Sketching feathers

Top tips for drawing feathers, with Alice May

Start with very light pencil strokes, to plot where your feather will sit on the page then build up stronger pencil lines when you are confident that you have captured the basic layout. I used a HB pencil initially, followed by a softer 2 or 3B pencil to build areas of shadow that create an impression of three dimensions. I find that I achieve the best sketching results when the graphite tip of my pencil has softened with use. If your pencil has been recently sharpened, I recommend scribbling on a piece of scrap paper to wear the harsh point down a little.

TIPS FOR DRAWING FLIGHT OR TAIL FEATHERS

Step 1

With a HB pencil (or similar), draw a central shaft that runs through the feather, widest where it attached to the bird’s wing or tail and narrowing along the length to fade into the end section.

Step 2

Filaments on either side of the shaft are regularly spaced along the shaft. The length of each filament will be very similar for tail feathers, but with flight feathers, filaments are usually much longer on one side than the other. The sides have a slight curve that graduates towards a pointed tip.

Step 3

Use a 3B (or similar) pencil to add darker pencil strokes to one side of the central shaft, particularly at the wider end, and to the tips of the filaments on one side of the feather both where they join the shaft and at their free end. You can see from the image that I haven’t put in precise details, but merely suggested the presence of individual filaments by drawing their start and end. This works particularly well for tail and flight feathers, keeping the image clean and unfussy.

TIPS FOR DRAWING DOWN FEATHERS

For down feathers precision is not a major factor as the overall form is looser and more relaxed.

As before, start with the central shaft. This time it can have more flexibility and curve to it. Near the top, you can see small, tufty filaments. These are very characteristic and worth including.

Step 2

Filaments on either side of the main shaft need to be drawn with more definition along their length, with pencil strokes pulled out from the shaft, across then curving down. As you move towards the tip of your feather, try curling your pencil strokes upwards with loose, free-flowing movements. Use light HB pencil marks so that the odd filament in the wrong place won’t matter.

Switch to your 3B (or similar) pencil and add darker strokes to build a sense of three dimensions. The light in my sketch is coming from the upper left-hand side, meaning that my shadows are mainly on the right-hand side and underneath.