There’s so many to choose from in fact, that we’ve rounded them all up in this collection of easy animals to draw.
Step-by-step guide to drawing an owl
Tutorial Library
- Baboon
- Badger
- Bald Eagle
- Bald Eagle (Cartoon)
- Bald Eagle Head (Cartoon)
- Bald Eagle (Flying)
- Baltimore Oriole
- Barn Owl
- Bat
- Bat (Cartoon)
- Bat (Flying Fox)
- Beagle Dog
- Bear (Cartoon)
- Bear Growling (Cartoon)
- Bear (Grizzly)
- Bear (Grizzly Head Detail)
- Bear (Growling)
- Bear (Panda)
- Bear (Panda Sitting)
- Bear (Polar)
- Beaver
- Beaver (Cartoon)
- Bee
- Beetle (Hercules)
- Beetle (Figeater)
- Beluga Whale
- Bengal Cat
- Betta Fish
- Bighorn Ram
- Bird (Blue Jay)
- Bird (Cardinal)
- Bird (Cartoon Cardinal)
- Bird (Black-Capped Chickadee)
- Bird (Chickadee Cartoon)
- Bird (Dodo)
- Bird (Emu)
- Bird (Goldfinch)
- Bird (Great Blue Heron)
- Bird (Hummingbird)
- Bird (Kiwi)
- Bird (Lovebird)
- Bird (European Robin)
- Bird (Blue Parakeet)
- Bird (Green Parakeet)
- Bird (Cartoon Parakeet)
- Bird (Sparrow)
- Bird (Swallow)
- Bird (Vulture)
- Bird (Woodpecker)
- Bison
- Black Panther
- Black Bear
- Blue (Jurassic World)
- Bluebird
- Blue Heron
- Blue Jay
- Blue Tit Bird
- Blue Whale
- Boar
- Bobcat
- Border Collie
- Boxer (Dog)
- Brachiosaurus
- Brachiosaurus (Cartoon)
- British Shorthair Cat
- Budgie / Parakeet (Blue)
- Budgie / Parakeet (Green)
- Budgie / Parakeet (Cartoon)
- Bull
- Bull (Cartoon)
- Bulldog
- Bulldog (Cartoon)
- Bulldog (Head Detail)
- Bull Terrier
- Bumblebee
- Bunny Rabbit (Baby)
- Bunny Rabbit (Cartoon)
- Butterfly (Blue Morpho)
- Butterfly (Monarch)
- Butterfly (Monarch Side View)
- Butterfly (Painted Lady)
- Butterfly (Tiger Swallowtail)
- Camel (Bactrian)
- Camel (Dromedary)
- Canada Goose
- Capybara
- Caracal
- Cardinal
- Cardinal (Cartoon)
- Carnotaurus
- Cassowary
- Cat (Bengal)
- Cat (British Shorthair)
- Cat (Calico)
- Cat (Cartoon)
- Cat (Cartoon / Black)
- Cat (Himalayan)
- Cat (Jumping)
- Cat (Maine Coon)
- Cat (Persian)
- Cat (Persian Kitten)
- Cat (Scottish Fold)
- Cat (Siamese)
- Cat in Pumpkin (Halloween Cartoon)
- Cat Skull (Halloween Cartoon)
- Cat (Loaf Position)
- Cat (Ragdoll)
- Cat (Sleeping)
- Cat (Sphynx)
- Cat (Stretching)
- Cat (Tabby)
- Cat (Tabby Kitten)
- Cat (Kitten Head Detail)
- Catfish
- Cedar Waxwing
- Centaur
- Ceratosaurus
- Chameleon
- Cheetah
- Cheetah (Cartoon)
- Cheetah (Color)
- Cheetah (Running)
- Cheetah (Sitting)
- Chickadee (Black-Capped)
- Chickadee (Cartoon)
- Chick
- Chicken (Hen)
- Chihuahua
- Chimpanzee
- Chinchilla
- Chinese Dragon
- Chipmunk
- Chipmunk (Cartoon)
- Chow Chow Dog
- Clouded Leopard
- Clownfish
- CoatiCobra (Cartoon)
- Cockatiel
- Cockatoo
- Condor (Andean)
- Corgi
- Corgi (Cartoon)
- Cougar
- Cougar (Head Detail)
- Cow
- Coyote
- Crab
- Crocodile
- Crocodile (Cartoon)
- Dachshund
