In this free art lesson, you'll learn how to draw a Baltimore orile 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 oriole 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 oriole 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 horizontal line inside the head as a guide to help you position the facial features later. On the left side of the head, a small, triangular line as a guide for the Baltimore oriole's beak. 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 an arc on its side.

Step 3: Connect the circles using sloping lines to create the guide for the oriole's neck. Under the body, draw two sloping lines as guides for the legs. Bend the lines at the top to indicate the joints. Add curved lines under the legs as guides for the feet. The guides for the feet should be similar to the letter C. On the bottom, right side of the body, draw a long, thin shape as a guide for the tail. The base of the tail should be wider than the tip.

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

Step 4: Inside the head, draw a small circle for the bird's eye. Place the eye on top of the horizontal guide line. Pay attention to the size of the eye in relation to the head circle. Inside the eye draw a tiny circle for a highlight and a small circle for the pupil. Shade in the pupil. Draw curved lines around the eye to indicate the bare skin. Add a few lines on the bare skin for creases.

Step 5: Use the small, triangular shape on the left side of the head as a guide to draw the oriole's beak. Darken the basic path of the guide. Add a line across the shape for the mouth. The mouth should extend inside the head so that it's close to the eye. Add a few curved lines that are made up of short strokes on the right side for the feathery base of the beak.

Step 6: Use the initial shapes and lines as guides to draw the oriole's head. Darken the outer edges of the guides to create the shape of the head. Curve the lines on the left side farther along the beak so that the head is wider. Add a few short strokes inside the head to create a feathery texture.

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Step 7: Draw a long, curved shape across the entire body for the oriole's folded wing. Make the left side of the shape wide and then gradually make it thinner toward the right. The tip of the wing should be inside the shape of the tail. Add a few curved lines across the middle of the shape to separate the pattern of feathers.

Step 8: Use the line that is under the body and on the right side as a guide to draw the oriole bird's first leg. Draw the shape of the leg, foot and toes around the guide lines. Draw a wide shape at the top using a series of short strokes for the feathery base of the leg. Keep the edges of the leg close to the guide line so that the overall shape is thin. Curve the toes and make the tips for the nail. Draw three toes pointing forward and one pointing back. The backward pointing toe will be mostly hidden behind the branch so don't draw the whole thing. Sketch lightly at first and only darken the lines when you get the shapes right.

Step 9: Use the line on the left as a guide to draw the oriole's other leg the same way. Draw the shape of the leg around the guide line. Add the feathery base at the top and the toes at the bottom using small, curved shapes with pointy tips for the nails. Inside the wing, draw a series of long, curved lines for the pattern on the feathers.

Step 10: Darken the outer edges of the remaining guides to create the shape of the oriole's body. Make the shape of the tail a bit thinner than the initial guide lines. Add a few lines to the tail for the individual feathers. Add a series of short strokes above the chest and wing for the color separation of the feathers. At the bottom, draw a few sloping lines to give the bird a branch to perch on.

Step 11: 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: Now color your oriole drawing! Color the head, the top part of the wing and tail black. Leave a few sections blank on the wing for the white feathers. Use yellow-orange to color the underside of the body. You can color your drawing more orange or more yellow if you'd like. Add a shadow to the underside of the body using brown. Use black and dark brown to color the eye but don't overlap the tiny highlight circle. Color the beak and legs using gray. Create highlights on the beak using a lighter shade of gray. Use different shades of brown and a bit of green to color the branch. Coloring can be time-consuming, so be patient and take breaks. It's a good idea to use reference as you color for a more accurate depiction of a Baltimore oriole bird.

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