How to draw a cardinal?

Cardinals are striking red songbirds that stand out against snowy backdrops in the winter. Their bright color makes them popular drawing subjects. While cardinals may seem challenging to draw at first, you can capture their vivid coloring and distinctive crest with some simple steps. In this comprehensive guide, you’ll learn proven tips and techniques for drawing cardinals that look lifelike and lively.

Supplies Needed

To draw a realistic cardinal, you’ll need the following basic art supplies:

• Drawing paper – Smooth bristol paper works best for colored pencil drawings. Heavy sketch paper is ideal for graphite pencil.
• Pencils – Colored pencils in shades of red, orange, yellow, brown, and black for the cardinal. Graphite drawing pencils (2B-6B) work for black and white sketches.
• Blending stump or cotton swab – Useful for smoothing and blending colored pencil.
• Eraser – Both a kneaded eraser and pencil eraser are handy for making corrections.
• Ruler – Helps ensure proper proportions.

Optional but helpful supplies include paintbrushes, Q-tips, blending tortillon, and a drawing board. Having the right tools makes the drawing process much easier. Don’t be intimidated, though – you can start with basic supplies and upgrade as you improve your skills.

Step 1: Make a Light Sketch

Start by lightly sketching the basic shape of the cardinal with a graphite pencil. Draw smooth, simple lines for the head, body, wings, and tail.

• Draw the head as a circle or oval shape.
• The body is an oval form tapering at the back.
• Sketch triangular shapes for the beak and tail.
• Use curved lines sweeping upward for the wings.

Keep your initial sketch minimal. You can gradually refine the details. The light lines will disappear later when adding color.

At this stage, focus on achieving the proper proportions. Use a ruler as a guide. A cardinal’s beak is about 1/3 the length of its head. The wingspan is typically a little over 1.5 times the length of the body. Sketch lightly so you can easily erase and adjust the drawing as needed.

Step 2: Add the Major Body Sections

Once you’re satisfied with the general form, start dividing in the main sections of the cardinal’s body. This helps place the details accurately.

• Draw an oval for the eye, positioned on the right side of the head.
• Add a triangular shape at the base of the beak for the cheek patch.
• Sketch the crest curving up from the forehead.
• Mark the wing joints and tail sections.
• Outline the legs and feet below the body.

Remember to keep your pencil strokes light. You’ll finalize the drawing as you apply color. Placing the major divisions now ensures proper positioning of the final details.

Step 3: Draw the Details

At this stage, you can start penciling in the finer details of the cardinal’s plumage. Use sharp, thin lines to capture the texture of the feathers.

• Draw a series of small overlapping curved lines along the edges of the wings and tail for the feathers.
• Add similar curved lines over the body and crest for a feathery look.
• Sketch the leg scales with short angled lines or dashes.
• Draw a series of arcs inside the eye for the iris.
• Add some shorter lines at the base of the beak to define the nostrils.

Varying your pencil strokes creates a more lifelike, organic look with visual texture. Keep the feather detail minimal for now – you’ll refine it further when applying color.

Step 4: Start Adding Color

Once your graphite sketch is complete, you can start bringing the cardinal drawing to life with color. Begin with lighter coats of colored pencil. Layer and blend for richer, more vibrant hues.

• Fill the eye with yellow, the iris with gray. Leave a tiny catchlight dot white.
• Color the beak orange-yellow, the cheeks grayish-white.
• Apply light red to the head, wings, back, and tail.
• Use lighter peach shades on the breast and underside.
• Add gray-brown for the feet and legs.

Alternate between lighter and heavier coats to achieve depth. Use curve strokes and vary the direction to emulate the look of feathers. Blend with cotton swabs or a blending stump for smooth transitions between shades.

Step 5: Refine the Details and Darken the Colors

Reinforce the finer details as you continue building up the coloring. Intensify the darker shades to increase the sense of form and contrast.

• Define individual feathers along the edges with alternating bands of light and dark red.
• Darken the iris, nostrils, and outline of the beak.
• Sharpen the look of the leg scales with contrasting light and dark grays.
• Accent the crest feathers with touches of lighter red and orange.
• Add some darker red shading under the wings and tail.

Work across the whole drawing to prevent any area from becoming too dark too soon. Building up the tones gradually allows for more control and realism.

Step 6: Add Finishing Details and Highlights

Complete your cardinal drawing by refining small details and lighting effects. Strategic highlights bring out the final forms and really make the piece pop.

• Lightly blend the edges between sections to soften transitions.
• Add a few clean white lines on the breast for feather highlights.
• Apply gloss effects to the eye, beak, and feet with very light gray or white.
• Lift out color with a kneaded eraser to create feathers highlights as desired.
• Sharpen and refine the edges of the wing and tail feathers.

