts on the work from my favorite artists-of the past through today. All images copyright of the artist described. Artists please contact me if your work is duplicated here to your displeasure.

Fatbirder - linking birders worldwide... Wildlife Travellers see our sister site: WAND

Skip to content