"A painter paints because he has no time not to paint." - Josef Albers
I was born and raised in the idyllic country side of a small town in North India. Our spacious family home was a haven of life and colour, surrounded by gardens and small patches of forest that served as natural habitats for birds with the vibrant sights and sounds of nature, and an orchestra of bird calls that seemed to echo the rhythms of the natural world. My father, a dedicated lawyer, had an equally profound love for nature and birds, which shaped the environment I grew up in. After his work, he would often spend his leisure time with our pet and caged birds. Since my early childhood, I was always surrounded by a variety of species of caged birds and parrots in our house. Additionally, there were outdoor pet birds such as hens, peafowls, ducks, swans, partridges, quails, pigeons, pheasants and numerous more. Wild birds often graced the trees and bushes around us, completing this enchanting world. These experiences imprinted on me a lifelong admiration for birds and the ecosystems they inhabit.
"Never give up listening to the sounds of birds.” - John James Audubon
From an early age my fascination with birds became a defining part of who I was. This realisation deepened my respect for these remarkable creatures and ultimately laid the foundation for my journey as an artist. However, this journey took me around 50 years to rediscover my passion for painting birds, as my last foray into art was during my 8th grade. My school days were filled with sketches and paintings but after my schooling, I stopped using colours. After completing my education in finance and banking, I embarked on a career with a European bank, working across various countries. By the mid-eighties I had settled in Germany, where my career continued until I approached retirement, and where I have been residing ever since.
Just before my retirement in 2018, I made the decision to revive my old interest in painting and pursued it as a serious hobby. I dedicated myself with great enthusiasm and interest, ultimately evolved into a serious pursuit of ornithological art. Yet, I must acknowledge that my abilities as an artist are a gift from God. I have never received formal training or education in painting; my skills have developed naturally, driven by passion and an inner calling to portray the beauty of the natural world.
"Painting is just another way of keeping a diary." - Pablo Picasso
Shoaib H. Burney
When I was young, long before my teenage years, I would spend hours on Sundays and holidays simply enjoying the sight of birds and observing their daily activities. I found great pleasure in studying their behaviours, habits and distinctive characteristics. Over time, I came to realize that birds possess feelings, emotions, and moods--much like humans--and they express them according to different situations. Whether its fear, joy, anxiety, anger, preference, aversion, aggression, love, hatred, seriousness, mischievousness, jealousy, tiredness, laziness, relaxation, pain or sorrow, birds exhibit a range of emotions.
In my paintings, I make a conscious effort to portray these sentiments and emotions through the eyes, actions, and body language of the birds. Each bird is unique, with slight variations in shape and size, which may change to some extent depending on the occasion. When seeking food, a bird may appear slim and elongated. When feeling cold, its feathers may puff up, creating a round and fluffy appearance, while its down feathers cover its feet to minimize heat loss through the skin. If the bird is angry, it may puff out its feathers, giving the impression of a larger size. In times of illness or discomfort, a bird may take on a slump-like posture, tucking its beak inside its feathers, and exhibiting semi-closed eyes. During moments of relaxation, it may stretch its body and wings periodically.
Therefore, I hope you will observe in my art work the accuracy and skill with which I capture the beauty, behaviour, actions, and various shades of mood through colour. Each painting is an attempt to convey the intricate emotions and fleeting moments that birds experience.
"Thinking is easy, acting is difficult and to put action is the most difficult thing in the world." - J.W. Goethe
I have chosen to adopt a realistic and measured approach in my artwork. Realistic paintings aim to depict a scene from real life with precise and truthful details, presenting birds and their surroundings in a naturalistic manner that avoids any artificiality. This style captures the essence of the subject without introducing speculative, imaginative, or illusionary concepts.
"The object of art is not to reproduce reality, but to create a reality of the same intensity." - Alberto Giacometti
Another form of realistic drawing is the measured method, which involves accurately rendering the bird in its original life size or depicting its body parts in proportion to the actual proportions of a birds body and other anatomical features. In many birds species, although not in every case, it is common for the male bird to be larger and adorned with more vibrant and colourful feathers, while the female exhibits duller plumage. When portraying pairs and flocks of birds, I take great care to ensure this distinction is accurately represented in my paintings. By employing a realistic and measured approach, I strive to capture the true beauty and authenticity of birds in their natural habitats, emphasizing their unique characteristics and characteristics of different species.
