Please PAUSE the "How to Draw a Great Blue Heron" video after each step to draw at your own pace.

 

The Time-Lapse (Speed Drawing) video:

 

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 small circle near the top of the paper as a guide for the great blue heron's head. If you're struggling to draw the circle, trace the outer rim of a coin, a button 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: To the right of the head, draw a long, triangular shape made up of two lines as a guide for the great blue heron's beak. Pay attention to how long this shape is in relation to the circle for the bird's head.

 

 

Step 3: Below the bird's head, draw a long, wavy, S-shaped line as a guide for the neck.

 

Step 4: At the end of the line, draw a big circle as a guide for the front part of the heron's body. To draw a bigger circle like this, first make four small marks to indicate its height and width. Then connect the marks using curved lines to create the shape of the circle.

 

 

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

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Step 6: On the lower, left side, draw a smaller, thinner arc the same way as a guide for the heron's tail.

 

Step 7: Under the body, draw two long lines as guides for the great blue heron's legs. Bend the lines near the middle to indicate a joint and at the bottom for the feet. Pay attention to how long these lines are in relation to the rest of the bird's body.

 

 

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

 

Step 8: Draw a tiny circle inside the head, near the right edge, for the great blue heron's eye. Inside the eye, near the right edge, draw a tiny dot for the pupil. Make the sides of the eye thicker and darker to create the corners of the eye. Add a couple of curved lines around the eye for a bit of bare skin.

 

 

Step 9: Draw a horizontal line across the triangular guide to create the heron's mouth. The line should be long and extend all the way past the eye. Follow the basic path of the triangular guide to draw the top part of the bird's beak. Add a small slit inside the beak, at the top, for the nostril.

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Step 10: Use the triangular shape as a guide to draw the lower part of the heron's beak but make it thinner. Sketch the beak lightly at first and only darken the lines when you get the shape right.

 

Step 11: Draw the pattern on the head as a line that starts on the beak and curves over the eye and to the left. Break up the line into smaller sections to emphasize the feathers on the head. On the left side, draw a line that curves down toward the neck for the feathers coming out of the back of the great blue heron's head. Add another curved, broken line above the eye to complete the pattern on the head. On the left side, add another curved line for more feathers coming out of the back of the head.

 

 

Step 12: Use the remaining shapes as guides to draw the rest of the great blue heron's head. Make the shape of the head thinner as you darken the outer edges of the guides. Add a few more short strokes inside the head for a feather-like texture.

 

Step 13: Use the S-shaped line under the head a guide to draw the neck. Follow the path of the guide and lightly sketch the shape of the neck around it. The bird's neck should be thin, so don't draw the lines too far away from the guide. When you get the shape of the neck right, darken the lines. The bottom of the neck that connects to the body should be wider than the top part. Below the heron's neck, draw a series of long lines for the chest feathers.

 

 

Step 14: Draw the shape of the bird's folded wing inside the body. The bottom edge of the folded wing should follow the path of guides pretty closely. Use a series of thin, overlapping arcs on the left tip of the wing for the individual feathers. For the top edge of the wing, draw a series of short, curved lines that slope to the left side.

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Step 15: Use the line under the body, on the left side as a guide to draw the great blue heron's first leg. Draw the base of the leg at the top using a series of short lines for the feathers. Follow the path of the guide and draw the shape of the leg around it. Make the section where the line bends rounder for the joint. Great blue herons have very thin legs, so don't draw the shape of the leg too far away from the guide line. Draw the middle toe along the path of the portion of the guide that bends to the right. Draw the other toes above and below the middle toe at and angle. Bend the tips a bit for the claws. The toe at the top will be partially blocked by the middle toe. Add the bird's fourth toe on the left side as well.

 

Step 16: Use the line on the right as a guide to draw the heron's other leg the same way. Follow the path of the guide and draw the shape of the leg around it. The base at the top should be wide, and the joint near the middle should be bulbous. Draw the bird's toes at the bottom by using the bent portion of the line as a guide. Draw three toes pointing front and one toe pointing back. The toe pointing back will be partially blocked by the first leg.

 

 

Step 17: Use the remaining lines and shapes as guides to draw the rest of the great blue heron's body. Darken the outer edges of the guides to create the shape of the body. Add some thin arcs on the left side for the bird's tail feathers. Use short strokes along the bottom guides for a feather- like texture. Don't overlap the chest feathers on the right.

 

Step 18: 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 great blue heron drawing for more detail. Use a dark value for the feather pattern above the eye and the feathers behind the head. Use a medium value for the beak and most of the body. The top of the head should be white along with a streak across the eye. The right side of the neck and the top section on the folded wing should also be white. The bird's tail feathers should be darker. Use a dark value for the legs too. For a more detailed guide on how to shade, check out this tutorial: How to shade.

Vary the pressure on your pencil to get different degrees of tonal value. Shading can be time-consuming, so be patient and take breaks. Add some shadows throughout the great blue heron's body using a slightly darker value to give the drawing more volume and dimension. It's always a good idea to use reference for a more accurate drawing.

Add a cast shadow underneath. This helps ground the heron so it doesn't appear to be floating. Don't forget to pause the video after each step to draw at your own pace.

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