- Dachshund (Cartoon)
- Damselfly
- Deer (Color)
- Deer (Cartoon)
- Deer (White-Tailed)
- Deer (Red Deer)
- Dilophosaurus
- Dimorphodon
- Dinosaur (Allosaurus)
- Dinosaur (Ankylosaurus)
- Dinosaur (Brachiosaurus
- Dinosaur (Carnotaurus)
- Dinosaur (Dilophosaurus)
- Dinosaur (Diplodocus)
- Dinosaur (Indominus rex)
- Dinosaur (Mosasaurus)
- Dinosaur (Pachycephalosaurus)
- Dinosaur (Parasaurolophus)
- Dinosaur (Pteranodon)
- Dinosaur (Spinosaurus)
- Dinosaur (Stegosaurus)
- Dinosaur (Styracosaurus)
- Dinosaur (T. rex)
- Dinosaur (T. rex Cartoon)
- Diplodocus
- Doberman Pinscher
- Dodo
- Dog Barking
- Dog (Alaskan Malamute)
- Dog (Basset Hound)
- Dog (Beagle)
- Dog (Border Collie)
- Dog (Boston Terrier)
- Dog (Boxer)
- Dog (Bulldog)
- Dog (Bulldog Head)
- Dog (Bulldog/Cartoon)
- Dog (Bull Terrier)
- Dog (Cartoon)
- Dog (Chihuahua)
- Dog (Chow Chow)
- Dog (Corgi)
- Dog (Dachshund)
- Dog (Dalmatian)
- Dog (Doberman Pinscher)
- Dog (French Bulldog)
- Dog (German Shepherd)
- Dog (German Shepherd Head Detail)
- Dog (German Shepherd Puppy)
- Dog (German Shepherd Cartoon)
- Dog (Golden Retriever)
- Dog (Great Dane)
- Dog (Greyhound)
- Dog (Husky)
- Dog (Husky Puppy)
- Dog (Husky Cartoon)
- Dog (Jack Russell Terrier)
- Dog (Labrador Retriever)
- Dog (Labrador Retriever Head Detail)
- Dog (Labrador Puppy)
- Dog (Pit Bull)
- Dog (Pomeranian)
- Dog (Poodle)
- Dog (Pug)
- Dog (Pug Head Detail)
- Dog (Rottweiler)
- Dog (Rottweiler Head Detail)
- Dog (Rough Collie)
- Dog (Samoyed)
- Dog (Schnauzer)
- Dog (Scottish Terrier)
- Dog (Shih Tzu)
- Dog (St. Bernard)
- Dog (Puppy Vampire Halloween)
- Dog (Westie)
- Dog (Yorkshire Terrier)
- Dolphin
- Dolphin (Cartoon)
- Donkey
- Dove
- Dragon
- Dragon (Cartoon)
- Dragon (Chibi)
- Dragon (Chinese Dragon)
- Dragon (Flying)
- Dragon Flying (Color)
- Dragon Flying (Fire)
- Dragon (Ice Dragon)
- Dragon (Sleeping)
- Dragon (Water Dragon)
- Dragon (Wind Dragon)
- Dragonfly
- Duck
- Duck (Female Mallard)
- Duckling (Color)
- Eagle (Bald)
- Eagle (Cartoon Bald Eagle)
- Eagle (Cartoon Bald Eagle Head)
- Eagle (Golden)
- Eel (Green Moray)
- Elephant (African)
- Elephant (Asian)
- Elephant (Cartoon)
- Elephant Seal
- Elk
- Emu
- Falcon
- Faun
- Fawn (Baby Deer)
- Fennec Fox
- Ferret
- Fish (Betta)
- Fish (Clownfish)
- Fish (Guppy)
- Fish (Moorish Idol)
- Flamingo
- Fly
- Flying Fish
- Flying Squirrel
- Foal (Baby Horse)
- Fox (Arctic)
- Fox (Cartoon)
- Fox (Color)
- Fox (Fennec)
- Fox (Red)
- Fox (Sitting)
- Fox (Sleeping)
- French Bulldog
- Frilled-Neck Lizard
- Frog (American Green)
- Frog (Poison Dart)
- Frog (Red-Eyed)
- Gallimimus
- Gazelle
- Gecko (Leopard Gecko)
- Gerbil
- German Shepherd Dog
- German Shepherd (Barking)
- German Shepherd (Head Detail)
- German Shepherd Puppy
- German Shepherd Cartoon
- Gharial
- Giganotosaurus
