Please PAUSE the "How to Draw a Seagull" 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 circle near the right side of the paper as a guide for the first part of the seagull's body. First draw four small marks to indicate the height and width of the circle, then connect the marks using curved lines. Sketch lightly at first so that 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 do want to draw a perfect circle, trace the outer rim of a cup, a lid or any other object with a circular edge.

 

Step 2: Now draw the second part of the body by first making a small mark on the left side. Now connect the small mark to the circle using curved lines so that you end up with an arc. The arc should be around the same length as the width of the circle.

 

Step 3: Draw another circle on the top, right side as a guide for the head. Draw this circle the same way. Start with marks indicating the height and width, then connect the marks with curved lines. This circle should be about one-third the size of the first one. Don't draw it to high up or the neck will be too long.

 

Step 4: Inside the head, draw two intersecting lines so that it looks like a scope. These are construction lines that will help you place the facial features later.

 

Step 5: On the right side of the head, draw a small arc as a guide for the beak. Pay attention to the arc in relation to the head. The arc should dip down slightly too.

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Step 6: Draw two long curved lines that connect the head to the body and form the guide for the neck. The shape of the neck should be thin at the top and wide at the bottom.

 

Step 7: Draw two L- shaped lines under the body, near the middle, as guides for the legs. Seagulls don't have long legs, so don't draw these guides too long.

 

Step 8: Draw another arc on the left side of the body as a guide for the tail. This arc should be thin and short relative to the rest of the body because seagulls have small tails.

 

That's it for the initial sketch! From this point on, press harder with your pencil to get a more defined sketch.

 

Step 9: Inside the head, lightly sketch a small circle for the eye. Use the lines as guides for placement. When you get the size and placement of the eye right, darken the lines. Draw a small triangle- like shape on either side of the circle and shade it in for the corners of the eye.

Inside the eye, off to the side, draw a tiny circle to represent glare. In the middle, add a dot for the pupil. Draw a couple of curved lines around the eye for bare skin that surrounds it. Add a few quick, short strokes on the left side to represent the texture of the feathers.

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Step 10: Use the arc on the right as a guide to draw the top part of the beak. Follow the basic path of the guide as you darken the lines but make the tip of the beak a bit shorter. Now draw a long wavy line across the middle of the arc for the actual mouth. The mouth should stretch in toward the head and end very close to the eye. Add a series of quick, short strokes on the left side of the beak for the feathery base.

 

Step 11: Now draw the bottom part of the beak by using the initial arc as a guide too. Make the bottom part of the beak a bit thinner than the arc and add more strokes on the right for the base. Draw a short line inside the top part of the beak for the nostril and a few more strokes inside the bottom for extra detail.

 

Step 12: Use the initial circle as a guide to draw the rest of the head. Follow the basic path of the initial circle but make the shape of the head bigger and wider. Continue drawing the line downward to create the neck. Make the throat section thinner than the guides. Add a few quick, short strokes within the head to emphasize the feathery texture.

 

Step 13: Draw the folded wing within the shape of the body. Darken the top part of the initial arc to create the top edge of the folded wing. Now draw a series of horizontal lines that cut across the body toward the initial circle for the bottom part of the wing. Add a few quick, short strokes that curve up toward the top of the body to finish the shape of the folded wing.

 

Step 14: Draw a series of short, curved lines within the wing for extra detail on the feathers. The feathers basically consist of rows made up of small curved lines across the shape of the wing. Don't overdo it with the feathers. Just draw about three rows made up of small curved lines inside the wing.

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Step 15: Use the L- shaped line on the left as a guide to draw the leg that's on this side of the body. Draw the shape of the leg around the guide and add a few extra bumps to represent the joints. Draw the toes at the bottom and add a small claw at each tip. The feet are quite flat, so the toes should almost overlap.

 

Step 16: Use the other L-shaped line to draw the second leg the same way. Follow the path of the guide as you thicken up the shape of the leg but add an extra claw on the left side. Make the leg bumpy at the top for the joints. Draw the toes on top of each other, almost overlapping, to indicate the flat feet.

 

Step 17: Use the remaining shapes and lines as guides to draw the rest of the body. Simply darken the outer edges of the initial guide to create the shape of the body. Use quick, short strokes on the lower, left side for the feathery texture found there.

 

Step 18: Darken the arc on the left side but make it a bit thinner to create the tips of the folded wings.

 

Step 19: Draw a few small arcs with a diagonal orientation for the short tail. The arcs should overlap each other to create individual feathers under the folded wings.

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Step 20: 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 (optional): Add some shading to your 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. Vary the pressure on your pencil to get different degrees of tonal value.

Add a cast shadow underneath. This helps ground the gull so it doesn't appear to be floating.

You can add even more value throughout your drawing for extra detail. Gulls have a variety of patterns on their feathers. For a typical one, simply add a dark value to the wings and tail. Within the wing, leave the edges of the feathers blank along with a striped pattern on the tips for more variety. Use a light value for the legs and beak too. It's always a good idea to use reference as you draw.

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To learn how to draw popular cartoon characters, visit EasyDrawingTutorials.com.

 

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