Please PAUSE the "How to Draw a Vulture" 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 as a guide for the first part of the vulture'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: Draw a big triangle-shaped arc on the top left side of the circle as a guide for the second part of the vulture's body. First draw a small mark to indicate the height of the arc, then connect the mark to the circle using diagonal lines.

 

Step 3: Draw another triangle-shaped arc on the lower right side of the circle as a guide for the bottom half of the vulture's body. This arc should be a lot longer than the first one — almost twice the size. This arc should be closer to the side of the circle than the bottom.

 

Step 4: Draw a small circle on the upper left side of the body as a guide for the head. Vultures have small heads, so don't draw the circle too big. Pay attention to its size in relation to the body. The circle should be very close to the body, but their edges shouldn't touch.

 

Step 5: Draw two intersecting lines inside the head to help you place the vulture's facial features later on.

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Step 6: Draw a small, thin arc on the left side of the head as a guide for the vulture's beak.

 

Step 7: Draw a curved line that connects the head to the body as a guide for the vulture's neck. Draw the guide for the tail on the lower right side of the bird's body by using two diagonal lines and a horizontal line.

 

Step 8: Draw a curved line similar to the letter V under the body as a guide for the first leg. Add a curved line on the left side as a guide for the leg on the other side.

 

Step 9: Draw an angled line similar to a backward letter L under the first leg as a guide for the foot. Add a line at the bottom for the toe. Draw another line shaped like a backward letter L on the left for the vulture's other foot.

 

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

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Step 10: Draw a small circle inside the head on the left side for the eye. Use the initial lines as guides for placement. Add a line above the eye for the thick brow and skin. Inside the eye, off to the side, draw a tiny circle to represent glare. In the middle, add a big dot for the pupil. Shade the inside of the vulture's eye except for the tiny circle that represents glare. As you shade the eye, use a value that's slightly lighter than the pupil. Add a few lines under the eye to emphasize the bare skin.

 

Step 11: Use the small arc on the left as a guide to draw the vulture's beak. Darken the initial path of the arc but then extend the line farther down to create the sharp point. Continue to draw the line toward the right to create the mouth. Make the line a bit wavy. The mouth should extend to the inside of the circle. Use the bottom part of the arc as a guide to draw the bottom part of the bird's beak. Add a few more lines under the mouth for extra detail.

 

Step 12: Draw a square- like shape on the top part of the arc for the second part of the beak. The right side of this shape should curve a little. Add a couple of lines inside, near the left side, for the vulture's nostril.

 

Step 13: Use the remaining shapes and lines as guides to draw the rest of the head. Follow the basic path of the guides but make the head a little thinner. The head is basically bare, but use quick, short strokes when drawing the shape of it to indicate a few feathers. Add a curved line made up of quick, short strokes to indicate the separation between the bare face and the rest of the head. Draw a thin slit-like mark to the right of the eye for the ear opening.

 

Step 14: Use the initial curved line as a guide to draw the shape of the vulture's neck. Extend the lines for the head into the neck. Follow the basic path of the guide but make the neck thicker. Use quick, short strokes as you draw the neck to indicate the bird's sparse feathers.

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Step 15: Draw a line that's made up of quick, short strokes to the right of the neck for the fluffy feathers found there. Add a V-shaped line made up of quick, short strokes under the neck for the bottom part of the fluffy neck feathers. Using quick, short strokes, add a curved line at the top to complete the ring of fluffy feathers found at the base of the vulture's neck.

 

Step 16: Darken the initial arc at the top to create the folded wing on the other side of the vulture's body. Draw the top part of the other folded wing to the left of the feathers around the neck. The top part of the folded wing should follow the basic shape of the body and look similar to a less-than sign (<). Curve the lines as you draw the shape of the folded wing for a more organic look. Draw a series of short, curved lines along the middle of the body to indicate the feathers on the bird's folded wing.

 

Step 17: Draw the bottom half of the vulture's wing by using the big arc on the right as a guide. Continue drawing the left edge of the folded wing using curved lines. Darken the top part of the arc for that part of the wing. Start drawing short, curved lines along the bottom for the feathers. Follow the basic path of the initial guide as you draw the curved lines that represent the bird's individual feathers.

 

Step 18: Darken the guide lines at the top to create the top part of the vulture's body. Darken the bottom part of the guides to create the underside of the body. Darken the shape on the lower right and add a series of short, diagonal lines inside for the individual tail feathers.

 

Step 19: Use quick, short strokes as you follow the path of the curved line under the body on the right to create the leg. Use the angled lines under the body as guides to draw the vulture's foot and toes on this side of the body. Follow the basic path of the guides as you make the shape of the foot thicker. Add a curved line at the end of the toes for the bird's sharp talons. Draw another toe on the right side using curved lines and a third toe that's barely visible at the top.

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Step 20: Draw the leg on the other side the same way. Start with quick short strokes along the initial curved line. Then draw the rest of the vulture's foot by following the basic path of the initial guides and making the shape thicker. Add the toe on the right side and make the tips of the toes curved and pointy for the talons. You can also make the tips of the toes a bit darker to emphasize the sharp talons.

 

Step 21: 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: Add some shading throughout your vulture drawing for extra detail. Add a dark value to the beak but leave a curved strip blank for shine. Use a medium value for the bare skin on the bird's face. The back of the head and neck have a few feathers, so use circular strokes as you add a light value.

For the vulture's folded wing, use a dark value at the bottom that gradually gets lighter at the top. Use a series of thin, long shapes as you shade the bottom of the folded wing to represent individual feathers. This is a white-backed vulture, so use light strokes for the rest of the body except for the feet. Use a dark value for the feet.

Add some shading to your vulture 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. Shading can be time-consuming, so be patient and take breaks. It's always a good idea to use reference as you draw.

Add a cast shadow underneath. This helps ground the vulture 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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