- Giraffe
- Giraffe (Cartoon)
- Giraffe (Color)
- Goat
- Godzilla
- Golden Eagle
- Golden Retriever
- Golden Retriever (Cartoon)
- Goldfinch
- Goldfish
- Goose (Canadian)
- Gorilla
- Gorilla (Aggressive)
- Gorilla (Cartoon)
- Gorilla (Head Detail)
- Gouldian Finch
- Grasshopper
- Great Dane
- Great-Horned Owl
- Great-Horned Owl (Flying)
- Great Blue Heron
- Grey Parrot
- Greyhound Dog
- Griffin
- Grizzly Bear (Growling)
- Groundhog (Woodchuck)
- Guinea Pig
- Guppy Fish
- Gypsy Vanner Horse
- Hammerhead Shark
- Hammerhead (Cartoon)
- Hamster
- Hamster (Dwarf)
- Hamster (Standing)
- Hare
- Harp Seal (Pup)
- Harpy Eagle
- Hawk (Harris Hawk)
- Hen (Chicken)
- Hermit Crab
- Heron (Great Blue)
- Hippopotamus
- Holland Lop Bunny
- Honey Badger
- Horse (Arabian)
- Horse (Cartoon)
- Horse/Pony (Cartoon)
- Horse (Clydesdale)
- Horse (Color)
- Horse (Gypsy)
- Horse (Head Detail)
- Horse (Running)
- Horse Running (Front View)
- Horse (Jumping)
- House Finch
- Hummingbird
- Humpback Whale
- Husky
- Husky (Cartoon)
- Husky Puppy
- Hyena
- Jack Russell Terrier Dog
- Jackal
- Jackalope
- Jacob Sheep
- Jaguar
- Jaguar (Head Detail)
- Jerboa (Long-Eared)
- Kangaroo
- Kangaroo (Cartoon)
- Kangaroo (Head Detail)
- Kangaroo (Jumping)
- Killer Whale
- Killer Whale (Breaching)
- Killer Whale (Cartoon)
- King Cheetah
- Kingfisher
- Kitten
- Kitten (Head Detail)
- Kitten (Persian)
- Kiwi Bird
- Koala
- Koala (Cartoon)
- Koala (Head Detail)
- Koi Fish
- Komodo Dragon
- Labrador Retriever (Head Detail)
- Ladybug (Ladybird)
- Lemur (Ring-Tailed)
- Leopard
- Leopard Seal
- Lion
- Lion (Cartoon)
- Lion (Color)
- Lion (Roaring)
- Lion Roaring (Cartoon)
- Lion Running (Color)
- Lion Cub
- Lioness
- Lioness (Head Detail)
- Lizard
- Llama
- Lovebird
- Lynx
- Lynx (Head Detail)
- Pachycephalosaurus
- Panda
- Panda (Sitting)
- Panda (Cartoon)
- Pangolin
- Panther
- Paraceratherium
- Parakeet (Blue)
- Parakeet (Green)
- Parakeet (Cartoon)
- Parasaurolophus
- Peacock
- Pegasus
- Pegasus (Cartoon)
- Pelican
- Penguin (Cartoon)
- Penguin (Chick)
- Penguin (Emperor)
- Penguin (Magellanic)
- Philippine Eagle
- Phoenix
- Pig
- Pig (Cartoon)
- Pigeon
- Pigeon (Cartoon)
- Pika
- Piranha
- Pit Bull
- Platypus
- Plesiosaurus
- Polar Bear
- Polar Bear (Cartoon)
- Polar Bear Cub
- Polar Bear (Head Detail)
- Pomeranian
- Pony
- Poodle Dog
- Poodle (Cartoon)
- Prairie Dog
- Praying Mantis
- Pronghorn
- Pteranodon
- Puffin
- Pug
- Pug (Cartoon)
- Pug (Head Detail)
- Puppy (Cartoon)
- Puppy Cartoon (Christmas)
- Puppy (Christmas Stocking)
- Puppy (German Shepherd)
- Puppy (Husky)
- Puppy (Labrador)
- Puppy Vampire (Halloween)
- Rabbit
- Rabbit (Baby)
- Rabbit (Cartoon)
- Rabbit (Head Detail)
- Rabbit (Holland Lop)
- Rabbit (Standing)
- Raccoon
- Raccoon (Cartoon)
- Raccoon (Head Detail)