Unlike many renowned ornithologist artists, I have not limited myself to painting birds from a specific nation, region, or continent. Instead, I have embraced a One World concept, depicting birds from all six major zoogeographical regions. However, I have taken great care to ensure that the background and natural habitats of the birds in my paintings accurately reflect their original zoogeographical regions. For instance, if I am painting the nesting of Australian breeding pairs of parrots, I depict them in hollow cavities within dry and dead Eucalyptus trees, which is true to their natural habitat. Similarly, when showcasing Indian neck-ring green breeding parrots nesting, I portray them in mango or neem trees hollow limbs, as this aligns with their actual surroundings and is more realistic. This allows viewers to appreciate the diversity and richness of birdlife across various regions of the world.
As I mentioned earlier, there are various techniques and styles of bird paintings developed by renowned ornithologists, each with their own unique approach. These artists have impressed many with their attention to fine details, perfect compositions and accurate anatomical drawings. Some of my all-time favourite ornithologists include: William T. Cooper, John James Audubon, Robert Bateman, Richard Barrie Treleaven, Archibald Thorburn, Lars Jonsson, Allen M. Hunt, Killian Mullarney, Nicky Shelton and many more. While I hold great appreciation for the works of other artists, I have developed my own distinct style. I focus on creating full-body portraits of birds, ensuring that their facial expressions are captures in detail, with an emphasis on achieving a refined and polished finish. Unlike others , I choose not to place excessive detail on the background. Instead, I strive to harmonise it with the bird, keeping it in tune with their natural habitat to create a balanced and realistic representation. By adhering to this approach, I aim to capture not only the intricate details and features of the birds themselves but also their unique environments and ecosystems.
"Bad artists copy, great artists steal." - Pablo Picasso
During my school days, I primarily painted using water colours and occasionally experimented with oil paints. However, I had never experienced working with acrylic colours. As I decided to restart my painting journey after approximately 50 years, I faced a dilemma in choosing the medium and method to adopt. However, once I determined that I wanted to be an ornithologist painter focusing on realistic art, the decision to use acrylic colours became clear. My main rationale behind this decision was that the main features and attractions of birds are often their feathers, wings, and tails, which require vibrant and shiny colours. Acrylic paints offer the right consistency and intensity for achieving this effect. I have been fortunate to find that this choice has yielded satisfactory and encouraging results, particularly for a beginner and self-taught painter like myself.
The only small difference I have noticed with acrylics is that they tend to dry slightly darker than the initially applied colour. After realizing this from my earlier works, I began applying and mixing colours in lighter tones, which has resulted in achieving the perfect desired results.
"Painting is poetry that is seen rather than felt, and poetry is painting that is felt rather than seen." - Leonardo Da Vinci
I strongly believe that the quality of colours and other accessories, such as brushes, papers, and drawing pencils, greatly contribute to the final satisfactory results of a painting. For all my paintings, I have used 300 gsm paper sheets from specialized art paper brands like Hahnemuehle and Bringmann, both of which are made in Germany. I have also chosen acrylic colours from reputable German brands like Schmincke and Lukas. Additionally, I have incorporated selected colours from American brand Golden and Dutch brand Amsterdam, as they are known for their high quality.
To enhance my painting techniques, I have used alcohol-based brush-pens, liner-pens, and a set of sketching pencils from the German brand Faber Castel. I have also enjoyed using brushes from Da Vinci, a German brand, as well as brushes from the American brand Dynasty. I consider myself lucky to have had the opportunity to work with these top-quality accessories in my paintings.
I have noticed that my original paintings appear approximately 20-25% brighter and more vibrant than the images provided here. This difference is mainly due to two reasons: firstly, the photographs were taken by an amateur photographer without the use of proper filters, lenses, or lighting and secondly, I have used a significant amount of white to create various shades and duller tones, which resulted lighter and duller colours when photographed or scanned. Regarding the sizes of my paintings: Since I have used art sheets from different brands, there may be slight variations in size, with a maximum difference of approximately 0,3 cm from the given dimensions.
I always encourage aspiring artists, particularly young people, to begin their painting journeys and experience the joy that comes from it. Although I have been painting birds for only about 6-7 years, I am completely satisfied with my work and material choices. However, I humbly acknowledge that there is always more to learn and present. My painting journey is still ongoing, and I cannot say how long it will continue, but I promise to consistently give my best in the future as well.