Please PAUSE the "How to Draw a Dover" 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 top part of the dove's body. The circle doesn't have to be perfect. It's just a guide. 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: Draw an arc on the lower left side of the circle as a guide for the lower part of the dove's body so that the resulting shape is similar to an egg.

Step 3: Draw a smaller circle on the top right side of the dove's body as a guide for the head. The size of the head should be about one-fourth the size of the first circle.

Step 4: Draw a small triangle-like shape on the right side of the head as a guide for the dove's beak.

Step 5: Draw a couple of lines that connect the dove's head to the body to form the neck.

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Step 6: Draw two long lines on top of the dove's body as a guide for the first part of the wings. Bend the lines a bit near the middle to indicate the joints. The longer you draw the lines, the longer the wings will be. The line on the right should be shorter because that wing will be farther away.

Step 7: Draw two more curved lines to complete the guide for the bird's wings. Simply draw two long curved lines to connect the tips of the dove's wings to the body.

Step 8: Draw an arc on the lower left side of the body as a guide for the dove's tail. The guide consists of two straight lines and a curved line.

Step 9: Draw a couple of small lines under the body as a guide for the dove's feet.

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 the eye as a small circle inside the head. Add a tiny circle on the side to represent glare. Add a big, dark dot in the middle of the dove's eye for the pupil and then shade the rest of the eyeball. Use a value that's lighter than the pupil for the rest of the eyeball. Draw a few lines surrounding the eye for extra detail.

Step 11: Use the triangle-like shape as a guide to draw the dove's beak. Use quick, short strokes for the base of the dove's beak, then follow the path of the guide as you darken the top part of the beak. Add the rest of the base and draw the lower part of the beak. Draw a small slit at the top for the dove's nostril.

Step 12: Use the original circle as a guide to draw the rest of the dove's head. Follow the basic path of the guides as you darken the lines to create the top of the head. When drawing the lower part of the dove's head, curve the line inward more to create the neck.

Step 13: Use the initial lines as guides to draw the wing on the left. Follow the path of the guide as you darken the line to form the top part of the dove's wing. Draw the bottom of the wing by using a series of curved lines along the basic path of the guide. The small curved lines represent the individual feathers on the dove's wing. Don't worry about drawing a precise number of feathers. Just add the curved lines as best you can. The feathers should be closer together and smaller the closer they get to the bird's body. Draw a few lines near the top edge of the shape for the wing's structure.

Step 14: Use the other set of lines as guides to draw the dove's wing on the other side. Darken the top of the wing. Then follow the path of the guide as you draw the individual curves for the dove's feathers. Pay attention to the change in direction of the feathers as you draw them along the path.

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Step 15: Draw a few lines within the shape of the wings for further structure and extra detail. Extend the curved lines you drew earlier into the wing to make the dove's feathers longer. Draw a few more curved lines in the middle of the wing for more feathers. Extend the curved lines on the other wing as well to make those feathers longer.

Step 16: Use the small lines underneath the body as guides to draw the feet. Draw a curved line close to the dove's body for the base of the feet. Then make the guide lines thicker to create the folded feet.

Step 17: Use the shape on the left side as a guide to draw the dove's tail. Darken the sides of the tail and then add a few straight lines within the shape for the bird's individual tail feathers.

Step 18: Darken the remaining guide lines to create the rest of the dove's body.

Step 19 (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: Add some shading to your dove 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. You can add more value throughout the dove's body if you'd like or leave it most of it blank for a white dove. It's always a good idea to use reference for a more accurate drawing. Don't forget to pause the "How to Draw a Dove" video after each step to follow at your own pace.

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