How To

Draw Birds
A brief guide
by Michael Terry
Michael Terry
Copyright 2011 All Rights Reserved

Welcome to www.performingpencil.com
the site dedicated to drawing.
How to draw birds.
Birds are very rewarding to draw, there is such variety in shape and
sie !ro" the tiny wren to a "agni!icent golden eagle# Can you thin$
o! any other group o! creatures that has such contrast, on the one
hand you have the s"all plain and hu"%le dunnoc$ and on the
other a strutting glorious peacoc$& There is so "uch to draw here
so "uch to o%serve and capture#
'or the "ost part %eing a%le to draw so"ething is down to care!ul
o%servation, ta$e ti"e to study what you wish to draw# (oo$ at it)s
proportions, how %ig is one part to another, !ind a part o! it that you
can co"pare to the rest # Also loo$ !or how things relate, visualie a
horiontal line running !ro" lets say the %ea$ that you are drawing
across to the %ac$ o! the head, does it line up li$e this on the %ird
you are drawing* +r a vertical line running up !ro" where you are
drawing in the legs to the %ac$, do they need to %e "oved either to
the le!t or right or are they ,ust !ine*
But %e!ore you start !irst chose a soft drawing pencil like a 4B or
8B and get a soft putty eraser rather than a conventional eraser
and a good -uality drawing pad, these will help in achieving the
results you are a!ter#
'or drawing %irds sit at your window and do -uic$ s$etches o! %irds
on your %ird ta%le, this is a good way to get to $now di!!erent %irds
postures and %ehaviour# +r go to a par$ with a la$e or pond and
draw the water !owl and pigeons who can %e o%liging#
.hat / a" going to show you now is how to start and wor$ through
to a !inished drawing#
So lets get started.
0tart %y getting the overall shape o! the %ody, head and tail, the
head %eing the s"allest can %e used as a "easure !or the rest#
1ere / would li$e to "ention a very use!ul tool !or getting
proportions right, its called the 'roportion !easure' and is
included within the !ull eBoo$#
To continue "a$e sure you s$etch lightly as you will want to re"ove
any unwanted lines later#
2e3t s$etch in the wings then the %ea$ and legs4!eet, once you are
satis!ied that all these are in proportion you can start de!ining the
%ird)s shape#
2e3t you can start on the detail %ut %e!ore you do so you can erase
any unwanted lines, other wise it will %e di!!icult once all the details
are in place#
2ow you can render in so"e shading, this will give it a "ore three
di"ensional appearance#
"ow # want to show you the different
stages of producing a drawing.
'irst here is an overview o! the process#
$his first e%ample is of a robin.
Stage &ne
The !irst stage is to get the overall %ody shape, once you are happy
with this then you can "ove to the ne3t#
Stage $wo
/ have now added the %asic shape o! the tail#
Stage $hree
2ow / have added the head and the wing, the with o! the head is
the sa"e as the length o! the tail#
Measuring one shape against another will help you get shapes the
right sie#
Stage 'our
1ere / have added the %ea$, !eather areas on the wing and a
%ranch#
Stage 'i(e
/ have added the eye, legs and "ore detail to the drawing, this is
the re!ining stage#
Stage Si%
This is "y !inal stage, / have lightly ru%%ed out the pencil lines so
that / can put in the detail li$e the !eathers on the wing#
/ have also added shading to give the %ird !or"#
$he second e%ample is an egret to
reinforce the principles.
Stage &ne
1ere li$e the !irst e3a"ple / have drawn the %asic %ody shape#
Stage $wo
2ow / have added the head, nec$ and lower %ody shapes# 1ere you
can now use the head as a "easure, in this instance the length o!
the head goes one and a hal! ti"es into the length o! the top %ody
shape#
Stage $hree
2e3t / have added shape to the head#
Stage 'our
(egs have now %een added and so"e ripples to indicate the water
it)s standing in#
Stage 'i(e
1ere / have now %egan to add shape to the %asic shapes, the eye
and head !eathers have also %een added#
5ery close to !inishing the drawing#
Stage Si%
1ere is the !inal drawing, / have added "ore detail li$e the !eathers
near the tail and detail on the %ody also shading to help show !or"#
+ne thing to re"e"%er, this is ,ust a s$etch not a !inished piece that
is going into the Royal Acade"y 0u""er 63hi%ition& 7ust rela3 it
doesn)t "ater i! you "a$e "ista$es, ,ust learn !ro" the" and en,oy
your sel!&
8on)t !orget ,ust rela3 and en,oy drawing, its a %ig adventure with a
great ending#
'urther Help.
/ hope you have en,oyed this eBoo$ sa"ple and have !ound it
help!ul in developing your drawing s$ills, i! so then why not get hold
o! the co"plete %oo$ which is !ull o! help!ul advise on drawing#
.hat / have given you in this sa"ple is only a %asic guide, there is
a lot "ore in the !ull eBoo$ which will help you to produce a drawing
you will %e happy with# Below are the su%,ects covered within the
%oo$#
As / said at the %eginning / have also included an invalua%le tool
that will go a long way in helping you to achieve the results you are
loo$ing !or in your drawings# / have called this tool the 'roportion
!easure' and / thin$ you will !ind this indispensa%le#
The eBoo$ 'How to )raw Birds' has a great deal "ore within it to
help you to develop your drawing s$ills#
The su%,ects covered are9
'amiliari*ing yourself with the sub+ect.
How much to draw.
How to hold and use a pencil or pastel.
!easuring proportions.
)rawing through the sub+ect.
"egati(e space.
Shading to show form and depth.
erspecti(e.
Step by step guide on how to draw a Bu**ards head
1ere / will go through the stages o! a drawing which will !urther help
you to understand the process#
(astly / cover the su%,ect o! how to render !eathers#
And also the invalua%le 'roportion !easure' tool#
:o to www.performingpencil.com to o%tain this or one o! the
other eBoo$s availa%le#
Below are some more photos for you to draw from.
Black tailed Godwit
Blue Tit
Coot
Widmonths
/! you want to go even !urther in your develop"ent there are
courses availa%le at Wildmonths.com These provide pro,ects !or
you to wor$ on and also i! you wish personal !eed%ac$ and help
with your wor$#
There is also a !oru" and gallery to show your wor$ on#
0o go and have a loo$ at Wildmonths.com, apart !ro" the courses
availa%le there is a wealth o! in!or"ation on wildli!e together with
"y wildli!e diary which include "any o! "y photos ta$en in the !ield#
A deeper understanding o! wildli!e can only help in your drawing#
www.wildmonths.com
Helping your understanding of the natural world
Linnet