As with anything else, you can make it as easy or as complicated as you like. Drawing birds is no exception. This little drawing of a dove will get you started drawing birds.
.5mm mechanical pencil with 2B lead
kneaded eraser
ruler
smooth bristol paper
tortillion
Use the grid method to draw the shapes of the dove. Lightly draw the grid lines on your drawing paper, and draw what you see within each box.
When you are sure of the accuracy of your drawing, carefully remove the grid lines from your paper with a kneaded eraser.
Carefully draw in the patterns in the feathers of the dove. The feathers at the front of the bird should be very smooth, while the feathers in the back should be more distinct. Give each feather in the back a light edge around it. Start to apply some lines in the background using horizontal strokes.
Blend out the entire dove until it is a medium gray tone. With a kneaded eraser, carefully lift out the subtle light areas in the head and the body. These lighter tones make the roundness of the bird more pronounced. Pay particular attention to the reflected light along the edges of the feathers and wings.
To finish the background, create the illusion of the ground. Because it is rough with little rocks and shadows, you must use a combination of light and dark to produce it. Create random patterns of light and dark, and blend them all out. Use firm pressure with the pencil to create little spots that resemble rocks. With a kneaded eraser, lift out areas of light to make the ground look speckled. Notice a slight cast shadow under the dove and on the left side. Make this area darker.