- Rainbow Lorikeet
- Rat
- Rattlesnake
- Raven (or Crow)
- Red Deer
- Red Panda
- Red Panda (Cartoon)
- Regal Blue Tang Fish
- Reindeer
- Retriever (Golden)
- Retriever (Labrador)
- Retriever (Puppy)
- Rhinoceros
- Rhinoceros (Cartoon)
- Robin (European)
- Rooster
- Rooster (Cartoon)
- Rottweiler
- Rottweiler (Head Detail)
- Royal Gramma Fish
- Saiga Antelope
- Saint Bernard Dog
- Sailfish
- Satyr
- Scorpion
- Scottish Fold Cat
- Scottish Terrier Dog
- Seahorse
- Seagull
- Seal (Cartoon)
- Seal Pup (Harp Seal)
- Seal (Sea Lion)
- Sea Otter (Head Detail)
- Sea Turtle
- Sea Turtle (Cartoon)
- Secretary Bird
- Serval
- Shark (Great White)
- Shark (Cartoon)
- Sheep
- Shih Tzu Dog
- Shoebill Stork
- Siamese Cat
- Skunk
- Sloth
- Smilodon (Saber-Tooth Tiger)
- Snail
- Snake (King Cobra)
- Snake (Cartoon Cobra)
- Snake (Rattlesnake)
- Snow Leopard
- Snowshoe Hare
- Snowy Owl
- Sparrow
- Sperm Whale
- Sphynx Cat
- Spider
- Spider Monkey
- Spinosaurus
- Squid
- Squirrel
- Squirrel (Cartoon)
- St. Bernard Dog
- Stegosaurus
- Stegosaurus (Cartoon)
- Stork
- Styracosaurus
- Sugar Glider
- Swallow
- Swan
- Swordfish
- Tabby Cat (Stretching)
- Tabby Cat
- Tabby Kitten
- Tabby Kitten (Head Detail)
- Tapir
- Tarantula
- Tarsier
- Tasmanian Devil
- Tasmanian Tiger
- Tiger
- Tiger (Color)
- Tiger (Cartoon)
- Tiger Head
- Tiger Head (Cartoon)
- Tiger (Roaring)
- Tiger Roaring (Cartoon)
- Tiger Running
- Toad
- Tortoise
- Toucan
- Triceratops
- Triceratops (Cartoon)
- Turkey
- Turkey (Cartoon)
- Turkey (Thanksgiving)
- Turtle (Alligator Snapping)
- Turtle (Cartoon)
- Turtle (Red-Eared Slider)
- Turtle (Sea Turtle)
- Tyrannosaurus Rex (T. rex)
- Tyrannosaurus Rex (Cartoon)
- Tyrannosaurus Rex (Chibi)
- Tyrannosaurus Rex (Roaring)
- Vampire Puppy (Halloween)
- Velociraptor
- Velociraptor (Blue Jurassic World)
- Velociraptor (Feathered)
- Vulture
- Vulture (Cartoon)
- Walrus
- Warthog
- Wasp
- Weasel
- Welsh Corgi (Dog)
- Werewolf
- Werewolf (Cartoon)
- Westie Dog
- Western Meadowlark
- Whale (Blue)
- Whale (Cartoon)
- White-Crowned Sparrow
- White-Tailed Deer
- Wildcat
- Wildebeest
- Wolf
- Wolf (Cartoon)
- Wolf (Growling)
- Wolf Growling (Cartoon)
- Wolf (Head Detail)
- Wolf Head (Cartoon)
- Wolf (Howling)
- Wolf Howling (Cartoon)
- Wolf (Running)
- Wolverine
- Wombat
- Wood Duck
- Woodpecker
- Wyvern
How to Draw a Barn Owl VIDEO & Step-by-Step Pictures
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In this free art lesson, you’ll learn how to draw a Barn Owl step-by-step.
Stay tuned for more free drawing lessons by:
All of the tutorials on How2DrawAnimals.com are good drawing tutorials for beginners and experienced artists alike. The online tutorials are easy to follow; they teach you the how to draw basics while showing you how to draw animals step by step. Each animal has a video drawing tutorial option, as well as step-by-step photos and written text to follow.
