In this free art lesson, you'll learn how to draw the a Robin (American Robin) step-by-step.

 

Stay tuned for more free drawing lessons by:

Liking us on Facebook>>

Subscribing on YouTube.com>>

Following us on Instagram>>

 

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.

 

The Time-Lapse (Speed Drawing) video:

 

To draw this American Robin 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.

 

The Written step-by-step video tutorial:

 

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

 

Step 1: Draw a circle as a guide for the top part of the robin's body. First make four small marks to indicate the circle's height and width. Then connect the marks using curved lines. Sketch lightly at first so that it's easy to erase if you make a mistake. If you're struggling to draw the circle, just trace the outer rim of a small, circular object like a coin or a lid. For a more detailed guide on the different ways to draw a circle check out this tutorial: Four simple ways to draw a circle.

 

Step 2: On the top, right side, draw a smaller circle as a guide for the robin's head. This circle should be about one-fourth the size of the first one. Don't draw it too far away or the bird's neck will be too long.

 

 

Step 3: On the right side of the head, draw a triangular shape similar to a greater-than sign as a guide for the robin's beak.

 

Step 4: Draw two curved lines that connect the bird's head to the body to create the guide for the neck. The top part of the robin's neck should be narrow and the bottom part wide.

 

 

Step 5: Add the guide for the lower half of the robin's body by first making a small mark on the lower, left side of the first circle. Now connect the mark to the circle using curved lines to form a big arc.

---

 

Step 6: Under the robin's body, draw a long, vertical line as a guide for the first leg. Notice how the line bends at the top then slopes a bit. At the bottom add two shorter lines as guides for the toes. To the right, draw a similar set of lines as guides for bird's the other leg.

 

Step 7: On the lower, left side of the body, draw a long, thin shape as a guide for the robin's tail. The shape should slope to the bottom, left side. The base should be wide and the tip thin, like an arc.

 

 

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

 

Step 8: Inside the robin's head, near the top, lightly sketch a small circle for the eye. When you get the size and position of the eye right, darken the shape. Inside the eye, off to the side, draw a tiny circle to represent glare and a big dot in the middle for the pupil. When you draw the pupil, don't overlap the shape of the tiny glare circle. Draw a couple of lines around the bird's eye for extra detail.

 

 

Step 9: Darken the top edge of the triangular shape but make the line curve more for the top of the beak. Draw a line across the shape that extends to the left and almost meets the eye for the mouth. Draw a few short lines to the left of the robin's beak for the feathery base.

---

 

Step 10: Follow the path of the guide and draw a curved line that goes into the bird's head for the lower half of the beak. Draw some short lines on the left side for the feathery base and a tiny circle on the top beak for the robin's nostril.

 

Step 11: Use the initial shapes as guides to draw the rest of the head. Darken the outer edges of the initial guides to create the shape of the head. Make the section under the robin's beak a bit thinner than the initial circle. Add a series of short strokes inside the head for extra detail on the feathers.

 

 

Step 12: Inside the body, lightly sketch a long, sloping, curved line for the robin's folded wing. The edge of the folded wing should follow the slope of the body. Add short strokes at the top for feathers. The tip of the bird's wing should stretch to the left inside the guide for the tail.

 

Step 13: Inside the robin's wing, draw a series of short, curved strokes as detail for the feathers. Don't cover the whole wing in feathers. Just draw a few short lines to indicate the texture.

 

 

Step 14: Follow the path of the angled line on the left and lightly sketch the shape of the bird's first leg around it. The top section should be thick. Add some jagged lines at the angle for the feathery base. Draw the toe around the short line on the bottom and make the tip pointy for the nail. Draw a similar thin, pointy shape above and below for the robin's other two toes. Use the short line on the left as a guide to draw the toe pointing backward the same way.

---

 

Step 15: Use the line on the right as a guide to draw the other leg the same way. Draw the shape of the robin's leg around the guide. Make the top part thicker and add the feathery base. Draw the bird's toes around the guides using thin, long shapes and make the tips pointy for the nails.

 

 

Step 16: Use the rest of the lines and shapes as guides to draw the rest of the body. Simply darken the outer edges of the initial guides to create the shape of the robin's body. Draw a couple of lines made up of tiny strokes around the leg on the left as extra detail on the feathers.

 

Step 17: Use the shape on the left side as a guide to draw the tail. Draw the bird's tail within the initial guide but make the shape thinner. Add a series of lines inside the robin's tail for extra detail on the feathers.

 

 

Step 18: Go over the final sketch lines with a pen, marker or any other type of permanent ink. Take your time and be careful when you ink to avoid any accidents. After inking, get rid of every pencil mark with an eraser for a cleaner drawing.

 

Final Step: Color your robin drawing! Use black and gray for the head. Robins have a white section around the eyes and white streaks on their neck, so leave those areas blank. Color lightly at first and gradually build up to the level of darkness that you like. Using black, add a series of spots and stripes to the bird's wing and tail.

Add dark gray to the robin's head, folded wing and tail. Add dark gray right on top of the black, slowly blending it. Use black and dark brown for the eye (don't overlap the glare circle). Use yellow-orange for the beak.

Use a mixture of light brown, brown, red, red-orange and orange for the chest and underside of the robin's body. Slowly add the colors and mix them together. This process can be time-consuming, so be patient and take breaks. To give the figure more dimension and volume, add the darker colors at the bottom and the lighter ones at the top.

It's a good idea to use reference as you color for a more accurate drawing. Continue adding color slowly throughout the robin's body until you're happy with the results. Add a couple of spots under the tail using black and gray. Color the bird's legs and feet using gray, light brown and brown. Use red-orange and brown to give the beak some shadows. Use gray along the underside of the body to create shadows.

Use gray to create a cast shadow under the body so that the robin doesn't appear to be floating. Don't overlap the feet as you add the shadow! Use a bit of blue for the shadow too. Make the middle of the shadow dark and the edges light for the shadow's diffusion. For a simpler drawing, just use a single solid color for each section. Like red- orange for the bird's chest and dark gray for the top. Don't forget to pause the video to draw at your own pace.

Thanks for visiting! Subscribe to the How2DrawAnimals YouTube Channel for a new tutorial every week.

To learn how to draw popular cartoon characters, visit EasyDrawingTutorials.com.

 

RELATED TUTORIALS