I remember buying a book called “Thorburn’s Birds” as a teenage kid and being mesmerized by the artwork. I was a keen birdwatcher and these vintage illustrations blew me away. They were so skilled and beautiful and I dreamed of being able to paint this way.
I’m 64 now and still love his work.
When I saw some of his paintings available for download I decided to share some of his work with a new audience. I hope they inspire you enough to want to seek out his other work.
These paintings sparked something in a young imagination and if they have the same effect on someone else, then job done.
Who Was Archibald Thorburn?
Archibald Thorburn was a Scottish artist born in 1860 who spent his life painting the natural world. His father, Robert, was a famous portrait painter for Queen Victoria and served as Archibald’s first teacher.
Robert was incredibly strict; he would actually destroy his son’s drawings if they weren’t perfect. This tough training is why Archibald became so focused on getting every tiny detail of a bird’s feathers exactly right.
By the time he was 20, Thorburn’s work was already being shown in major galleries. He eventually moved from London to the English countryside to be closer to the animals he loved.
People in his village knew him as a quiet, shy man with a white beard who would sometimes visit the local school to draw perfect birds on the chalkboard for the students.
A New Way of Painting
In the late 1800s, most wildlife art looked stiff, like the artist was painting a stuffed bird in a museum. Thorburn changed that by painting birds in motion. He showed them diving, socializing, or tucked away in the grass.
He used watercolors because he thought oil paints looked too heavy and “dead” for something as light as a feather.
His process was also unique. He refused to put electricity in his house, choosing to work only by natural sunlight so he could see the true colors of his subjects. Because he spent so much time observing nature, his paintings were so accurate that they are still used in bird-watching guidebooks today.
From Hunting to Protection
Earlier in his life, Thorburn was part of the elite social scene and often went on hunting trips with the King of England. However, his life changed one day after he wounded a hare. The sound of the animal in pain upset him so much that he decided to put his gun away forever.
He spent the rest of his career as a conservationist. He joined the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) and used his talent to help them, even drawing the very first RSPB Christmas card in 1899. He donated much of his work to the society to help them raise money to protect wildlife.
His Impact
Thorburn died in 1935, but he is still remembered for bridging the gap between art and science. He didn’t just paint pretty pictures; he provided a realistic record of British wildlife. By moving away from the stiff poses of the past and focusing on how animals actually behaved in the wild, he helped people see nature as something living that deserved to be protected.
Where I Sourced These Images
I found these images on this page: Category:British birds by Archibald Thorburn – Wikimedia Commons
There are many more if you take a look, I cherry-picked these raptors to create a coherent theme. You’ll notice that the files are downloadable.
They are Hi-Res scans but unfortunately they are too dark. The person scanning the original prints didn’t set the ‘white’ point.
I readjusted these myself. They are much more accurate images. They’re pretty good, but possibly I desaturated them too much. In hindsight, they should be a touch richer.
I’m no expert in photo-editing but if you want to download the large files for printing, this was my free process for image adjustment.
How to Edit The Image Files for Free
If you haven’t got Photoshop you can use an online alternative. It’s totally free if you don’t mind some ads on the side screen. If you do want to use the pro version, it’s just a few bucks a month.
Follow These Steps:
Open Photopea and in the top dropdown menu find:
- Image > Adjustments > Levels.
You see the histogram and three sliders Black, grey, and white beneath.
- Hold down the Alt key and keep it down
- Grab the white slider on the right.
- The image should turn black as soon you move the slider
- Drag the white slider to the left until the first dots become visible
- Click OK
Go back to the beginning
- Image > Adjustments > Levels.
- Pull the grey slider to the left Stop when the paper looks light but still textured.
- Click OK
That fixes brightness and most of the darkness.
Now fix the color wash.
- Image > Adjustments > Hue Saturation.
- Set Saturation as a minus number from 6 -15, it will vary
- Click OK when you are happy
That reduces any muddy color or excessive richness .
Optional Final Stage if the image still looks a bit dull
- Image > Adjustments > Curves
- View the grid. Click once in the middle of the line.
- Drag it up a tiny amount
- Stop when the paper looks lighter and fresher
- Click OK
Use your eye to gauge each step. There is no right or wrong. Adjust to suit.
When you are happy, save it for printing.
Do this exactly.
- Image > Image Size.
- Turn OFF Resample.
- Set Resolution to 300 pixels per inch.
- Click OK.
Now export.
- File, > Export As > PNG (or TIFF)
Do not use JPG for print. - Leave Quality at 100 percent
- Click Save.
Your file should save to the printers sRGB color profile by default. To check do this:
- Go to Edit > Convert to Profile.
- Choose sRGB
- Click OK.
This should give you good results.
When in doubt ask Chatgpt.
This last watercolor sketch is my favorite in this collection. Why? Its simplicity. I’m sure Thorburn considered this a preliminary study for a more detailed work. Today we would call it fast and loose and celebrate its fluid economy of style.
Most of us would be pleased if we ever produced such a painting. For Thorburn, this would have been a quick note. Amazing.
Vintage Bird Illustration: Final Thoughts
Archibald Thorburn was working at a time when most people still saw nature as something to be conquered or collected. By choosing to paint birds as active, living beings rather than museum specimens, he was decades ahead of his time.
His work is still not dated that much. His best work would, and should be celebrated today. You don’t have to be a bird expert to appreciate his artwork; the way he handled watercolor with such confidence and mastery makes his work stand on its own.
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Hi, I’m Kevin Hayler
I’ve been selling my wildlife art and traveling the world for over 20 years, and if that sounds too good to be true, I’ve done it all without social media, art school, or galleries!
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