To draw this Barn Owl step by step, follow along with the video tutorial below and pause the video after each step to draw at your own pace. You may find it easier to follow the step-by-step drawings below the video. The new lines in each step are shown in red, so you’ll know exactly what to draw next. You may want to open the video in a new tab and use both drawing methods. Take your time and draw at your own pace.
Below you can watch a NEW step-by-step video tutorial with NARRATED steps:
The following is a video tutorial where the steps are WRITTEN out within the video:
For the first few steps, don’t press down too hard with your pencil. Use light, smooth strokes to begin so that it’s easy to erase if you make a mistake.
Step 1: Draw a circle on the top half of the page as a guide for the barn owl’s head. It doesn’t have to be perfect. It’s just a guide.
Step 2: Inside the head, draw two intersecting lines that will help you to place the barn owl’s facial features later. Bend the lines to contour to the shape of the circle.
Step 3: On the lower right side of the head, draw another circle as a guide for the top part of the barn owl’s body. This circle should be a tiny bit bigger than the first one. And again, don’t worry about drawing it perfectly. Notice the placement of the circles. The bottom one is not directly underneath, and their edges are slightly grazing.
Step 4: Draw a long arc similar to the letter U on the lower right side of the second circle as a guide for the lower half of the barn owl’s body.
Step 5: Draw two lines that connect the barn owl’s head and body and form the neck.
Is the owl drawing tutorial easy?
In this step-by-step tutorial, we start by showing you how to block out the shapes that make up the basic form of the owl. The basic shapes are just circles and lines, so we’re confident you’ll be able to do this – even if you’ve never picked up a pencil before. Then we’ll move on to refining these shapes, before adding optional details and texture. Once you’ve mapped out the proportions of the owl’s body, the rest of the drawing will develop around these initial construction lines, so it’s important to get the proportions right at the start. So, grab your drawing materials and let’s find out how to draw an owl.
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You Will Need
- Sketching pencils (1)
- Sketchbook or paper (1)
- Coloured pencils (1) , Optional
- Black fineliner pens (1) , Optional
Total time:
A weekend
Step 1
Plan out the proportions
Start by planning the proportions of your owl drawing. Draw a circle for the head, and an oval (orientated top-left to bottom-right) for the body. Overlap them slightly.
