Chapter 1 | BIRDS

In this chapter I would like to teach you how to draw bird wings. I have simplified the construction of the wings somewhat.

Exercise 1:

Step 1: Start with the body and tail of the bird and then draw the shape of the wings on both sides. It is important that you draw the wavy lines of the wings well. Make sure that the wings are equally wide (symmetry). Both wings are divided into two parts by a line. The upper part contains the bones, muscles and the coverts, the lower part will soon contain the quills. Draw this setup lightly so that you can easily correct mistakes.

Step 2: very lightly draw the direction of the ‘pens’, further and further outwards.

If you like, try step 2 with one of these two birds, each having their own shape of wings.

Step 3: draw the covert feathers in the upper part of the wings. Start at the top with the smallest coverts as tiny arcs. Each next layer comes halfway from underneath. Further down they get bigger and bigger until you finally reach the wing feathers. Now give the feathers their typical feather shape too.

In birds, the small coverts are often so close together and so small that you can hardly or not at all distinguish them separately and therefore not draw them. You then leave the upper part of the wings open or you give it a tint/colour/fine structure (for example dots).

The same bird, now with the top part left open and a tint/fine texture for the body

Of course, each type of bird has its own type of wings, sometimes broad as in vultures, sometimes narrow as in certain types of seagulls.

Tip: for drawing wings at an angle it is useful to first draw a cross with two assisting lines. The first setup in the image is drawn very lightly so that everything can still be changed.

Slanted position: setup with two assisting lines

Exercise 2: Draw a bird and color it as you like. You certainly don’t have to make the feathers exactly like in my examples.

Here some beautiful examples of pupils

Wings

Chapter 1 | BIRDS

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