Please PAUSE the "How to Draw a Baby Chick" video after each step to draw at your own pace.

 

Time-Lapse (Speed Drawing) video:

 

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 big circle near the middle of the paper as a guide for the chick's body. First make four small marks to indicate its height and width. Then connect the marks using curved lines. Sketch lightly at first so that it's easy to erase if you make mistake. If you're struggling to draw the circle, trace the outer rim of a cup, 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 top, right side, draw a small circle as a guide for the chick's head. Make four small marks to indicate the circle's height and width, and then connect the marks using curved lines. This circle should be about two- thirds the size of the first one. The edges of the circles should touch.

 

Step 3: Inside the head, near the middle, draw a curved, sloping line as a guide to help you place the chick's facial features later.

 

Step 4: On the right side of the head, draw an angled line similar to a greater-than sign as a guide for the chick's beak.

 

Step 5: Draw a couple of curved lines that connect the two circles to finish the guide for the chick's body. The line at the bottom should be longer and curvier to create a big chest.

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Step 6: Under the body, draw a line similar in shape to the letter L as a guide for the chick's leg.

 

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

 

Step 7: Inside the head, lightly sketch a small circle for the eye. Place the eye above the construction line, close the right edge of the head. When you get the size and position right, darken the lines but make the sides a bit pointier. Inside the chick's eye, draw a line for the edge of the eyeball and a tiny circle to represent glare. Draw a series of short strokes around the eye for the fluffy feathers.

 

Step 8: Use the angled line on the right as a guide to draw the beak. Darken the top part of the angled line to create the top of the beak. Draw a line across the middle of the shape to create the mouth. Follow the basic path of the guide to create the bottom of the beak but make the shape thinner and wavier. On the left side of the beak, draw a series of short strokes for the feathery base. Curve the short strokes so that they wrap around the mouth. Near the top of the beak, draw a small slit for the chick's nostril.

 

Step 9: Use the main circle as a guide to draw the rest of the head. Draw a series of short strokes along the basic path of the circle to create the chick's fluffy head. As you draw the strokes, make the sides of the head a little wider than the initial circle. Keep these strokes short for a fluffy texture. Longer strokes will create a shaggier coat. Leave a few gaps between the strokes along the bottom to indicate where the head meets the body. Add a few more short strokes inside the head, to the left of the eye, for the chick's small ear opening.

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Step 10: Inside the first circle, lightly sketch a big, curved line for the chick's folded wing. The curved line should be similar in shape to the letter C on its side. When you get the line right, darken the shape using a series of short strokes for the fluffy feathers. Don't make the wing too big. Pay attention to its size in relation to the rest of the body.

 

Step 11: Use the other initial shapes as guides to draw the rest of the body. Draw a series of short strokes along the outer edges of the guide lines to create the shape of the body. Don't make these strokes too long. They have to be short for a fluffy texture. At the bottom, curve the strokes in toward the body to create the base for the leg. The overall shape of the chick's body should be similar to an oval.

 

Step 12: Use the angled line under the body as a guide to draw the chick'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 line. Add a pointy tip on the right end for the toe. Along the bottom of the foot, add another long, pointy toe. On the left side, draw a shorter toe that points backward. The fourth toe isn't visible from this angle.

 

Step 13: Use the first leg as a template to help you draw the leg on the other side. Draw the thick base at the top and the chick's feet and toes at the bottom. Sketch lightly at first to get the shape right. Part of the bottom of the foot will be hidden behind the first foot, so only draw the visible section.

 

Step 14: 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. You can also lightly erase some of the final lines so that the colors don't get too muddled with the graphite in the next step. Re-draw any final sketch lines you may have accidentally erased.

 

Final Step: Color your chick drawing! Use black for the eye but leave the tiny glare circle blank. Use light brown along the bottom of the body to create a shadow and give the figure more volume. Use short strokes as you add the shadows for consistency on the fluffy texture. Add some orange to the shadows using short strokes. Add the orange color farther inside the body so that it covers more space. Use it on the beak and feet as well. Now use yellow-orange farther inside the body to cover more of the shape.

Now use different shades of yellow for the rest of the chick's body. Create a gradual transition between the brown/orange at the bottom to the yellow at the top. Use different shades of yellow , such as golden yellow, lemon yellow and cream throughout the body. Add the colors right on top of each other, always using short strokes for the fluffy texture.

Add the colors lightly at first, and then build up to the level of darkness that you like. Vary the pressure on your pencils to get different shades from an individual color. Coloring can be time-consuming, so be patient and take breaks. Slowly add darker shades at the bottom and lighter shades on top using short strokes. Repeat this process throughout the chick's body until you're happy with the result. Blend pink, peach and light brown to color the beak.

Use brown and light brown throughout to make the shadows darker. Don't forget to color using short strokes to emphasize the chick's feathery texture. Use brown to add creases and shadows to the feet. Blend yellow-orange, peach and light brown to color the feet.

Optional: Add a shadow under the feet using gray and purple to ground the chick. Use a bit of purple for the shadows on the chick's body too. Remember to pause the video to draw at your own pace.

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