Work slowly when applying highlights. You can always lighten up areas more, but overdoing highlights can’t be reversed. Take a step back periodically to judge the overall balance.

Tips for Drawing Realistic Cardinals

Use these handy tips and techniques to take your cardinal drawing skills to the next level:

• Study photos of cardinals closely to note colors, shadings, and important anatomical details.
• Start with a simple outline sketch and build up details slowly in layers.
• Vary your pencil strokes to capture the texture and direction of feathers.
• Use shading and color changes to convey form and contours.
• Blend colored pencil layers with cotton swabs or tortillons for smooth transitions.
• Apply darker values gradually to create depth and a greater value range.
• Leave small areas white for highlights to bring out the cardinal’s form.
• Look at your drawing in a mirror to check for accuracy and proportional issues.

Patience and taking the time to develop the drawing in stages leads to the most realistic, dynamic results.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Beginners often make some predictable errors when drawing cardinals. Being aware of these common pitfalls will help you avoid them:

• Inaccurate proportions – Use a ruler and sketch lightly to get the sizes right from the start.
• Forgetting to leave white highlights – Don’t color the entire area to maintain form.
• Applying colors too darkly too soon – Slowly build up the values for control.
• Skipping the sketching stage – Take the time to nail down the structure first.
• Messy coloring outside the lines – Take your time to color carefully within the outlines.
• Overblending colors – Blend gently to avoid losing vibrancy and detail.
• No variation in feather textures – Vary pencil strokes to capture the feathery look.

Drawing cardinals takes patience, but you’ll improve quickly if you stick to the steps and use proven techniques. Avoid rushing through sections – every stage of the process is important.

Drawing a Cardinal in Flight

Once you’ve mastered drawing a perched cardinal, try portraying one in flight for a more dramatic, active scene. Here are some tips for successfully drawing cardinals in flight:

• Sketch the basic shape as two ovals for the body and head.
• Position the wings extended outwards and upwards in a power stroke.
• Aim for around a 135 degree angle between the head/body and tail sections.
• Add motion lines behind the wings to convey movement.
• Let the feet and legs hang downwards and trail slightly behind.
• Apply heavier shading on the underside of the bird to show depth.
• Draw blurred or lost detail on the farther wing to create foreshortening.

Studying reference photos of birds in flight is extremely helpful. Pay attention to the posture, angles, and perspective. With practice, you’ll be able to bring your cardinal drawings to life in dramatic flying poses.

Cardinal Drawing Style Ideas

One benefit of drawing cardinals is their bold color provides ample opportunities for creative interpretation and stylization. Why not try inventing your own unique cardinal drawing style? Here are a few fun ideas to experiment with:

• Geometric Style – Use geometric shapes and angles for an abstract, faceted look.
• Psychedelic Style – Go wild with neon, high-contrast colors for a trippy effect.
• Decorative Outline Style – Ink the outline decoratively with patterns or textures.
• Stained Glass Style – Color block the shapes and add black outlines like a stained glass window.
• Winter Scene Style – Draw your cardinal in a snowy landscape for dramatic contrast.
• Folk Art Style – Use simple, hand-drawn lines and flat, traditional colors.

The cardinal’s universally familiar form makes it ideal for stylization. Let your creativity run wild! Developing your own distinctive style is very rewarding.

Putting Cardinals in a Scene

Drawing your cardinal as part of a scene or background is an engaging challenge. The setting should complement the cardinal’s coloring and composition. Here are effective scene ideas to try:

• Snowy pine tree branch – Contrast the vivid red against white snow.
• Suet feeder – Draw the bird feeding for natural context.
• Holly bush – The red berries echo the cardinal’s color.
• nesting in a maple tree – Add springtime greens to freshen the red.
• Fruiting dogwood tree – The red flowers and berries match nicely.
• Backyard fence – A rustic rural setting suits a cardinal.

Any scene with red accents like berries or flowers makes an ideal backdrop. Use basic perspective principles to realistically place the cardinal within the setting. Reference photos are extremely helpful when tackling busy backgrounds. Don’t rush – take your time to develop the layers of the scene fully around the cardinal.

Male vs. Female Cardinals

When drawing cardinals, it’s important to note the differences between males and females. Here are the main distinguishing features:

Female cardinals are essentially more muted versions of the brighter red males. Use references of both sexes to accurately capture the subtle differences in your drawings.

Conclusion

Drawing lively, realistic cardinals is very achievable with the right approach. By first constructing an accurate outline sketch, then patiently developing the vivid coloring and textured feather details, you can create stunning cardinal artwork. Reference quality photos closely, utilize the layered drawing process, and incorporate smart shading techniques for rich, professional results. Unleash your inner artist and let the vibrant beauty of cardinals take flight in your drawings!