How to Draw a Raven

Outline the basic shape of the raven. take your time and use your eraser to make adjustments as you go. use a ruler or your finger to measure and compare the lengths of different shapes.

When you are happy with the basic shape. you can start to darken the outline, and add some shadows and darker tones. I like to start with the head, revealing the Raven’s face and his charactor.

Continue along the outline, defining the neck feathers and legs of the Raven.

Start drawing the Raven’s wings. There are two basic shapes to define - wings and feathers. Add darker tones to indicate shadow underneath each feather and below the entire wing. This gives the wings some form.

Define the tail feathers, varying darker and lighter tones to show the shape and to hint at the light reflecting off the shiny surface of his feathers.

Shade very dark underneath the tail feathers. Use a softer touch to shade a lighter tone on the outside edges of the wings and tail.

Finish the Raven’s feet and draw a branch for him to perch on. The stick can be very loosely defined and even drift off a bit into the background to indicate space.

Go back over and darken the darkest shadows for depth. Touch up the highlights with your eraser tip and erase any smudges from the backgound area of the page.

The finished Raven drawing.