Bird watchers are often described as being somewhat “serious” about their craft.
Sometimes we need to lose the intensity and explore the lighter side of bird watching.
And that’s when I pick up my phone, fire up the intoBirds’ Instagram account and visit @Sketchkvetch to enjoy a daily dose of Amy’s bird cartoons painted in watercolors.
Daily as in every day.
365 Bird Sketches Equal Thousands of Laughs
Three-hundred sixty-five cartoons hand painted a year!
These cartoons are brilliant. Laced with dry wit and captions that make you laugh out loud.
Amy’s cartoons, are spot-on capturing the physical attributes of the bird.
She leaves nothing in question with her stunning details.
Our Favorite Sketchkvetch Cartoons
Here are a few of our favorite @sketchkvetch cartoons.
intoBirds recently had the pleasure of interviewing Amy, and we were stunned to learn that someone who captures such detail in her drawings just began drawing and painting in watercolors a year and a half ago.
Amy started her Instagram account as a place to share her progress.
“I wasn’t a fan of birds when I began painting. I started watching YouTube videos to learn drawing and watercolor skills, and I came across an artist named Peter Sheeler whose work I loved,” she says.
“He posted excellent videos for people who wanted to learn, so I drew and painted my first bird thanks to him.”
Then Amy started following bird photographers on Instagram and drawing the birds in their photos.
Bird Photographers as Inspiration
intoBirds was thrilled when Amy painted a watercolor of our Tufted Titmouse drinking from our Frog bird bath.
Amy says she was never interested in birds before she began painting and now they are the focus of her art.
“I didn’t mind admiring them in books and Disney cartoons, but I never really paid attention to them out in the real world. But since many of the photographers I follow on Instagram include information about the birds in their photos, then I became more and more interested.”
Amy describes the draw between birds and art is that birds are like the flowers on the wing.
“They come in so many colors, shapes, and sizes. I know I got hooked on drawing and painting birds for that reason,” she says.
Amy loves to work in watercolors.
She says she sometimes use graphite, water-soluble ink, and colored pencils, but watercolors are what makes her happiest.
Birds Inspire Art
Birds inspire Amy for her cartoons by the amusing poses and expressions the photographers capture.
“I have so much admiration and respect for the skills and patience of people who photograph birds,” she says.
When you visit Amy’s Instagram account @sketchkvetch, you’ll be amazed by the witty captions she creates for each drawing.
The captions in itself are art.
“When I select photos to use as inspiration for my cartoons, I look for poses that amuse me, or that spark an idea. Sometimes I struggle to come up with a caption, other times the idea pops into my mind as soon as I see a photo. Words have always mattered to me. That’s one reason I wanted to improve my drawing skills, to see if I could combine the two.”
Amy’s Into Birds
Amy now considers herself a person into birds.
“The more I learn about birds, the more into them I am. I also find a lot of pleasure in watching them from my window, when I can spot them! Usually, I can only hear them, which is lovely, too. But I especially love knowing that I am more aware of a part of the world that I never gave much thought to before,” she says.
Amy’s favorite piece of art she’s painted of a bird is a watercolor of three European Starling chicks, based on a photo by Instagrammer @okbirds.
She prefaces, this was before she started doing the birds cartoons.
When I asked Amy if she had a favorite bird, she said she loves all of the cute, small ones.
“But the Eurasian Blue Tit is my favorite,” she adds.
Noticing Birds
Amy has never actually gone out bird watching with the intention of looking at birds. But says she notices them much more these days.
And thanks to her daily bird cartoons, other people are noticing birds much more these days too and smiling.
Follow @Sketchkvetch on Instagram
Follow Amy’s Instagram account @sketchkvetch to enjoy her fantastic bird cartoons.
Be forewarned, her account is very addictive, so plan to stay awhile.
And before you go, stop by and follow @intobirds.