In this free art lesson, you'll learn how to draw a secretary bird step-by-step.

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All of the tutorials on How2DrawAnimals.com are good drawing tutorials for beginners and experienced artists alike. The online tutorials are easy to follow; they teach you the how to draw basics while showing you how to draw animals step by step. Each animal has a video drawing tutorial option, as well as step-by-step photos and written text to follow.

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To draw this secretary bird step by step, follow along with the video tutorial below and pause the video after each step to draw at your own pace. You may find it easier to follow the step-by-step drawings below the video. The new lines in each step are shown in red, so you'll know exactly what to draw next. You may want to open the video in a new tab and use both drawing methods. Take your time and draw at your own pace.

Below you can watch a Narrated 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 so that it's easy to erase if you make a mistake.

Step 1: Start by drawing two circles as guides for the secretary bird's head and front part of the body. The circle on the top, left side will be the head. To draw each circle, first make four marks to determine the height and width. Then connect the marks using curved lines. If you're struggling to draw the circles, just trace the outer rims of circular objects like coins or bottle caps. For a more detailed guide on the different ways to draw a circle check out this tutorial: Four simple ways to draw a circle. Pay attention the sizes and spacing of the circles.

Step 2: Draw a small, curved line on the left side of the head as a guide for the secretary bird's beak. Connect the circles using sloping lines to create the guide for the neck. On the right side of the big circle, draw a long, curved line as a guide for the back portion of the body. The back of the body should be similar to a long arc.

Step 3: Inside the head, draw two intersecting lines as construction guides to help you place the bird's facial features later on. Under the body, draw two long lines as guides for the legs. Bend the lines to indicate the joints and feet. Pay attention to how long the lines are in relation to the body. On the right side of the body, draw a curved, horizontal line as a guide for the tail.

That's it for the guidelines! From this point on, press down harder with your pencil for a more defined drawing of a secretary bird.

Step 4: Inside the head, draw a small circle for the bird's eye. Place the eye on the top, left side of the guide lines. Draw a thick line on the top part of the circle for the eyelashes. Make the sides of the shape pointy for the corners of the eye. Inside the eye draw a tiny circle for a highlight and a small circle for the pupil. Shade in the pupil. Add a couple of curved lines around the eye to indicate the eyelid and wrinkles. The eye should be big in relation to the head.

Step 5: Use the small arc on the left side of the head as a guide to draw the secretary bird's beak. Follow the basic path of the guide but curve the shape down to create the pointy tip. Draw a few lines at the bottom of the shape to separate the mouth and the bottom part of the beak. Extend the mouth to the left so that it's under the eye. Add a small, oval-like shape on the top part of the beak for the nostril.

Step 6: Use the initial circle as a guide to draw the bird's head. Follow the path of the circle but make the shape wider and flatter. Use short strokes as you define the head for a feathery texture. Add a few more short strokes around the eye to separate the feathers from the bare skin.

Step 7: Draw the crest of feathers on the back of the secretary bird's head using long, thin shapes. The top of each feather should be wide and curved and the bottom narrow. Make the feathers different sizes and widths. Rotate the feathers so that they have a vertical orientation at the top and a horizontal orientation at the bottom.

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Step 8: Draw a long, curved shape across the entire body for the bird's folded wing. Make the left side of the shape wide and then gradually make it thinner toward the right. Draw a few short strokes on the left side for a feathery texture. Add longer lines on the right side for long feathers.

Step 9: Use the line that is under the body and on the right side as a guide to draw the secretary bird's first leg. Draw the shape of the leg, foot and toes around the guide lines. Make the top of the leg wide and the bottom narrow. Add a few short strokes where the joint is for the separation of feathers and bare skin. The foot is lifted so the toes should point down. Draw tiny, triangular shapes on the tip of each toe for the talons.

Step 10: Use the line to the left as a guide to draw the secretary bird's other leg the same way. Draw the shape of the leg around the guide line. Make the top wide and the bottom narrow. Add the toes at the bottom using small, curved shapes. On the tip of each toe, draw a tiny triangular shape for the talons.

Step 11: Darken the outer edges of the remaining guides to create the shape of the body. Use short strokes to create a feathery texture. Use the line on the right as a guide to draw the tail. Add more sloping lines to the guide to make the tail thicker and to create more feathers.

Step 12: 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: Shade your drawing for extra detail. Use a dark value to shade the crest, the right side of the wing, the tip of the tail and the tops of the legs. Use a medium value to draw the bare skin on the face and the left side of the wing. Shade the rest of the body using a very light value for the white feathers. Use strokes that go in the direction of the feathers as you shade. Shade lightly at first and gradually build up to darker values. For light values, push down very lightly on your pencil and push down harder for darker values. Add a slightly darker value throughout the body to create shadows. Pick a light source as you shade so that the shadows are consistent across the body. Here the light source is coming from the top so most of the shadows will be on the underside of the shapes. Add a cast shadow at the bottom using a medium value. It's a good idea to use reference as you shade for a more accurate depiction of a secretary bird. Shading can be time-consuming, so be patient and take breaks. For a more detailed guide on how to shade, check out this tutorial: How to shade.

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