How to Draw a Feather

Learn how to draw a great looking Feather with easy, step-by-step drawing instructions, and video tutorial.

By following the simple steps, you too can easily draw a perfect Feather.

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Step-by-Step Instructions for Drawing a Feather

How to Draw a Great Looking Feather for Kids and Beginners - Step 1

How to Draw a Feather Step 01

1. Begin by drawing a long, slightly curved diagonal line. This line will form the shaft, or central "trunk" portion of the feather.

Easy Feather Drawing - Step 2

How to Draw a Feather Step 02

2. Draw a second, slightly curved line alongside the first. Allow the two lines to meet in a point at the top.

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Easy Feather Drawing - Step 3

How to Draw a Feather Step 03

3. Enclose the bottom of the shaft, the area called the quill, using a series of short, curved lines.

Easy Feather Drawing - Step 4

How to Draw a Feather Step 04

4. Extend a short, straight line from the tip of the feather. From this uppermost point, draw two curved lines angled back toward the feather.

Easy Feather Drawing - Step 5

How to Draw a Feather Step 05

5. Enclose the shape of the feather. From the lines drawn in the previous step, extend long, curved lines parallel to the feather's shaft. Connect these lines to the quill, the base of the feather, using short, curved lines.

Easy Feather Drawing - Step 6

How to Draw a Feather Step 06

6. Add detail to your feather. Extend pairs of curved lines from the outline of the feather toward the shaft. Before reaching the shaft, allow the lines to meet in sharp points, enclosing narrow triangles.

Easy Feather Drawing - Step 7

How to Draw a Feather Step 07

7. Erase guide lines from the feather. The triangles drawn in the previous step now appear as indentations between the vane, or branches, of the feather.

Add More Details to Your Feather Picture - Step 8

How to Draw a Feather Step 08

8. Draw short, curved lines near the base of the feather and from the center of some of the indentations. The vane of a feather typically sticks together due to friction between the barbs and barbules - smaller branches - but these lines indicate fibers that are not sticking together.

Complete the Outline of Your Feather Drawing - Step 9

How to Draw a Feather Step 09

9. Add further detail of vane to your feather by drawing curved, wavy lines between the shaft and the edges of the feather.

Color Your Feather Drawing

How to Draw a Feather Step 10

10. Color your feather. In our example, the feather is striped in bands of brown, but birds - and therefore their feathers - come in all the colors of the rainbow. Raven feathers, for example, are black, and flamingo feathers are pink. Goldfinches have bright yellow feathers, and parrot feathers may be red, blue, green, or orange. What type of bird did your feather come from? The choice is yours.

For more great Bird drawing tutorials, see the 41 Easy Bird Art Projects for Kids post.

Easy, step by step Feather drawing tutorial
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Learn More About The Feather Drawing

"Birds of a feather flock together." - Maxim dating to the sixteenth century.

Birds are the only extant creatures that grow feathers rather than scales or fur (it is thought that some dinosaurs or other ancient creatures may have borne feathers as well).

Feathers serve a wide range of purposes for the animals that wear them. Tough flight feathers enable most bird species to fly - some, such as the wandering albatross, may stay aloft for a year or more without landing!

Soft down feathers keep many birds warm in frigid temperatures. The feathers of water birds, such as ducks or penguins (learn to draw a duck or penguin), even keep out moisture so that the bird's skin remains dry.

People in cultures around the world have long used feathers for greatly divergent purposes.

Pillows, bedding, and clothing were stuffed with feathers for added warmth. Feathers attached to the end of an arrow helped it to reach its target, and quill pens were feathers dipped in ink and used as writing or drawing implements.

Scroll down for a downloadable PDF of this tutorial.

To the Native Americans, eagle feathers are, to this day, sacred religious objects used in ceremonial headdresses and ritual objects. Rooster feathers are still used to decorate men's and women's hats, jewelry, and hair accessories.

Would you like to draw your very own feather? All you will need is a pencil, a sheet of paper, and this handy, simple, step-by-step drawing tutorial.

Notice that in each step, new lines are highlighted in blue, and explanatory text accompanies each illustration. If you wish to color your finished drawing, you may use crayons, colored pencils, markers, or paints.

If you liked this drawing tutorial, see also the following guides: Clouds drawing, Star drawing, and Heart drawing.

Feather Drawing Tutorial - Easy & Fun Printable Pages

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