Chickens are a popular subject for drawing. Their round bodies fluffy feathers and distinctive head and beak make them fun to depict in artwork. If you want to learn how to draw a realistic chicken, there are some simple techniques you can follow. With a bit of practice, you’ll be creating beautiful chicken drawings in no time.
Gather References
The first step is finding good reference photos of chickens to use. Look for photos that show chickens from multiple angles – side view, front view, top view, etc. Having references with good lighting that show all the details of the feathers will be very helpful. You may want photos that showcase different chicken breeds as well, since plumage can vary.
Once you’ve gathered several high-quality chicken reference photos you can start analyzing the anatomy. Look at the overall shape of the body and how the feathers lay across it. Notice the patterns and textures in the plumage. Study how the comb wattle, beak and other facial features are formed. This will give you a good understanding before beginning your sketch.
Start with Simple Shapes
When starting the drawing begin with basic shapes like circles, ovals and triangles. These will establish the overall proportions and form of the chicken before adding detail.
First draw a large oval for the body, with a smaller oval for the head. Use triangles or small circles to indicate the beak and comb. Draw tapered ovals for the tail and wings. Place ovals on extended lines for the legs and feet.
Refine the shapes further, erasing and redrawing as needed. For example, the body oval may taper more at one end for the tail. The neck can be an oval extending from the head to the body.
Once you have the major forms mapped out, you can start building up the details.
Add the Feather Details
Chickens have layers of feathers that overlay each other across their body. To create this effect, draw each section of feathers individually using small strokes that follow the forms.
Start with the layer of downy feathers close to the skin. Use short, light lines that generally go in the same direction. Draw the feathers closest to the head and neck first, then work your way down the body.
Add the longer contour feathers next, using flowing curves. Draw the wing and tail feathers individually to show how they overlap. Add smaller detailed feathers along the edges and ends.
Finally, use small strokes to draw the tiny feathers that cover parts of the legs and feet. Add lines across the toes and scales down the front of the legs.
Refine the Facial Features
Once the body feathers are roughed in, carefully refine the facial features. Draw an angular upside-down triangle shape for the beak. Add small circles for the nostrils.
Make the comb with a smooth, wavy red shape originating from the top of the beak. Add the wattle as a small circular flap hanging from the lower beak.
Draw an oval eye, leaving a white circle for the highlight. Around the eye, indicate the skin with some lined texture. Detail the area where the beak meets the head as well.
Add Color and Finishing Details
Chicken plumage can display a whole rainbow of color. Hens are often shades of brown, reddish-brown and black. Roosters have iridescent and speckled feathers. You can use any colors you like for your chicken drawing.
Try adding the color in layers, starting with light base tones. Build up shadows and definition by layering darker shades on top. Add some bright colors for the comb and wattle. Ground the chicken with subtle shading beneath the feet.
Look closely at your references to see fine details you may want to add, like speckles on the feathers or scales on the legs. Use a small, pointed brush to make the final refinements.
Sign your name and date your chicken drawing when complete!
Helpful Tips for Drawing Chickens
Here are a few more tips to keep in mind when tackling chicken drawings:
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Use an HB or B pencil to lightly sketch the initial guide shapes and lines. This will be easy to erase later.
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Pay attention to the direction of feather growth when adding details. The feathers should radiate outwards from the head and body.
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Look for the shadows created where the wings and other parts overlay one another. This creates depth.
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Consider using watercolor for washes of color with nice textured effects for the feathers.
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Chickens have fluffy feathers on their lower abdomen that can lightly brush the ground.
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Practice drawing chickens in different poses – standing, pecking, scratching, nesting, etc.
Simple Methods for Drawing Chickens
If detailed feather-by-feather drawing seems too advanced, there are simpler ways to depict chickens.
For a cartoon chicken, use basic shapes with clean outlines. Add some graphic feathers and fun details. Animate the chicken doing humorous actions.
For a quick sketch, loosely indicate the major forms and features with gestural lines. Capture the energy and movement with a few minimal strokes.
Drawing chicken chicks is also fun, using a soft, rounded body and large eyes and beak. Add fluffy feathers on the wings.
Inspiring Examples to Follow
Looking at other artists’ chicken drawings can provide helpful guidance as you learn. Some pieces to check out include:
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Realistic colored pencil drawings by artist Dongfeng Li showing the feather textures.
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Expressive pen and watercolor chickens by Andrea Joseph with great energetic lines.
