02-41 Cockatiel

Cockatiels are easily identified by their distinctive head, or crest, feathers. The view from above in this drawing creates many interesting angles. Draw the bird’s nostrils, chest, and wingtips aligned with a 45-degree reference line so all these parts appear realistic.

1 Lightly draw two reference lines, one at 45 degrees to the left edge of the page and one at 45 degrees to the bottom edge. Draw the cockatiel’s main shapes in relation to the 45-degree lines.

2 Draw and shade the main parts of the cockatiel’s head.

3 Create a 3-D illusion on the head with stroke-by-stroke shading.

Fun Fact

Look to the cockatiel’s crest feathers to read the bird’s mood. When the feathers stand straight up, the bird is alarmed or excited; when the feathers are at less of an angle, the bird is relaxed or happy; when the feathers are flat, the bird may be angry, frightened, or flirting.

4 Using a sharp pencil, draw the barbs of the crest feathers.

5 Shade the chest and belly using rows of repeating strokes that gradually change angles around the bird’s body.

6 Shade the cockatiel’s forewings to be darker at the edges.

7 Shade the sides of the tail feathers with repeating strokes.

8 Refine the bird’s foot, and add the shading.

9 Create small feather texture across the forewings with patches of short repeating marks.

10 Darken the shading of the foot, and erase highlights with a kneaded eraser.

11 Add the inside toe of the far foot. Finally, intensify the dark shadows and shade a shadow below the bird.