“I find observing birds changes how I draw them. Rather than attempt photorealism, I sketch as quickly as possible to capture the birdiness of my subject.” Jared Nielsen, 44, Baltimore, Md.

Meredith Blunt has been drawing a bird every day this year as part of a personal annual challenge. The Kitchener, Ont., woman uses her project to focus more on her mental health, but her work has ...