Do I have to know about muscles and their placements while learning to draw realistic birds?

Question

I wish to learn how to draw realistic birds.I have seen many drawing books talking about muscles in humans, bone structure etc.I wish to know that to draw realistic birds do I actually have to learn how many muscles they have and where they are placed?Is that the way to draw realistic birds? or there is some other way?

Answer 1

The best way to learn how to draw is through observation, not technical knowledge. While it's certainly helpful to know the specific anatomy of your subject, it won't necessarily make or break your piece. I would suggest looking at some anatomical drawings, just to gain a basic knowledge, and then just go off of reference images. After drawing birds over and over again, you'll gain an understanding of their anatomy naturally, without necessarily having to closely study it.