In this free art lesson, you'll learn how to draw a Cassowary 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 Cassowary 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 near the middle of the paper as a guide for the main part of the cassowary'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 coin, a lid 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: On the left side, draw an arc as a guide for the front part of the bird's body. To draw the arc, first make a small mark on the left side. Then connect the mark to the circle using curved lines. The end result should be similar to an egg. Add another arc on the right as a guide for the back part of the cassowary's body. This arc should be shorter and not as pointy as the arc on the left.

 

 

Step 3: On the top, left side draw a small circle as a guide for the cassowary's head. Pay attention to the size and position of this circle.

 

Step 4: On the left side of the head, draw a small, thin, pointy arc as a guide for the cassowary's beak.

 

 

Step 5: On top of the head and beak, draw another arc as a guide for the cassowary's horn-like protrusion called a casque.

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Step 6: Draw two curved lines that connect the head to the body to form the guide for the cassowary's neck.

 

Step 7: Under the body, on the right side, draw a long line that slopes to the right as a guide for the first leg. Bend the bottom part of the line to indicate where the cassowary's foot will be. On the left, draw a line that slopes to the left as a guide for the bird's other leg. Bend the tip of this line too.

 

 

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, draw a small circle for the bird's eye. Inside the eye, off to the side, draw a tiny circle to represent glare. In the middle, draw a big dot for the pupil. If your cassowary's eye is too small, don't worry about the glare circle and just draw the pupil in the middle. Draw a couple of curved lines around the eye for the eyelids.

 

 

Step 9: Draw a long, horizontal line across the arc on the left for the mouth. This line should extend to the right inside the bird's head and below the eye. Darken the top part of the arc to create the first part of the cassowary's beak.

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Step 10: Follow the basic path of the initial arc to create the bottom part of the cassowary's beak. Make the bottom beak thinner than the arc and add a few extra lines inside for detail. Add some detail lines to the top of the beak too, along with a small oval for the bird's nostril.

 

Step 11: Use the arc on the head as a guide to draw the cassowary's casque. Follow the basic path of the guide but make the top bumpier as you darken the line.

 

 

Step 12: Darken the remaining edges of the initial circle to create the head. Inside the head, to the right of the eye, draw a small oval-like shape for the ear opening. Add a few more lines inside the head for the detail on the cassowary's wrinkly skin.

 

Step 13: Use the curved lines under the head as guides to draw the cassowary's neck. Follow the path of the guides and darken the lines to create the neck. Below the neck, on the left side, draw a long, thin , curved line for the loose, fleshy skin called a wattle. Make the top of the wattle long so that the line goes into the neck toward the head. On the left side, draw another long line for the visible part of the bird's other wattle. At the bottom of the neck, draw a series of short strokes to indicate where the bare skin meets the cassowary's feathered body.

 

 

Step 14: Use the long, angled line on the right as a guide to draw the cassowary's first leg. Follow the path of the guide and lightly sketch the shape of the leg around it. When you get the shape right, darken the lines. Add a few short strokes at the top for the feathery base. As you darken the lines for the leg, make the top part curvy and bulgy for the joint. Make the bottom part where the bird's leg meets the foot curvy and bulgy too for that joint. At the bottom, where the guide slopes to the right, draw a thin, curved shape with a pointy tip for the outer toe. Follow the path of the guide to create the big middle toe. Make the tip pointy for the cassowary's claw.

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Step 15: Use the line on the left as a guide to draw the other leg the same way. Lightly sketch the shape of the cassowary's leg around the guide. When you get the structure right, darken the lines. Make the bird's joints bulbous. At the bottom, draw an extra-long triangular shape for the blade-like claw on the inner toe. Draw the visible portion of the middle toe using a curved shape with a pointy tip.

 

Step 16: Use the remaining shapes as guides to draw the rest of the cassowary's body. At the top, darken the outer edges of the guides to create the back. Along the bottom edge, draw a series of short strokes for the shaggy feathers. The longer these strokes are, the shaggier the cassowary's feathers will appear to be. On the right side, draw a curved line made up of short strokes for the bird's tail.

 

 

Step 17: Carefully go over the final sketch lines with a pen, marker or any other type of permanent ink. Don't push down too hard with your pen. Ink lightly for less pronounced lines. After inking, get rid of every pencil mark for a cleaner drawing.

 

Final Step: Color your cassowary drawing! Use light and dark blue for the bare skin on the head. Use light blue at the top and dark blue at the bottom. Leave the sides of the neck blank. Use red for the blank areas on the neck. Blend red, orange and yellow in the casque. Color the bird's eye yellow. Use gray for the rest of the head. Leave a strip blank on the beak and casque for shine.

Use gray for the top part of the bird's body and then continue with black at the bottom. Color lightly at first. Then gradually build up to the level of black that you like. Cassowaries have dark plumage, so push down on your pencil to get a dark black. But leave the top lighter for shine. Use light brown to color the cassowary's legs. Use gray to create some shadows on the legs. Use gray for the claws too but leave a strip blank for shine. Use gray and a bit of purple to create a cast shadow under the cassowary. It's always a good idea to use reference as you draw. Remember to pause the video to draw at your own pace.

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