Being self taught, I’m developing my own way of doing things. First, I decide where I want to place the bird on the canvas. If perched, I mark the very lowest point I’d want the bird to be, and another mark where I’d like the very back of the bird to be. If in flight, I mark the very highest I’d want the bird to be, again with a mark where I’d like the very back of the bird to be. Then, I draw a line to define the angle of the body, and if in flight, another line to define the angle of the wings. After that, I work on proportions using my Apple Pencil as a measuring device, with my finger marking length and height. Then, I draw the outline. It can take 2-5 hours just getting all the proportions accurate enough. I spend 3 hours a day drawing, and when finished with a drawing, I take a day (or so) off. I average 30-35 hours on each piece.