Learn how to draw a great looking Blue Jay with easy, step-by-step drawing instructions, and video tutorial.
By following the simple steps, you too can easily draw a perfect Blue Jay.
Jump to the step-by-step instructions.
Blue jays are backyard birds that are common across North America. They eat nuts, seeds, fruits, and insects. The blue jay's scientific name means "crested blue chatterer."
Blue jays are one of about 40 species of jays, so named due to their bold, raucous, and garrulous manner.
Most jays live in North or South America, but a few can be found in Europe or Asia. Jays are large and noisy, often chasing other birds from the birdfeeder.
Blue jays have long been a part of popular culture. The animal is credited in some legends as helping create land by bringing bits of dirt.
African American folklore has sometimes painted the blue jay as a collector of kindling at work for the devil, helping to stoke the fires of the underworld.
Scroll down for a downloadable PDF of this tutorial.
Blue jays are often sports team mascots, including American and Canadian baseball teams. Ace is the mascot of the Toronto Blue Jays.
Would you like to draw a noble blue jay? This easy, step-by-step animal drawing tutorial can show you how.
All you will need is a pencil, an eraser, and a sheet of paper.
If you liked this tutorial, see also the following drawing guides: Eastern Bluebird, Robin, and Hummingbird.
Step-by-Step Instructions for Drawing a Blue Jay
How to Draw a Great Looking Blue Jay for Kids, Beginners, and Adults - Step 1
1. Begin by drawing a circle. This will help you to form the bird's head.
Easy Blue Jay Drawing - Step 2
2. Extend curved lines downward from each side of the circle. This forms the bird's neck.
Easy Blue Jay Drawing - Step 3
3. Use a series of curved lines to sketch the triangular beak, overlapping the original circle. Draw a line down the center of the beak to distinguish the upper and lower portions.
Easy Blue Jay Drawing - Step 4
4. From the top of the head, draw a curved line. Connect it to the back of the head using a series of short, overlapping curved lines. This forms the feathered crest.
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Easy Blue Jay Drawing - Step 5
5. Use a series of curved lines to sketch the wing just below the neck. Note how the lines converge at a soft point at the tip.
Easy Blue Jay Drawing - Step 6
6. Erase the guide lines left by the original circle.
Easy Blue Jay Drawing - Step 7
7. Extend a pair of long, curved lines from beneath the wing, and double them back upon themselves. Allow the doubled-back portions to meet in the middle, forming the tail. then, sketch the belly. Notice the two protuberances near the tail. These are the upper portions of the legs. Texture each leg with short lines.
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Add More Details to Your Blue Jay Picture - Step 8
8. Detail your blue jay with its characteristic plumage. For the eye, draw three successively smaller circles, one within the other. Then, using short lines that meet jaggedly, enclose patches behind and in front of the eye, and lines across the neck. Draw a set of scalloped lines across the wing and a pair of curved lines below it. Loop a curved line through the tail, and texture the belly with a series of short, connected lines.
Complete the Outline of Your Blue Jay Drawing - Step 9
9. Band the tail with curved lines. Use additional curved lines to outline the feet and tree branch.
Color Your Blue Jay Drawing
Color your blue jay. Their backs are bright blue and their bellies are white. They have white and black markings on the wings and face.
Ready to do some bird watching? You'll find that birds of a feather flock together among our animal drawing guides.
For more great Drawing Ideas tutorials, see the 100 Drawing Ideas Art Projects for Kids post.
Blue Jay Drawing Tutorial - Easy & Fun Printable Pages
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