Please PAUSE the "How to Draw a Kiwi Bird" 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 kiwi'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. Leave enough room on the left side for the bird's head and at the bottom for the legs.

 

Step 2: Draw a big, wide arc on the left side of the circle as a guide for the second part of the kiwi bird's body. First draw a small mark to indicate the height of the arc, then connect the mark to the circle using curved lines. The resulting shape of the combined guides should be similar to an egg.

 

Step 3: Draw a smaller circle on the left side as a guide for the kiwi bird's head. This circle should be about one-fifth the size of the first one. The right edge should be touching the guides for the body.

 

Step 4: Draw two intersecting lines inside the kiwi's head to help you place the facial features later on. The end result should look similar to the scope of a lens.

 

Step 5: Draw a long diagonal line to the left of the head as a guide for the kiwi's beak.

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Step 6: Draw a curved line at the bottom that connects the head to the body to form the guide for the kiwi bird's neck.

 

Step 7: Draw two lines under the kiwi's body as guides for the legs. The first line should start inside the circle and bend in the middle to indicate where the joint will be. Bend the line again at the bottom for the foot. The guide for the bird's other leg should consist of a diagonal line that bends at the bottom to indicate where the foot will be.

 

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

 

Step 8: Lightly sketch a small circle inside the kiwi's head for the eye. Use the construction lines as guides for placement. When you get the size and placement of the eye right, darken the circle. Draw a tiny circle inside the eye, off to the side, to represent glare and a bigger dot in the middle for the pupil. Shade the inside of the kiwi bird'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. Draw a line surrounding the eye for the bare skin found there.

 

Step 9: Use the line on the left as a guide to draw the kiwi's beak. Darken the line and extend it inside the circle to create the mouth. It should end under the eye on the left side. Add a curved line above the mouth for the groove on the beak. Draw a series of quick, short strokes at the base of the beak on the right for the feathers. Add another long line above the mouth for the top part of the beak. The lines should be more or less parallel. Connect the two lines on the left side and make the tip of the beak wide and round. Add another long parallel line underneath for the bottom part of the kiwi's beak. Curve the line down slightly as it goes inside the head.

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Step 10: Use the initial circle as a guide to draw the rest of the kiwi's head. Use a series of quick, short strokes as you draw the shape of the head to represent feathers. Follow the basic path of the initial circle but make the shape of the head a bit wider on the sides. Add a few more quick, short strokes within the bird's head, to the right of the eye, for the ear opening.

 

Step 11: Draw a series of long strokes at the base of the kiwi bird's beak for the whisker-like feathers found there. The whiskers don't have to look exactly like this. Just add random lines at the base of the beak.

 

Step 12: Use the line under the body, on the right side, as a guide to draw the kiwi's first leg. First draw a U-shaped line at the top of the guide, inside the body, for the base of the leg. The base of the leg should be made up of quick, short strokes to represent the feathers. Now follow the basic path of the guide as you make the shape of the leg wider. Follow the path of the guide as it bends to create the shape of the foot and toes. The toes should end in a sharp spike for the claws. The toes should overlap each other a bit. Kiwi birds have three toes that point forward, but because of the angle, only two will be visible.

 

Step 13: Use the initial lines and shapes as guides to draw the rest of the kiwi's body. Simply darken the outer edges of the guides to create the body. Use quick, short strokes for a feathery texture. As you draw the underside of the body, make the line curve more to give the midsection a small indentation.

 

Step 14: Use the last line under the kiwi's body to as a guide draw the second leg the same way as the first. Make the shape of the leg thicker as you follow the basic path of the guide. Draw the foot and toes where the guide bends. Draw a short, curved, spike-like shape at the end of each toe for the claws.

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Step 15 (optional): 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 (optional): Add some shading throughout your kiwi bird drawing for extra detail. As you add the value, separate each individual stroke a bit so that the white of the paper comes through and creates a coarse-looking texture. Vary the pressure on your pencil to get different degrees of tonal value. Don't worry about shading too smoothly. The rough value gives the feathers a coarse texture. Instead focus on adding the strokes in the basic direction that the feathers should go.

Make a small curved section on the right side of the body a lighter value to represent sheen on the kiwi's feathers. Adding the value can be very time- consuming, so be patient and take breaks. Continue shading until the entire body is covered in value. Make sure the separate each indivudual stroke for a coarse texture. Use a slightly darker value on the underside of the body to give the figure more dimension and volume. Use a slightly lighter value for the bird's beak and the feet. The top and right sides of the feet should be darker for the shadows.

Add a cast shadow underneath. This helps ground the kiwi bird so it doesn't appear to be floating. Use a darker value near the middle of the shadow and a lighter value along the edge for the shadow's diffusion.

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

 

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