In this free art lesson, you'll learn how to draw a Kingfisher (Belted Kingfisher) bird step-by-step.

Stay tuned for more free drawing lessons by:

Liking us on Facebook>>

Subscribing on YouTube.com>>

Following us on Instagram>>

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.

RELATED TUTORIALS

To draw this Kingfisher 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.

The 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 near the top of the paper as a guide for the kingfisher's head. First make four marks to determine the circle's height and width. Then connect the marks using curved lines. If you're struggling to draw the circle, just trace the outer rim of a circular object like a coin or a lid. For a more detailed guide on the different ways to draw a circle check out this tutorial: Four simple ways to draw a circle.

Step 2: Inside, draw two intersecting lines that divide the circle evenly as guides to help you place the kingfisher's facial features later.

Step 3: To the left of the head, draw a long, pointy, triangular shape as a guide for the bird's beak. Make the base of this shape wide. Pay attention to the size of the kingfisher's beak in relation to the head.

Step 4: Under the head, off to the right, draw a big, circular shape as a guide for the top part of the kingfisher's body. Make a few marks at first to help you determine the size of the guide. The shape is similar to a circle minus the top.

Step 5: On the bottom, right side, draw a big arc as a guide for the lower part of the kingfisher's body. Make a small mark at the bottom and then connect the mark to the top half of the bird's body using curved lines.

---

Step 6: On the lower, right side, draw two long, sloping, vertical lines as guides for the bird's tail. Pay attention to the length of the tail in relation to the body. Draw a line at the bottom to close off the shape. Under the body, on the left side, draw a two short, curved lines as guide for the kingfisher's feet.

That's it for the guides! From this point on, press harder with your pencil for a more defined drawing.

Step 7: Inside the head, near the middle, lightly sketch a small circle for the kingfisher's eye. Use the initial lines as guides for size and placement. When you get the shape right, darken the lines. Draw a couple of curved lines around the edge of the eye for the eyelids. Farther out around the eye, draw a series of short strokes for the feathers around the eye. Inside the bird's eye, off to the side, draw a tiny circle for a highlight. In the middle, draw a big dot for the pupil. Shade in the eye using a value that's almost as dark as the pupil. Don't overlap the tiny highlight circle.

Step 8: Use the long, triangular shape on the left side of the head as a guide to draw the beak. Darken the top part of the guide. Draw a long, horizontal line across the middle of the shape for the kingfisher's mouth. The line for the mouth should stretch to the inside of the head, close to the eye. Darken the lower edge of the guide for the bottom of the beak and stretch the line inside the head too. The shape of the beak should be thick. Draw a series of short strokes on the right side for the feathery base. Draw a short line on the top part of the bird's beak, near the base, for the nostril.

Step 9: Use the edge of the initial circle as a guide to draw the crest on the kingfisher's head. Draw a series of short strokes around the basic path of the circle to create the spiky crest. Use a long, vertical line above the beak for the front part of the head. Use strokes of different sizes for the bird's head, but on average the strokes should be short. Leave a few gaps between the strokes. Don't draw the strokes too uniform. Vary them a little. As you draw the strokes around the circle, tilt the shapes like the second marks on a clock. Use shorter strokes on the lower, right side to complete the kingfisher bird's mohawk-like crest.

---

Step 10: Draw a series of short strokes near the bottom of the initial circle for the markings on the neck. Start drawing the strokes under the bird's beak and finish them on the lower end of the crest on the right. Draw more strokes across the head, near the bottom edge, for more of the pattern on the feathers. Draw a small shape made up of short strokes between the kingfisher's eye and the beak for a spot on the feathers.

Step 11: Darken the right side of the big initial arc for the first part of the kingfisher's folded wing. On the bottom, draw a thin, sloping shape for a feather at the tip of the folded wing. The feather should overlap the tail. Add some short strokes above the feather. Inside the body, draw a long line that connects to the feather at the bottom for the inner edge of the folded wing. Use short strokes and curved lines to draw the inner edge of the bird's folded wing.

Step 12: Draw a curved shape around the line under the body and to the right for the base of the first foot. Use the bottom of the line as a guide to draw the kingfisher's skinny foot and three toes. Draw the middle toe around the guide and another toe on either side. Make the tips pointy for the claws. Use the line on the left as a guide to draw the bird's other foot the same way. Draw a curved line at the top for the base. Add the pointy toes at the bottom around the guide. The toes on the sides should be shorter than the middle toe.

Step 13: Darken the left and lower edges of the initial guides to create the shape of the body. Don't overlap the legs at the bottom as you draw the shape of the body. Inside the tail, near the middle, draw a V-shaped line that's made up of short strokes for the tail's feathery base. Follow the path of the guide for the kingfisher's tail but make the shape a bit thinner as you darken the lines. Draw a series of sloping, vertical lines along the bottom of the bird's tail for the individual feathers.

Step 14: Draw a big, arc-like shape under the feet to give the kingfisher a rock to stand on. Don't overlap the toes as you draw the rock. Add some lines inside the arc to give the rock texture.

---

Step 15: 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: Add some shading to your kingfisher drawing for more detail. Use a dark value for the beak. Use a light value at the base for the white part of the beak. Use a dark value for the head. Leave the spot next to the eye blank. Use strokes that radiate outward from the beak as you shade. Leave the bottom of the bird's head blank but add a few spots using a dark value. For a more detailed guide on how to shade, check out this tutorial: How to shade.

Draw a squiggly line across the kingfisher's chest and then shade the chest and the folded wing using a dark value. Shading can be time-consuming, so be patient and take breaks. Add some spots on the chest. It's a good idea to use reference as you draw for an accurate depiction of a kingfisher. Use a medium value for the feet. Use a dark value for the tail but leave some areas blank for spots.

Use a light value for the rock and to create some shadows on the lower part of the bird's body. For a female kingfisher like this one, draw a band across the torso using a medium value. Leave this band out for a male kingfisher. Don't forget to pause the video after each step to draw at your own pace.

Thanks for visiting! Subscribe to the How2DrawAnimals YouTube Channel for a new tutorial every week.

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

RELATED TUTORIALS