In this free art lesson, you'll learn how to draw a Bald Eagle Flying / Hunting step-by-step. All the tutorials on How2DrawAnimals.com are easy to follow and great for beginners and experienced artists alike. Get art basics while sketching your favorite animals step by step. Each free tutorial on this site has a video tutorial option, as well as step-by-step images and written text to follow along with. Have fun creating animal art!

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All the free art lessons on How2DrawAnimals.com are easy to follow; they teach you the basics while showing you how to render animals step by step. Each tutorial has a video tutorial option, as well as step-by-step photos and written text to follow. After you're done here, try another tutorial!

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To draw this Bald Eagle hunting 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 methods. Take your time and sketch at your own pace.

Materials You’ll Need

Before starting, gather these basic drawing supplies:

• Pencil (an HB lead pencil is best for light sketches)
• Eraser
• Black ink pen or marker
• Drawing paper
• Colored pencils or markers

Start with Simple Lines and Shapes

For the first few steps, don't press down too hard with your pencil. Use light, smooth strokes to begin.

Step 1: Draw a small circle near the bottom of the paper as a guide for the bald eagle's head. If you're struggling to draw the circle, just trace the outer rim of a small, circular object like a lid or a coin. Leave enough room at the top and sides for the bird's wings and body.

Step 2: Under the head, on the left side, draw a small, U-shaped line as a guide for the top part of the bald eagle's beak. To the left draw a small, angled, V-shaped line as a guide for the bottom part of the beak.

Step 3: To the right of the bird's head, draw two lines that curve toward the right for the neck. Now make a small mark off to the right as a guide for the width of the body. Connect the mark to the neck using a curved line to create the top of the body. Now connect the mark to the bottom of the neck using a curved line to finish the guide for the top section of the bald eagle's body.

Step 4: Under the circular shape, draw a big, U-shaped line as a guide for the lower half of the bald eagle's body. Pay attention to the size of the two body shapes in relation to the head.

Step 5: On top of the bald eagle's body, draw a line that slopes to the top, left as a guide for the first wing. Angle that line toward the left side. Add another line on top of the body, on the right, for the bird's other wing. After it angles, the line on the right curves downward more than the line on the left.

Keep Building the Animal Slowly

Step 6: Draw a line from the bald eagle's head to the tip of the line on the left as a guide for the bottom part of the wing. The line doesn't have line up perfectly with the tip. Make the shape wavy. Add another wavy line on the right for the bottom edge of the bird's other wing.

Step 7: To the left of the body, draw a line that slopes down and then bends to the left as a guide for the first leg. To the right, draw another line as a guide for the other leg. Notice that this line bends twice and starts inside the bald eagle's body.

Finish Up the "Skeleton"

Step 8: Below the body, draw the guide for the bald eagle's tail using two sloping lines on the sides and a curved line at the bottom.

That's it for the guides! From this point on, press harder with your pencil for a more defined sketch.

Now Add Details

Step 9: Inside the head, lightly sketch a small circle for the eye. Place the bald eagle's eye below and to the right of the center of the circle. Draw a line to the left of the eye for the heavy brow that comes over the eye. Darken the outline of the eye and draw a tiny dot inside for the pupil. Sketch lightly at first so that it's easy to erase if you make a mistake. Only darken the lines when you get the shape right.

Step 10: Use the U- shaped line under the head as a guide to draw the bald eagle's beak. Darken the sides of the guides. At the bottom, extend the lines toward the right to form the beak's pointy tip. Extend the line in toward the head until it almost meets the eye to create the bird's mouth. Draw a series of short strokes at the top for the beak's feathery base. Add a small slit inside the shape for the nostril.

Step 11: Darken the V-shaped guide to create the bottom part of the beak. Within the shape, draw a curved, vertical line for the inner edge of the beak. To the left, draw a couple of short lines for the tongue inside the bird's mouth.