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Whimsical chickens in Prismacolor by Izabella Stachurska depicting chickens in dresses.
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Charcoal gestural sketches by Vincent Petit showing chickens in action.
Let these artists inspire your own unique chicken drawings. With practice over time and studying from good references, you’ll be able to produce lifelike depictions of one of the most charismatic barnyard birds. Just take it step-by-step, building up from basic shapes to fully-rendered feathers. Before you know it, you’ll have mastered drawing chickens.
What You Will Need
In order to complete this project, you’ll need the following equipment:
- an HB graphite pencil
- a 3B graphite pencil
- an eraser
- drawing paper
How to Draw a Rooster
In this part of the tutorial, we’ll be working on a sketch of an adult male chicken and exploring its outward difference from an adult female—a hen.
The ancient Greeks believed that even lions were afraid of roosters, as evidenced by several of Aesops Fables. The rooster is also one of the signs of the Chinese zodiac; it is associated with loyalty and keen observation.
With the HB pencil, I start with the rough shape of the head, and then add the beak. Be sure to leave enough space for the rest of the bird on the sheet of paper!
I add the shapes for the comb and wattle to the bird’s head.
I add a rough trapezium-like shape for the bird’s neck.
I add the shape of the rooster’s body.
A rooster has a large tail that consists of long feathers; I mark the area where it should be located and the direction of feathers.
Let’s draw the bird’s feet. I outline the fluffy thighs first.
Then I add the remaining parts of the feet (the shanks), using lines and small circles to mark the joints.
Our rooster has three main toes (they are longer) and one small back toe.
I refine the head of the bird, adding the significant details: the eye, the ear (at the side of the head), and the earlobe just near it. Then I define the points of the comb.
By the way, chickens have full-color vision, just like we do! Also, they can distinguish more than 100 faces of members of their species.
I refine the contours of the bird’s body, making it stouter. Feel free to erase the unnecessary pencil lines as you go.
I draw the feet, based on the framework. The rooster should have spurs at the back of the feet and claws at the tips of the toes.
I add the wing, also marking the contour of the long feathers that are hanging down (they are called saddle feathers).
It’s time to refine the tail of the rooster. Actually, the feathers of different parts of a chicken’s body have different names; for example, the long, curling, showy feathers of the rooster’s tail are called sickles.
I draw the feathers that are closer to the body.
I add the curling sickles; don’t be afraid to make them long and opulent.
With light pencil lines, I mark the feathers on the rooster’s body. The long, thin feathers around the neck are called hackles.
With the HB graphite pencil, I apply some graphite hatching to the drawing, paying particular attention to the head, wing, and tail details.
The shanks have a subtle relief and may be slightly fluted, so I emphasize this feature.
I increase the contrast, using the softer 3B pencil. The sketch is complete!
You may ask, what is the difference in the appearance between a rooster and a hen? Let’s look into it.
A hen has a seemingly heavier body. The feet are shorter, and the tail can’t boast of long, showy feathers—the hens feathers are short and mainly straight. The comb is smaller, too.
The shows the general proportions of an adult female chicken. We won’t be repeating the whole drawing process all over again because it’s very similar to sketching our rooster—so just grasp the main features of the hens appearance.
The feathering of a hen usually creates a smoother, softer impression. It’s important to accentuate the hackles—they create a variety in covering.
All chickens have buds on their legs from which spurs can grow. In most hens, they remain latent, but sometimes they become long and prominent.
The pattern of the plumage varies from breed to breed. Alternating darker and lighter spots is a sure option to achieve a credible look!
How To Draw A Chicken
FAQ
How do you draw a chicken?
All you draw is a leg line down to one front pointy toe. Chickens are ground-feeding birds with heavy bodies that are part of the Phasianidae family of birds that also include the grouse, pheasant, turkey and partridge. Ancestors of the chicken may have roamed with the dinosaurs such as the Tyrannosaurus rex!
How do you draw a cat comb?
Make sure you also check out any of the hundreds of drawing tutorials grouped by category. Step 1: First draw the comb. This is the red bit on top of the head. It looks like a slightly curved fuzzy caterpillar. Step 2: Next draw the tiny eye just below the top part of the comb. The pointy beak is right below the bottom of the comb.
How do you draw a head feather?
Start with the first tail feather and draw one big loop in a continuous motion. Without lifting the crayon, draw the second large loop and then another. The loops introduce a lovely motion into the process. Use the same loop-the-loop process to draw draw head feathers. Next, draw a small triangular beak and a solid oval black eye.