Drawing birds can seem daunting at first, but with practice and by following some key tips, you can greatly improve your bird drawing abilities. In this comprehensive guide, we will cover everything you need to know to start drawing realistic, beautiful birds.
Learn Bird Anatomy and Proportions
Before you can draw a convincing bird, you need to understand the anatomy and proportions that make up their form. Here are some key things to study:
- The bird’s body is made up of the head, torso, two wings, tail feathers, and two legs/feet.
- Birds have smooth, round heads that are proportionally quite large compared to their body size.
- The wings will extend to around the middle of the bird’s torso or slightly past it.
- Legs are generally thin and spindly.
- Tail feathers vary widely in length and shape depending on the species.
Take time to study reference photos of birds and sketch their proportions. Pay attention to how the different parts relate to each other in size. Having these relationships accurately represented will lend a sense of realism to your drawings.
Outline the Basic Shape
Start your drawing by lightly sketching the basic body outline of the bird. Focus on capturing the overall proportion and gesture rather than details at this stage. The body can be broken down into simple shapes like ovals, tapering cylinders and triangles:
- Draw a large oval shape for the head and chest/torso.
- Add a tapered cylinder for the abdomen that connects to the chest oval.
- Sketch two small ovals tilted at angles for the feet.
- Draw triangle shapes for the beak and tail.
- Extend curved lines from the torso to represent the wings.
Check your proportions – does the drawing seem to capture the essence of the bird so far? If not, erase and rework the outline before moving on.
Build Up the Body
Once you have the basic outline, you can start adding more definition to the body:
- Draw an oval within the head to indicate the eye placement.
- Add angular S-shaped lines for the neck and feet.
- Build out the chest to show fluffed-up feathers.
- Refine the wings with layers of feather detail.
- Carve out the beak shape from the head oval.
- Draw a tapered pointed shape for the tail.
Develop the forms gradually, working over your initial sketch. Use curved, overlapping lines to create a sense of feathers and mass.
Add Details
Now you can start finalizing details like the eyes, beak, feet and feathers. These elements will bring your drawing to life:
- Draw an almond or teardrop shape for the eye, add an oval pupil and eyelids.
- Refine the beak shape and add shading to show form.
- Draw thin, spindly toes and curved talons on the feet.
- Use quick, tapered strokes to create the look of feathers across the body and wings.
- Add smaller feathers flowing from the head, chest and other areas.
- Scratch textured lines for a life-like feathered appearance.
Take care with the small details – things like expressive eyes, ruffled feathers and grasping feet can really enhance the personality of your bird drawing.
Add Color or Shading (Optional)
For an extra dimension, carefully add shading or color. Some tips:
- Use a gray pencil or colored pencil to lightly shade the body, head and feet. Darken areas like the eye pupil, behind the wing and under the tail.
- With watercolor paints, opt for a light wash over the body and a bolder color on the head and wings.
- Try a sepia or dark gray marker for quick shading and definition.
- Colored pencils allow you to lightly layer colors for a painterly effect.
Aim for smooth blends rather than harsh lines for the most natural look. Let the shading complement your existing pencil work.
Practice from Photos
Nothing will help you improve at drawing birds faster than practicing from good reference photos. Look for shots with good lighting, definition and posture. Some tips:
- Quick sketches – Do fast, loose studies focusing just on pose and proportions.
- Detailed studies – Spend more time accurately rendering one photo over a few sessions.
- Field sketches – Draw birds outdoors from life during visits to the park or beach.
- Memory sketches – Draw a bird from memory after viewing a photo then check against the reference.
- Motion sketches – Try drawing birds in flight or other active poses.
Aim to practice for at least 20-30 minutes per day. Over time you will gain skills and memory for detailing features, movement and forms.
Learn from Other Artists
Looking at artwork by talented bird artists can provide inspiration and valuable lessons for your own drawings. Some things to analyze:
- Style – The artist’s choice of detail, realism or expression.
- Technique – Their use of media like pencil, paints, ink etc.
- Composition – How they frame and crop the bird.
- Pose – Interesting angles and postures they depict.
- Details – Fine points like textured feathers or lifelike eyes.
As you immerse yourself in quality bird art, your mind will better understand the elements that make birds captivating subjects. Let the work motivate and inform your own drawings.
Vary Your Drawing Approach
Trying new techniques, media and styles will expand your skills. Move beyond your comfort zone:
- Pen and ink – Use liquid ink and dip pens to create striking dark feather textures.
- Watercolors – Let vibrant pigments flow freely for artistic, painterly birds.
- Black and white – Focus on form, shading and negative space with charcoal or pencil.
- Sculpture – Sculpt a small bird out of clay to better understand form.
- Exaggeration – Emphasize features like the beak, feet or tail feathers for impact.
- Action poses – Draw birds in motion like flying, landing or taking off.
You will learn a great deal about shape, texture, perspective and composition through exploring birds in new ways. Let this knowledge strengthen your fundamental skills.
Trace and Copy to Practice
Tracing and copying other artists’ bird drawings can help boost your skills when starting out. Some tips:
- Use light tracing paper to trace over outlines of drawings. Analyze the lines.
- Freehand copy basic sketches focusing just on major shapes.
- Once copied, compare your drawings side-by-side with the original and look for differences.
- Practice individual elements like feet, beaks, wings etc. by copying.
- Gradually reduce tracing and rely more on observation skills.
Copying should only be used as a learning tool. Don’t present others’ work as your own. Think of it as visual note taking to understand technique.
Keep a Sketchbook
Keeping a sketchbook dedicated to drawing birds is a great way to improve. Use it to:
- Record bird anatomy studies, gestures, and proportional relationships.
- Plan compositions and test ideas before doing finished pieces.
- Practice drawing challenging features like eyes, beaks, feet etc.
- Do quick sketches when you travel or are out birdwatching.
- Experiment with new media like colored pencils or markers.
- Study the work of other artists that inspire you.
Let your sketchbook become a creative place to freely grow your skills without pressure. Reviewing it later can show your progress.
Ask for Feedback
It’s hard to identify your own weaknesses. Asking others for feedback can provide valuable perspective on areas to improve. Some tips:
- Join a bird drawing online group or class to share work and critique.
- Post drawings on social media and ask what people notice or like.
- Do exchanges with artistic friends offering feedback on each other’s art.
- Ask specific questions like “How is the proportion?” or “Do the feathers look realistic?”
- Focus on improving one thing at a time based on feedback.
Learn to give and receive critique gracefully – it will accelerate your artistic growth. Apply the knowledge to make tangible progress.
Conclusion
Becoming an accomplished bird artist requires patience and practice, but the payoff is drawings with life, energy and beauty. Use these tips to build your skills step-by-step. Immerse yourself in observing birds and bringing them to the page. Let each session teach you more about conveying nature’s grace through art.
