How to Draw a Pegasus
Please PAUSE the "How to Draw a Pegasus" 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 two circles near the bottom of the paper as guides for the first part of the pegasus' body. First draw four small marks for 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 circles don't have to be perfect. They're just guides. If you do want a perfect circle, trace the outer rim of a coin, a lid or any other object with a circular edge. Place the circle on the right a bit lower than the one on the left. They shouldn't be too far apart. Leave enough room at the top for the pegasus' wings.
Step 2: Draw another circle on the top, left side as a guide for the pegasus' head. This circle should be about one- fourth the size of the first one. Don't draw this circle too far away, otherwise the pegasus' neck will be too long.
Step 3: Draw a U-shaped arc under the head as a guide for the pegasus' muzzle.
Step 4: Draw two small triangle-like shapes that are similar to the letter M on top of the head as guides for the pegasus' ears.
Step 5: Draw two curved lines that connect the head to the body to create the guide for the neck. Draw two more lines that connect the first two circles to create the guide for the rest of the pegasus' body.
Step 6: Draw two angled lines under the circle on the left as guides for the pegasus' front legs. The first line should be horizontal at the top, then angle down and then angle slightly to the right near the bottom. Draw a similar line, but smaller, on the left side as the guide for the other front leg.
Step 7: Draw another set of lines on the left side as guides for the pegasus' hind legs. The first line should have a diagonal orientation, and it should be angled slightly near the middle. Draw another angled, diagonal line on the left as a guide for the hind leg on the other side.
Step 8: Draw a curved line that starts on the top right side of the body as a guide for the pegasus' tail.
Step 9: Draw two curved lines on top of the body as guides for the first part of the pegasus' wings. The first line should start above the neck and curve to the left. The second line should start on the top right side of the very first circle, and it should curve to the right. If you want your pegasus to have bigger wings, make these guide lines longer.
Step 10: Now draw a curved line under each of the lines from the previous step for the lower part of the wings. As you draw the line on the left, be sure to not overlap the guide lines for the pegasus' head. The line on the right should be bigger. This line should overlap the body because the base of the wing will be drawn here.
That's it for the initial sketch! From this point on, press harder with your pencil to get a more defined sketch.
Step 11: Lightly sketch an oval inside the head, near the top edge, for the eye. When you get the shape and the position of the eye right, darken the lines. Shade the inside of the eye except for a tiny circle off to the side to represent glare. Add an extra-dark value to the middle of the eye for the pupil. Draw a few more lines around the pegasus' eye for the detail on the folds of skin.
Step 12: Draw the nostril near the bottom of the muzzle as a curved line similar to a backward letter C. Add some value to the left side of the curved line. Add a longer curved line on the right to complete the shape of the pegasus' nostril.
Step 13: Darken the U-shaped guide to create the pegasus' muzzle. Add an extra bump on the left side for the other nostril. Follow the basic path of the guide but curve the line upward before it hits the right edge to create the mouth. Then draw a curved line under the mouth for the lower lip.
Step 14: To create the shape of the pegasus' ears, darken the triangle-like shapes on the head but make the lines curvier. Add a curved line inside each ear to further define the shape.
Step 15: Draw a series of wavy lines between the ears for the front part of the pegasus' mane. The lines should come to a point. They should also turn to the right because the mane is blowing in the wind. Don't draw every individual hair strand, just the basic shape of the mane. The shape should go over the eye.
Step 16: Use the initial circle and arc as guides to draw the rest of the pegasus' head. Follow the basic path of the guides but draw an extra bulge on the top left side for the other eye. Make the lower part of the head a bit narrower than the guide lines. Follow the edge of the initial circle on the right side to create the jaw. Add a series of lines within the shape of the head for extra detail.
