Bird Sketching Guide

Step 1: Skull and Spine

First, draw the skull and spine. These are what everything else will be anchored to. Draw a simple shape for the head that suits the bird (circle, oval, rectangle, teardrop, etc.), then follow the bird's neck for the first part of the spin, and finally the bird's back for the second part of the spine. No details - feathers are not part of the head shape!

Ex: I draw a circle for this Downy Woodpecker's head shape, which we can see looks very round in the photo. I draw the curve of the back of his neck. From there, I draw the line for his back, which has a slight curve or angle to it. Remember -- No feathers yet!

Step 2: Beak & Underside

Next, draw the beak shape and throat. Pay attention to the top and bottom parts of the bill - they may differ. You only need one line for each half.

Ex: I draw the woodpecker's beak shape using two straight lines. His throat, just below the beak, is angled down and toward him. Then I draw the start of his chest, which angles slightly inward, but is more curved toward the bottom. You can see I drew the upper chest and lower chest with two different lines to make sure I got the angles right.

Step 3: Eye Placement

Place the eye using its distance from the beak and top of the head as guide points. Match the shape of the eye as you see it on the bird.

Ex: I place his eye. It's very round, about halfway up his head, and very close to his beak.

Step 4: Feathers and Wing Placement

Add feathers that come off the body, as well as the general shape of the wing feathers. At this point, you have outlined the body of the bird and can use it as a guide for where to place the wing. Remember - keep things simple.

Ex: I draw the feathers coming off the body, such as the crest, upper beak, and lower beak/throat. I place the "shoulder" of the wing using the angles of his chest as a guide: It is above the angle of his belly, and just under the bottom of his neck. Then, I draw where the tail feathers end. I do not worry about the feet.

Step 5: Finish the Rough Sketch

Clean up any guidelines you created for the skull that are no longer needed. Then, add any finishing basic lines, such as for the bill. At this point, you should have a rough sketch of the bird you can then go in and detail.

Ex: Now, I erase the "skull shape" anywhere that is overlapped by feathers such as just below the crest, as well as between the eye and beak. I draw a simple line for where his beak opens. 

Step 6: Details

Details are the most time consuming part of the process. Use the rough sketch you have created to accurately place the plumage patterns and other details on the bird and bring it to life. Don't be discouraged if this seems hard - it takes practice!

Ex: Thanks to my accurate map of where the skull and spine are, I am able to easily place his unique pattern on his body using the relation of each pattern to the structure of his body.

Key Trait Placement Examples

1. Skull, upper back, lower back

2. Bill, throat, chest, belly, underbelly

3. Eye placement

4. Wing placement