Step 12: Darken the top, left side of the initial circle but make it a bit flatter for the head. Darken the line above the bald eagle's head and a couple of lines below the head for the neck. To the right of the head, inside the body, draw a series of short strokes for the feathers at the bottom of the neck. The overall shape of these short strokes should curve from the top of the neck to the bottom.

Step 13: Draw a small triangle on the tip of the bottom angled guide line for the bald eagle's first talon. Draw the shape of the toe under the talon and around the guide using curved lines. To the left, draw the other toe the same way. Start with a triangle at the top for the bird's talon, and then add the toe under it. To the right add another toe. This time draw the triangle, and then the top part of the toe should encircle the talon. The bottom part of the foot and toe should be similar to the letter V. Add a curved, pointy shape for the bottom talon.

Step 14: Draw a couple of lines around the initial guide to the right of the foot for the bare part of the leg. Draw a series of short strokes around the initial guide for the thick part of the bald eagle's feathery leg.

Stay Patient and Keep Drawing

Step 15: Use the line on the left as a guide to draw the bird's other foot the same way. Start by drawing a pointy, curved shape at the tip of the guide for the talon. Then add the toe at the bottom. Add another toe on either side of that first one. Notice that the toes are thick and round at the top. This foot is at a different angle from the first foot, so the toes should be more spread out. The talon for the bottom toe should be extra long. Draw the bare part of the bald eagle's foot around the guide line.

Step 16: Draw a long, curved line above the initial guide for the first part of this leg. At the bottom, draw a series of short strokes for the rest of the bald eagle's leg. Don't overlap the shape of the first leg.

Step 17: Darken the guide on the top, left side of the body for the bald eagle's first wing. As you darken the guide, draw an extra curved line after the angle for a feather. Draw a series of thin, long arcs along the bottom guide for the feathers on the wing. These arcs should be very long and extend far away from the wavy guide line. Separate the feathers so that they're not too close together or overlapping. The feathers on the right side should be smaller. Make the size change gradual. Within the shape, at the top, draw a long, curved line to emphasize the curve of the bird's wing.

Step 18: Use the lines to the right of the body as guides to draw the bird's other wing the same way. First darken the top angled part of the guide but leave a bit of a gap at the top. To the right of the guide, at the bottom, draw three thin, long arcs for feathers. Connect the feathers at the bottom to the angled part of the wing at the top. Draw a series of small, U-shaped lines along the path of the wavy guide at the bottom for the bald eagle's feathers. Gradually make the feathers slightly longer toward the right.

You're Almost There!

Step 19: Use the shapes between the wings as guides to draw the rest of the bald eagle's body. Darken the outer edges of the guides to create the shape of the body but don't overlap the wings or legs. Draw a series of short strokes along the bottom of the bird's body to indicate where the tail starts.

Step 20: Use the shape at the bottom as a guide to draw the bird's tail. Follow the path of the bottom line and draw a series of small arcs for feathers. Give the bald eagle's feathers varying thicknesses and add some different- sized gaps between the feathers.

Now It's Time to Shade

Step 21: For a cleaner look, erase as much as you can of the initial guide lines. Don't worry about erasing all of the guides. It's okay to leave some behind. Re-draw any final sketch lines you may have accidentally erased.

Final Step: Add some shading to your bald eagle drawing for extra detail. Use a dark value everywhere except the bird's head, tail and feet. As you shade, use strokes that go in the general direction of the feathers. Use a slightly lighter value at the middle for a second row of feathers and along the top edge of the bird's wing. Vary the pressure on your pencil to get different degrees of tonal value.

Don't worry about shading too smoothly. The rough value will give the feathers some texture. Use a lighter value to create a stripe- like pattern on the top part of the bald eagle's wing on the right for more feathers. The edges of the wing should also be lighter. The feathers along the bottom should be very dark. It's a good idea to use reference as you draw for a more accurate bald eagle.

Shading can be time-consuming, so be patient and take breaks. Add some shadows to the white sections to give the figure more dimension and volume. Don't forget to pause the video after each step to draw at your own pace.

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