Please PAUSE the "How to Draw a Robin (European)" video after each step to draw at your own pace.

 

Time-Lapse (Speed Drawing) video:

 

Written step-by-step video tutorial:

 

Step 1: Draw a big circle as a guide for the main part of the European robin's body. First make four small marks to indicate its height and width. Then connect the marks using curved lines. Sketch lightly so it's easy to erase if you make a mistake. But the circle doesn't have to be perfect. It's just a guide. If you're struggling drawing the circle, trace the outer rim of a glass, a lid or any other object with a circular edge.

 

Step 2: Draw an arc on the top, right side of the body as a guide for the robin's head. Pay attention to the size of this hill-like curve in relation to the rest of the bird's body.

 

Step 3: To the right of the head, draw a small angled line similar to a greater-than sign as a guide for the robin's beak.

 

Step 4: Draw another curved line on the bottom, left side as a guide for the back portion of the robin's body.

 

Step 5: Under the body, draw two sloping lines as guides for the robin's feet. Curve the bottom half of the lines a bit to show where the toes will be.

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Step 6: On the bottom, left side of the body, draw a long, diagonal line as a guide for the European robin's tail.

 

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

 

Step 7: Inside the bird's head, lightly sketch a small circle for the eye. Draw the eye near the outer edge of the body circle. Darken the eye when you get the placement right. Inside the eye, off to the side, draw a tiny circle to represent glare. Add a couple of curved lines around the robin's eye for extra detail.

 

Step 8: Use the angled line on the right as a guide to draw the robin's beak. Follow the basic path of the guide but make the shape of the beak narrower. Draw a line across the beak that extends in toward the head for the mouth. Use a series of short strokes on the left side for the feathery base of the bird's beak. The strokes should be very close to the eye. Add a slit inside the beak for the nostril.

 

Step 9: Use the initial curved line as a guide to draw the rest of the robin's head. Use short strokes as you darken the path of the guide to create the feather-like texture on the head. Draw more strokes below the eye for the bottom part of the head. Don't draw too many strokes at the bottom; just a few scattered ones.

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Step 10: On the left side of the body, lightly sketch the shape of the folded wing. The shape of the wing should be thin. The bottom should be pointy and slightly outside of the body. When you get the placement and shape right, darken the lines using short strokes at the top. Use a single unbroken line for the bottom part of the robin's wing.

 

Step 11: Use the big circle and curved line on the left as guides to draw the European robin's body. Darken the outer edge of the initial guides to create the shape of the body. Use a series of short strokes to create a feathery, fluffed-up texture.

 

Step 12: Use the line on the left side as a guide to draw the robin's tail. Follow the path of the guide and draw the shape of the tail around it. The top part of the tail should be wider than the bottom tip.

 

Step 13: Use the line under the body on the left side as a guide to draw the robin's first leg. Draw the shape of the leg around the guide. Draw the long middle toe using the curved part at the bottom. Add a shorter toe on either side of the longer toe and make the tips pointy for the nails. Add an even shorter toe near the top that points to the left.

 

Step 14: Use the line on the right as a guide to draw the robin's other leg the same way. First follow the path of the guide to draw the top of the leg and the middle toe. Then draw the shorter toes on the side, including the one pointing left at the top.

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Step 15: Under the toes, add a branch for the robin to stand on by using a couple of lines. The lines should be almost horizontal. They should be closer together on the right side. As you draw the lines, be sure to not overlap the feet. On the left side, draw a series of jagged lines to create the broken end of the branch. You can also skip these jagged edges and just draw the two lines for the branch.

 

Step 16: 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 European robin drawing! Use black and dark brown for the eye. Don't overlap the tiny circle. Use gray to outline the color separation on the face and chest. Then mix gray and brown throughout the body except for the face and chest. Use dark brown, light brown and even a bit of dark red to color the bird's body. Add the colors lightly at first, then push down harder until you get the level of darkness that you want.

Continue to add browns and grays to the robin's body and gradually blend them together. Coloring can be very time- consuming, so be patient and take breaks. Use dark brown to draw a few stripes near the bottom of the wing for feathers. Use gray and black for the beak. Leave a small strip blank at the top to indicate shine. Use a blend of peach, light brown and dark brown to color the legs.

Use a blend of green, brown and gray to color the branch. Use curved vertical strokes so that the color contours to the shape of the branch. Remember to add the colors lightly at first and then gradually darken and blend them. Add a bit more dark brown to the bird's legs to emphasize the shadows.

Now add the European robin's colorful chest and face colors! Use orange, yellow, red- orange and yellow-orange. Use a variety of orange-like colors. Simply pick a color and add it lightly to see if it works. Experiment! Add some reds and browns too. It doesn't have to be perfect. Have fun with it!

Continue adding color throughout the robin's body until you achieve the hue you like. As you color, use strokes that go in the general direction of the feathers. It's always a good idea to use reference for a more accurate drawing. Don't forget to pause the video to draw at your own pace. Use a bit of purple at the bottom for the shadows and yellow at the top for highlights.

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