Step 17: Use the second line from the left under the body as a guide to draw the pegasus' first front leg. Lightly sketch the shape of the folded front leg as you follow the basic path of the guide line. Wherever the leg bends should be more bulbous to represent the joint. The hoof should be square-like. The section right above the hoof should be thin. The base of the leg, the top part, should be thick. Sketch lightly so that it's easy to erase if you make a mistake. Darken the lines only when you get the shape right.
Step 18: Now use the leftmost line under the body as a guide to draw the pegasus' other front leg the same way. Follow the basic path of the guide as you draw the shape of the folded leg. The hoof should be sqaure-like, and the top part of the leg will be hidden behind the body.
Step 19: Use the line under the body on the right side as a guide to draw the first hind leg. Lightly sketch the leg around the guide line. Use curved lines where the guide bends to inidicate the joints. The pegasus' hind legs are stretched out, but they should still bend a little near the middle for the joints. The top of the leg should be wide. The hoof should be square-like, and the bottom should point to the right. When you get the structure of the leg right, darken the lines.
Step 20: Use the last line under the pegasus' body as a guide to draw the second hind leg. Draw the shape of the hind leg around the guide line. Make the top part wide and the bottom part narrow. This leg should basically look like the other hind leg, only slightly smaller.
Step 21: Use the lines above the body on the right side as guides to draw the top part of the pegasus' first wing. Simply darken the path of the guide at the top to create the edge of the wing. Slightly above the middle, curve the line back down to create a feather. Do the same for the tip at the top. Draw a series of tiny curved lines along the inner path of the wing to represent feathers. Draw the tiny curved lines all the way to the bottom toward the body to create the thick base of the wing.
Step 22: Draw a series of long, thin arcs along the inner, right side of the initial guide to create feathers. Make the tip of each individual feather pointy. The bottom of the feathers shouldn't reach the left edge of the wing. Make the arcs for the the feathers shorter and less pointy the farther down the wing you go. The middle section of the pegasus' wing should be thinner, and the arcs should be tiny. The bottom section of the wing should be wide, and the arcs for the individual feathers should be wide as well.
Step 23: Draw the pegasus' mane above the neck using a series of wavy lines. The lines should curve up, and the tips should be pointy to emphasize the mane flowing in the wind. Draw the mane as a big wavy shape instead of drawing every individual hair strand. Use curved lines at the bottom to indicate where the mane attaches to the neck. The section on the right will be hidden behind the wing. S
Step 24: Use the remaining shapes and lines as guides to draw the rest of the pegasus' body. Simply darken the outer edges of the initial guides to create the shape of the body. Use the curved line on the right side as a guide to draw the tail. Follow the path of the guide as you draw the shape of the tail around it using a series of wavy lines. The bottom tips should end in points. Just like the mane, draw the tail as a single shape instead of individual hair strands.
Step 25: Darken the right edge of the initial guides to create the top part of the other wing. Add a thin, long arc near the middle and at the top for individual feathers. Draw a series of tiny arcs within the shape of the pegasus' wing, close to the right side, for more feathers.
Step 26: Draw a series of thin, long arcs along the left edge of the guide for the individual feathers. Make the arcs shorter the farther down you go to make the feathers smaller. The middle section of the wing should be thin, and the arcs should be small and alomost flat. Don't forget to add the part of the wing below the head but don't overlap the lines on the head.
Step 27: 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 that you may have accidentally erased.
Final Step (optinal): You can stop here or you can add some shading to your pegasus drawing to give it more dimension and volume. Use a light to medium value for the shadows. Add some inside the wings to further separate each feather. Pick the direction of the light source when shading so that the shadows are consistent with it. Add the value lightly at first, then gradually build up to the level of darkness that you want. The shadows within the wing basically consist of thin, long strips of value. Vary the pressure on your pencil to get different degrees of tonal value. The pegasus is a mythical creature, so you can shade yours however you want. Add stripes or spots or even color your drawing! Shading can be time-consuming, so be patient and take breaks. And remember to pause the video to draw at your own pace.
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