How to Draw a Cedar Waxwing

Step 1: Head with a tuft

Near the top left of your paper draw a round head, wider than tall. Sweep the top to a point.

Tip The tuft leans back and ends in 1 soft point: sleek, not spiky.

Step 2: Short beak

Start on the front of the head, halfway down. Draw a short fat triangle beak and stop on the head.

Step 3: One big eye

A finger behind the beak draw a big round eye. Fill it with a black dot, leaving a white speck.

Step 4: Black mask

Start above the beak. Draw a band over the eye to a point, then under it. Stop under the beak.

Tip Leave a ring of clean space between the mask and the eye.

Step 5: Plump body

Start low on the back of the head. Curve down, round a fat belly, and stop under the beak.

Tip The body is a plump egg hanging under the head, narrower than the head.

Step 6: Fan tail

Start at the back, draw a fan, stop on the tummy. Add 2 feather lines and a tip band.

Step 7: Folded wing

Start under the back of the head. Draw a round shoulder, then sweep back to a point on the tail.

Step 8: Front leg and toes

Under the front of the tummy draw a thin leg and 3 round toes. Start and stop on the tummy.

Step 9: Back leg and toes

A thumb behind the first leg draw another leg and toes the same way, starting and stopping on the tummy.

Tip Leave a gap between the 2 feet, at the same height.

Step 10: The branch

Start left of the bird, draw a branch across behind the toes, thinner to the right, with a little twig.

Step 11: Cream tummy, yellow tip

Colour the chest and tummy pale cream, in front of the wing. Colour the tail tip past the band yellow.

Step 12: Fawn head, grey wing

Colour the head and back fawn brown, but not the mask. Colour the beak, wing, tail and legs dark grey.

Step 13: Brown branch, black mask

Colour the branch brown, around the toes. Colour the mask black, around the eye.

Tip Leave the eye white.