Please PAUSE the "How to Draw a Swan" video after each step to draw at your own pace.
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 as a guide for the front part of the swan's body. The circle doesn't have to be perfect. It's just a guide.
Step 2: Draw a long arc on the left side of the circle to finish up the guide for the swan's body. The end result should be a shape similar to a long egg.
Step 3: Draw a small circle high above the body on the right side as a guide for the swan's head. Swans have long necks, so don't place the head too close to the body. The size of the swan's head should be about a quarter the size of the first circle.
Step 4: Inside the circle, draw two intersecting lines. These lines will help you place the facial features later.
Step 5: Draw a small, thin arc on the right side of the head as a guide for the swan's beak.
Step 6: Draw a couple of curved lines that connect the head to the body to form the swan's neck.
Step 7: Under the swan's body, draw an L-shaped line as a guide for the feet.
That's it for the initial sketch! From this point on, press harder with your pencil to get a more defined sketch.
Step 8: Use the intersecting lines as guides to place the swan's eye inside the head. The shape of the swan's eye is similar to an oval with pointed ends. Shade the inside of the eye except for a tiny circle to represent glare. Draw a few smal lines on the outside of the swan's eye for extra detail.
Step 9: Use the initial arc and lines as guides to draw the swan's beak. First draw the base of the beak as a series of squiggly lines that extend from the eyes to the left side of the beak. Add a small bump on top of the beak. Use the initial arc as a guide to draw the top part of the beak. Draw a small oval and a line next to it on the top part of th ebeak for the nostril. Draw the bottom part of the swan's beak as well.
Step 10: Darken the outer portion of the circle to form the swan's head. Draw a few quick, short strokes inside the head for extra detail.
Step 11: Darken the lines under the head to form the swan's long neck. Curve th eneck more and make it thinner. The lower part of the line on the right should stick out just a bit.
Step 12: Use the top half of the body as a guide to draw the swan's folded wing. The wing comes to a curved point on the left side of the body. Add a small curved line on the left too. Draw another long, curved line just above to represent the wing on the other side.
Step 13: Use the initial shape as a guide to draw the rest of the swan's body. Draw a few spikes on the left side between the wings using quick, short strokes for the tail. If you want to draw your swan in water, stop here and add a long line across the body to represent water. Otherwise finish the bottom part of the swan's body using the initial shape as a guide. Draw a small bump on the bottom for the belly. Notice that the lines don't touch the guide for the swan's feet.
Step 14: Use the L-shaped line as a guide to draw the swan's feet. First draw th ebase of the foot between the wing and the L-shaped line. Now draw the rest of the foot by making the guide line thicker. Swans have flat webbed feet, so first draw three individual toes, then draw the webbing in between using curved lines. Draw the visible portion of the leg on the other side the same way.
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 them. It's okay to leave some behind. Also re-draw any final sketch lines that you may have accidentally erase.
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.
Although I didn't do it here, it's always a good idea to add a cast shadow underneath. It helps ground the subject so it doesn't appear to be floating.
You can add a bit more value to your drawing for extra detail. The top part of a swan's beak is darker than the rest. The feet are very dark too. It's a good idea to use reference to be as accurate as possible.
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