In this free art lesson, you'll learn how to draw a Roadrunner step-by-step.

 

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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 a Roadrunner 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 first part of the roadrunner's body. First make four small marks to indicate the circle's height and width. Then connect the marks using curved lines. If you're struggling to draw the circle, trace the outer rim of a small lid, a coin or any other object with a circular edge. 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: Add a guide for the front part of the bird's body by first making a small mark to the left of the circle. Connect the circle to the mark using a couple of curved lines to form an arc. On the right side, draw a shorter, wider arc the same way as a guide for the back portion of the roadrunner's body.

 

 

Step 3: On the top, left side draw a small circle as a guide for the bird's head. Roadrunners have long necks, so leave a big gap between the head and the body.

 

Step 4: To the left of the head, draw a thin, long arc as a guide for the roadrunner's beak.

 

 

Step 5: Draw two curved lines that connect the head to the body to form the guide for the roadrunner's neck. The neck should be wide at the bottom and narrower at the top.

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Step 6: Under the body, on the right side, draw an angled line as a guide for the first leg. Pay attention to where the line bends. This will indicate where the joints are later. On the left side, draw another angled line as a guide for the roadrunner's other leg stepping forward. Notice how long these lines are in relation to the body.

 

Step 7: Starting on the top, right side of the body, draw a long, horizontal line as guide for the roadrunner's tail. Draw another long line at the bottom to make the shape thicker. Close off the shape on the right side.

 

 

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

 

Step 8: Inside the head, near the left side, lightly sketch a small circle for the roadrunner's eye. When you get the size and position of the eye right, darken the lines. Make the edges thicker and the sides pointier for the corners of the eye. Near the middle of the eye, draw a tiny circle to represent glare and a dot for the bird's pupil. Add a light value to the rest of the eye but don't overlap the glare circle. Draw a couple of curved lines around the eye for some creases on the skin.

 

 

Step 9: Darken the top part of the arc on the left for the first part of the beak. Draw a pointy tip on the left side, and then draw a line through the middle of the arc for the mouth. The roadrunner's mouth should be close to the eye. Darken the bottom of the arc for the lower half of the bird's beak. Add a few short strokes on the right for the feathery base. At the top, draw a small oval for the nostril.

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Step 10: Draw a series of short lines along the basic path of the initial circle for the top of the head. Make the strokes longer when you get to the top of the circle for the feathery crest on the roadrunner's head. Sketch the crest lightly along the curvature of the initial circle. When you get the shape right, darken the lines.

 

Step 11: Draw smaller strokes on the top, right side to finish the top of the roadrunner's head. Draw a line along the bottom of the initial circle for the lower part of the head. Draw a thin, curved shape that's made up of short strokes to the right of the bird's eye for a patch of bare skin.

 

 

Step 12: Follow the path of the angled line on the right and lightly sketch the shape of the bird's leg around it. The section of the leg before the top angle should be thick. The rest of the roadrunner's leg should be thin. The angled section at the bottom represents the toe pointing back. Lightly sketch another toe pointing up. When you get the shape of the bird's leg right, darken the lines.

Keep the lines at the bottom close to the initial guide to create a thin leg. Darken the toes but make the lines a bit wavier. Also draw a pointy shape at the tips for the claws. Use the first two toes as templates to draw the roadrunner's other two toes the same way.

 

Step 13: Use the angled line on the right as a guide to draw the roadrunner's other leg the same way. Sketch the leg around the guide lightly and only darken the lines when you get the shape right. Make the top part wide. Use short, thin, curved lines for the front toes and make the tips pointy for the claws. Draw a couple of shorter curved lines on the back for the bird's other two toes. Don't forget the claws!

 

 

Step 14: Inside the body, draw a big shape that has a tip that points to the right for the bird's folded wing. The shape is wide on the left side and takes up a lot of space inside the roadrunner's body. As with the legs, sketch lightly at first.

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Step 15: Darken the outer edges of the initial guides to create the shape of the body. As you darken the guides, don't overlap the shape of the leg on the right. Use a few short strokes on the right side near the roadrunner's tail for a feathery texture.

 

 

Step 16: Darken the top edge of the guide on the right to start drawing the shape of the roadrunner's tail. Inside the shape, draw a few thin, long, horizontal arcs for the individual tail feathers. The feathers should overlap each other a little bit at their base. Darken the bottom edge of the guide using curved lines to finish the bird's tail.

 

Step 17: 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 value to the roadrunner's body to give the feathers their distinctive pattern. Use a dark value but leave a few small spots blank for a speckled pattern. The crest shouldn't have the speckled pattern. Leave the patch next to the eye blank. As you add the dark value to the bird's body, make the speckled spots longer so that they become streaks. For a more detailed guide on how to shade, check out this tutorial: How to shade.

Don't overthink it. Just place thin, dark lines on the top half of the roadrunner's body. This can be time- consuming, so be patient and take breaks. For the bird's tail, cover each feather in a dark value except for the edges. Use a very light value for the lower half of the body, the legs and the patch of bare skin to the right of the eye.

Add some shadows to your roadrunner drawing to give it more dimension and volume. Pick the direction of the light source when shading so that the shadows are consistent with it.

Add a cast shadow underneath. This helps to emphasize that the roadrunner is running.

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