Birds are a very complex topic for an artist. They have wings (a real nightmare for beginners), all these feathers and they differ a lot among various species. In this tutorial my goal is to convince you that birds arent that hard to draw if only you get to know them better. If youre interested, keep on reading!
Using Photographs to help you Understand Birds
I use high-resolution photographs to help me study bird plumage. The following websites’ photographers have granted me and my students (including you) permission to use their images as drawing references. If you publish a drawing that heavily references one of these photos, please give credit to the photographer. I express my gratitude to these photographers for their exceptional bird photography and their kind support of us and our endeavors.
Drawing Birds downloadable PDF worksheet
This is my methodical approach to creating the bird shape in blocks. The least amount of pressure is applied to these steps using a graphite pencil or a col-erase Non-photo blue pencil (see equipment list). Use this page to assist your class in learning how to draw birds, teachers. Get the printable, high-resolution version of this drawing tutorial here: How to draw birds. After the basic shape is blocked in, you can proceed to add details on top of it. This is the enjoyable part, but don’t skip the preparatory steps and start drawing the eye and beak right away. Details without structure will get you nowhere.
2. How to Draw Bird Feet
Birds have different feet depending on their lifestyle. Knowing the occupation of a particular bird will help you draw its feet accurately and without the need for references!
Lets start with raptors:
- Raptors feet (talons) are very strong, thick, with hooked claws;
- When the talons are closing, the front middle finger and the back finger may touch one another like jaws.
Small birds, like sparrows or jays, have perching feet:
- The fingers are long and thin;
- The claws are thin and sharp;
- The feet perfectly form to embrace a branch when they close.
Water birds have usually webbed feet:
- The fingers are long, very thin and unruffled;
- The claws are short and not very sharp;
- Theres a short, additional claw in the back;
- A membrane connects all the fingers on their bottom.
Running birds have feet designed for running, such as emus and ostriches:
- The fingers are thick and very strong;
- The claws are more like nails, short, rounded and thick;
- When drawing an ostrich, remove one finger.
Chicken and turkeys have scratching feet:
- The fingers are strong and thick, spaced apart to provide greater support;
- The claws are sharp, thick and hard.
Woodpeckers have feet made for climbing:
- Front and back fingers are symmetrical;
- The fingers are very long and thin;
- The claws are strong, sharp and hooked.
Birds, like real dinosaur descendants, have scaly feet. Generally speaking, the scales become more pronounced on larger birds. Draw a row of large, rectangular scales on each finger, then blend those scales into the small, circular scales on the feet.
I added the feet to one of my birds in this way:
FAQ
How do you draw a bird structure?
How do you field sketch a bird?
How do you draw a rough bird?