02-39 Chicken

A female chicken, or a hen, has a thick and soft feathery covering. Her feathers are smaller around her face and head and much larger at her tail. The contour in this drawing shows how the texture changes from smooth to fluffy to rough.

1 Draw the downward curves of the beak, and for the eye, draw two circles above the beak’s middle line.

2 Draw the chicken’s comb above her head and her wattle below her beak.

3 Draw the chicken’s neck, chest, and sloping back.

4 Add the curves of her tail feathers.

5 Sketch the lower part of the chicken’s body with short lines, and make two downward points where her legs will go.

6 Begin the near leg with a downward curve and an angled line.

Fun Fact

The natural posture of the chicken’s foot is curved around a branch, not walking, because this bird developed from jungle fowl that perched in trees.

7 Add the toes, and leave little spaces at the tips of the toes for the claws.

8 Draw the claws using slightly curving lines.

9 Complete the chicken’s other leg and foot.

10 Draw the hen’s small wing with a curving line that begins and ends softly.

11 Shade the hen’s head and lower body with short lines that change direction as they follow her body. Shade the feet and cast shadow.