I use different methods when sketching my wildlife drawings, but for this I drew freehand.

To draw the blue tit, measure the image size of the photograph and draw the same sized box onto a piece of paper. Mark out the angle and position of the branch first then start to outline the shape of the blue tit, looking at the negative space left in the box.

Draw simple shapes, such as ovals, lines and angles first then adjust them into the form of the blue tit.

The details, such as the eye and feathers, should all be drawn in last once you are happy with the overall shape. This will help to create the correct scale and produce a more accurate drawing.

I always like to start with the eye as it adds character to the drawing right at the beginning. Use a black pencil to outline the edge of the eye then gradually shade around the white highlight by reducing the pressure of the pencil on the paper.

Make sure you leave the white highlight as the paper colour. If you look closely at the reference photo you can see there is a very thin white line around the edge of the eye. To create this, use the black to outline the eye whilst leaving a small gap in between.

Finally, with the black, add the feather section all the way up to the beak.

When starting the beak use light layers of walnut brown shading on the top and bottom.

Then use the cold grey pencil to draw the line that runs across the middle of the beak. There is a slight reflection of blue to the top section of the beak. To add this, use cobalt blue very lightly until you reach the desired tone. Towards the point of the beak, add shades of cadmium yellow lemon and a small amount of burnt sienna.

The next stage is to add the feather texture with blue, grey and black. To create the feathers, you will need really sharp pencils. Starting with the blue section on top of the bird’s head and working in the same direction as the feathers, add a thin layer of cobalt blue.

Then using indanthrene blue and delft blue add small thin lines varying in length over the top. Think about using different pressures with the pencils, pressing lighter in the light areas and harder in the darker areas.

Using indanthrene blue, shade in the stripe that follows from the eye into a band around the head. Ensure you are still working in the same direction as the feathers and use the tip of the pencil to go into the white sections of feathers slightly. For the next layer add thin lines over the top using dark indigo blue and black.

To add the feathers to the white sections use a combination of indanthrene blue and cold grey. Leave plenty of white paper and add small thin lines varying in length. Look closely at the direction of feathers in the white section below the eye; the feathers span out like a clock.

Final touches to the blue tit’s head include above the eye, where you need to add a line of walnut brown and shade lightly down to the eye. In the white section underneath the eye there is a little area of yellow on the left. Add this by using cadmium yellow lemon.

As a base layer on the green section of the blue tit’s back firstly use cadmium yellow lemon then add the feathers using permanent green and cold grey. To add the darker sections, use walnut brown, still working in thin lines. To finish apply lines using the dark indigo to define the green feathers.

Moving onto the main body, again apply the first layer of colour using cadmium yellow lemon. Work in cross-hatch where the feathers overlap and use solid yellow for the chest. Make sure you leave the white feathers as the paper colour so they shine through. With Naples yellow build up the yellow tones where they appear stronger.

To create the fluffy texture you will need the walnut brown, dark indigo and cold grey. Start with drawing the feathers using the walnut brown, making sure you press lightly. Build up some of the feathers where there is shadow by adding further lines closer together. The cold grey can be used to define the cross-hatching to the left of the chest. Work in small sections, paying close attention to the different directions and size of feather.

Drawing a bird’s wing can be tricky! Make sure your pencils are sharp at all times, as you will need them to create very thin shadows in between the feathers. Avoid any feathers that are white. Your first layer can be added onto all the blue sections of the wing using sky blue then indanthrene blue for the shadows and feather texture.

Burnt sienna should be applied on any of the lower feathers with more of a brown tone.

Where the yellow chest feathers overlap the wing, use indanthrene blue to draw in between them, leaving gaps of yellow showing through.

Using a sharp black pencil, draw the dark shadows between the blue and brown feathers. On the large dark feather towards the bottom softly shade in with black and burnt sienna around the edges.

For the tail, apply dark indigo to the left feather and burnt sienna to the right. Shade the dark areas with a black pencil, lifting gradually off the paper where it is lighter. This will allow the dark indigo and burnt sienna to show through

Drawing a bird’s wing can be tricky! Make sure your pencils are sharp at all times, as you will need them to create very thin shadows in between the feathers. Avoid any feathers that are white. Your first layer can be added onto all the blue sections of the wing using sky blue then indanthrene blue for the shadows and feather texture.

Burnt sienna should be applied on any of the lower feathers with more of a brown tone.

Where the yellow chest feathers overlap the wing, use indanthrene blue to draw in between them, leaving gaps of yellow showing through.

Using a sharp black pencil, draw the dark shadows between the blue and brown feathers. On the large dark feather towards the bottom softly shade in with black and burnt sienna around the edges.

For the tail, apply dark indigo to the left feather and burnt sienna to the right. Shade the dark areas with a black pencil, lifting gradually off the paper where it is lighter. This will allow the dark indigo and burnt sienna to show through.

If you look closely at the feet you should be able to see blocks of grey that are split up with white curved highlights. For the left foot use the sky blue to colour in the blocks, making sure to leave the white lines.

Use the cold grey to begin adding shadow. The light is coming from the right so the shadows need to go on the left edge of the feet.

Once the blocks and stripes are mapped out, use the dark indigo and black to darken the shadows further. The claws also have a shadow on the left side; use cold grey and burnt sienna for these.

For the right leg reflection, add a layer of cadmium yellow lemon, followed by sky blue and cold grey to block out the rest of the foot in the same way as the left.

The branch has a lot of texture, made up of browns, oranges and greens. Add a base layer over the entire branch using burnt sienna. With walnut brown draw a line on the bottom of the branch.

Gradually shade from that line, getting lighter with the pencil as you approach the middle of the branch. With the same colour, draw the markings, varying in length and size and keeping them parallel to the branch.

Using burnt sienna, shade the top edge of the branch, getting lighter as you move closer to the centre.

To finish, use Venetian red, May green and terracotta to add thin patches of colour in sections of the branch.

The finished drawing Blue Tit, Polychromos coloured pencils on smooth white paper, 12.5 x 12.5cm)

This article was originally published in the April 2020 issue of Leisure Painter. Enjoy endless inspiration with access to past and present issues of both magazines, plus exclusive video demos, tutorials and more, with our Studio Membership!

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