Step 2
Plan the face
Draw a curved vertical line in the middle of the head. Halfway between the top of the body and the top of the head, draw a curved horizontal line.
On the vertical line, draw an elongated ‘V’ shape, for the beak. On the horizontal line, draw two ovals (more like sideways ‘D’ shapes) for the eyes.
Add two, short, curved lines above each eye for the ears.
Step 3
Add the wing and tail
Touching the bottom of the head, draw a semi-circle that swoops down from the owl’s shoulder to the bottom-right.
Make it slightly larger than half the size of the main body oval. Extend the wing out behind the body, tapering it into a triangular point for the tail.
Step 4
Plan the feather groups
Draw a straight, diagonal line from the middle of the head (touching that vertical line in the middle of the face) to the top of the tail.
Then draw two parallel lines across the middle of the wing, making sure the first touches the end of the diagonal line.
Finally, add a shorter parallel line outside of the tail, and join it to the body with two more straight lines.
Step 5
Add some feet and facial features
Draw two stick feet at the base of the body. Make the one nearest us slightly larger, to give the impression of depth.
Draw two curved lines either side of the head and body, joining the two together in a nice, smooth curve.
Finally, draw two semi-circles either side of the eyes to help inform where to place the tufts later.
Step 6
Fill out the feet
Give the feet some bulk by joining them onto the body with curved lines.
The back of the first foot (the foot most towards the left) is hidden by the front of the second foot (the foot nearest us and most towards the right).
Make them quite chunky, as we’ll be adding a lot of fluff later.
Step 7
Draw the eyes
(For the purpose of this tutorial, from this step onwards we have lightened the construction lines. You may choose to do the same, or leave them as-is.)
Starting with the eyes, add detail by going over the construction lines. Darken the eyes and add a pupil to each one.
Following the lines of the outer semi-circles on the face, add some random, short, outwards-pointing lines (tufts).
Step 8
Add more facial tufts
Continue adding more lines around the face, following the semi-circles as a guide. Add a few lines above and below each eye, radiating them outwards as you do so.
To make the beak appear more natural, add a few inwards-facing lines around the edge of the beak. Angle these lines diagonally, as though they’re hanging down from the top of the beak.
Step 9
Add the beak
Shade in the ‘V’ shape you drew to plan out the beak. Taper the shape slightly towards the tip, and make the shading darker at the tip, and lighter at the sides.
Once you’re happy with the shading, add some more longer tufts around the beak to emphasise the shape of the owl’s face.
Step 10
Fluff up the head
Add some more lines around the eyes and beak. Radiate them outwards as you do so, and try to keep them loose and carefree.
For the ears, use a slightly darker pencil, and add some short lines in a roughly triangular shape, following the direction of the ear-construction line.
Extend them slightly past the border of the head, and curve them back round to join with the head.
How to draw a bird
Looking for more easy drawing tutorials? Why not learn how to draw a bird and watch your creation take flight!
Step 11
Fluff up the belly
Roughly following the shape of the main body oval, start defining the shape of the owl by going over the construction lines.
At the base of the owl, where the legs meet the body, add some longer tufts. Try to draw your tufts in ‘clusters’, to create a more natural and ruffled look.
Step 12
Give your owl some feet
Again, following the construction lines, draw in some fluffy feet. You don’t need to join up the lines of the feet exactly, but instead draw a series of curved, downwards-facing lines around the shape of the feet.
The left-hand most foot has two visible talons, while the right-hand most foot has four.
Step 13
Begin defining the wing
The wing is perhaps the trickiest part of this owl drawing, so be sure to take it slow.
First, sketch out the top of the wing, following the diagonal construction line. Don’t use a solid line; instead use a series of short, scruffy, curved lines to denote the bottom edge of the wing.
Close up the top of the wing by roughly following the outer edge of the main body oval.
