How to Draw Flying Birds
1
Begin by drawing the tear shaped body, the aerodynamic form lets them soar even in harsh winds. Next, draw the wingspan arcing out from the body. It helps if you try and imagine the form in 3D, let the pieces overlap.
2
Time to get some more detail. Ink in the head shape and the beak. Watch those proportions! Try to understand the flow of the wings. Remember the thickes part of the wing has the bone and muscle in it where the shoulder joins the body.
3
Birds have many types of feathers. Some are long and thick, others are so small it almost looks like fur. Try and see all those different areas and try to separate the bird into "chunks."
4
Your basic bird should be done, the proportions are good, but it still looks plain. That's Okay, because the next step is to outline it, but be sure everything is right so far or else the details will look very off in the final drawing.
5
Now zoom in! take your pen and really refine the edges. Beaks are not perfect triangles, they have little bumps and crevices. The belly has thicker, "matt-ier" feathers than the wing tips so draw how you see the lines. Use thicker outlines for dark s
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With all the details in the bird is now ready! WOO, One down! Remember too many details and it could get lost. Be picky and make your pen strokes count. Sometimes less is more and suggesting is more effective than actually showing. Good Work!
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Details are an amazing way to tell a story and a way for you to really describe the look and feel of something. Look at all the distinctions that make a hawk different from a hummingbird. Take a few minutes of every day and try and draw something dif
8
Next up we have an Owl flying towards us. I love Owls, they have such spooky faces. Same as last time. Use general shapes likes circles and ovals to make the body of the bird. Don't make only soft curves though! Birds have a lot of hard angles in the
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Jumping into details can be risky, but here it seemed okay. Be careful, I was able to make the owls face with only a few quick lines. You don't need to spend hows drawing every microscopic hair, just get the shading right.
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This is a great shot of an owl because it has such a scary pose. Like it is hunting prey. The under-wings are shrouded in shadow, so use real thick line to give the wings some depth. The top of the wings is in light so you can see the texture and fea
11
Like every bird, the Owl has a stunning amount of variation in its wings. Try and capture all those different shapes with how you move your pen.
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Almost done, using the same strategy for the wings, paint the under-tail dark. Shadow behind the body really pops the bird off the page. Take a step back from your chair. If it looks weird its because you might have over rendered!
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All done with the Owl. Nice work. Practicing different poses like these can help improve your artistic eye and will give you better control over your pencil. Try to draw from life though! Go to a park and draw lazy ducks. They won't mind and it is be
