What do you do when you have the urge to draw a majestic bird? A Cardinal bird, nonetheless! Stop right there! You know how amazing you can make that beautiful bird look on paper. You don’t need to be a professional artist to learn how to draw a cardinal bird. All you need are some patience and a couple of simple drawing steps.
First things first – let’s get the right supplies! Grab yourself a piece of paper, a pencil, and either a sharpie or colored pencils. For the paper, the thicker the better since the paper is less likely to fold. Don’t worry if your supplies aren’t the ‘perfect’ drawing type – any drawing medium you have will work.
Once you have the supplies, you can start sketching your cardinal bird! Drawing birds does take some practice, so don’t feel discouraged if your first few attempts don’t go as planned. Here’s something to remember – simplicity is key. Focus on getting the basic shape of the bird’s body and leave the feathers for last. Start by sketching a small circle for the head and two larger circles for the body. Once the basic shape is complete, connect the two larger circles with a line.
It is time to give your bird some feathers, wings and a tail. For the wings and tail, begin by sketching a series of curved lines that all lead to an end. The lines should be slightly curved and wavy so they create a feather-like texture. Shade in the feathers with your pencil or sharpie one by one. The more detailed the feathers, the more realistic your bird will look. Once you have finished the wings and tail, it’s time to give your bird some eyes.
For the eyes of your cardinal bird, start with two small circles. These should be placed at the top of the head. Then, draw an upside down ‘V’ or two tiny lines near the circles. The upside down ‘V’ or two tiny lines represent the volume of the eyes. Finally, proceed to carefully add two small circles to complete the eyes of your bird.
Now your cardinal bird should look something like this – a beautiful red bird with an orange beak and two eyes watching the world. You’re almost there! With the drawing of the body, wings and eyes complete, you can move on to the details.
You can add details as basic or intricate as you please. Consider adding some lightly drawn curved lines on the head and wings to give your cardinal bird a more realistic look. Add a bit of color and texture to the bird’s body with your colored pencils. Draw a little line at the center of the beak to represent the nostrils. Also, consider adding in some intricate patterns on the wings to make the bird stand out.
You did it! You now have a gorgeous finished cardinal bird drawing. Having a ‘basic’ sketch in place is essential in order to achieve a bird drawing that looks realistic and beautiful. You can also try to experiment with different techniques and draw different bird species. The possibilities are endless!
