A sparrow with one folded wing

Practice a small bird’s proportions with a rounded sparrow in profile. A short beak, folded wing, and a few broad feather divisions explain the form.

A way into the drawing

1. Balance the head and body

   Place a small head near the front of a rounded body. Add a short beak and a tail that points away from the belly.

2. Fold the wing against the body

   Draw a clear wing shape and divide its lower edge into a few broad feathers. Place two small legs under the bird’s weight.

3. Add the selected accents

   Set the eye and simple head patch marks. Keep graphite near the wing root and belly edge, leaving most feathers unmarked.

A small thing to tryPut the feet beneath the center of the body so the bird looks balanced rather than tipped forward.