Step 14
Add some feathers
If you look at a real-life snowy owl, it’s relatively difficult to discern individual feathers on the wings. But for the purpose of this tutorial, we’ve decided to add in individual feathers, to help you get a feel for the layering and structure of a bird’s wings (they’re all quite similar).
Following the two parallel lines you drew in the middle of the wings, add in a series of feathers. Practise on a piece of scrap paper first, but essentially, you’re just drawing a series of interlocking stretched-semi-circles, with each one touching the one before.
Start on the right-hand side, working your way towards the left.
Step 15
Complete the wing
In the third segment of the wing, add in a series of longer feathers. Use the same overlapping pattern that you used with the other feather groups, and taper them into a point at the end of the wing.
Make the tail feathers less uniform, and fan them out slightly so they stick out at odd angles.
Step 16
Use detail to emphasise key features
Shade in the tail feathers, then add some ‘V’ shaped tufts on the upper wing.
Taper the ends of the tufts together, and space them roughly evenly over the upper wing. Snowy owls have lots of different wing patterns, so have fun with it.
Step 17
Add detail to the belly
Replicate the tufts you drew on the wings, on the belly. Leave a white bib at the top of the owl, then scatter the ‘V’ shape tufts all the way down the front of the owl.
It’s quite common for snowy owls to be completely white, so don’t feel that you must add these darker areas if you don’t want to.
Step 18
Add some dark spots on the wings
Using a brush pen, add some sweeping, darker ‘ticks’ (or ‘check marks’) to the base of each of the tufts.
These dark colourings create a mottled appearance to provide camouflage among the Arctic tundra, but to draw them is optional.
Step 19
Add some finishing touches
Repeat these marks over the larger feathers that make up the bulk of the wings. You can do them randomly, or add them just up from the tips of the feathers, as we’ve done.
Add a few more dark marks here and there, as many or as little as you like. Every owl is different!
Step 20
Erase the construction lines
Finally, erase the construction lines and enjoy your masterpiece! If you’re doing this owl drawing just for you, there’s no need to erase the construction lines, and it’s quite useful to keep them in the drawing.
Otherwise, sit back and give yourself a big pat on the back for completing your owl drawing.
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Top tips for drawing owls
- Shape blocking: Start by blocking in the shapes to determine proportion. These shapes will provide the guidelines for when you come to add detail.
- Lighten construction lines: Once you have your owl planned out, go over the construction lines with an eraser, and erase any rogue or overlapping lines, leaving only a faint outline. Then it’s easier to add detail on top.
- Don’t draw every itty-bitty detail: You don’t need to draw every line or feather, sometimes just a suggestion will be enough to capture the essence of your owl.
- Use different materials: For the dark feathers, try using a brush pen or fat marker to make little ticks (aka ‘check’ marks). Don’t overdo it, just add a few on the wing and belly of your owl drawing. This will help you owl ‘pop’ from the page – and you’ll have fun in the process.
- A realistic beak: Add little tufts of feathers around the beak to avoid making it look like its ‘floating’ in the middle of your owl’s face.
- Use parallel strokes: To emphasise the ruffled edge of the owl, use small parallel strokes along the edges of your owl.
- Ground your owl (optional): If you have decided to ‘ground’ your owl, by perching them on a branch, stump or even just the floor, shade in some of the feathers at the bottom of your owl to help add dimension and separate them from the scenery.
- Hide the feet: If you’re struggling with the feet, draw a squiggly line at the base of the body, so that it looks like your owl is standing in a clump of snow (hiding the feet). No one will ever know! (There’s an example in our snowman drawing).
By following the steps outlined in this tutorial, you’ll soon be sketching a whole parliament of owls.
Remember to start by planning the posture and proportions of your owl by blocking out shapes, then once you’re happy, you can go in and refine the details.
Leave your owl white, or add some detail to the feathers, either by drawing little tufts with your pencil, or go bold with a black brush pen.
Take your time to get the correct proportions in the planning stage, as this will help you later when you add the details.
