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How to Draw a Cockatiel

13 steps · Medium · about 10 min

Draw a cockatiel in 13 easy steps, about 10 minutes. Free, with a printable worksheet.

Each picture adds one red line. Draw that line, then scroll to the next picture. Rub out any dashed helper lines at the end. First up: round head.

Step 1: Round head
Near the top left, draw a big round head, a little wider than tall.
Tip Leave room on the right and below for the body and branch.
Step 2: Tiny hooked beak
On the front of the head, draw a small round hook down to a point, then back into the face.
Tip Keep the beak short and fat, not a long bill.
Step 3: Eye and cheek
Behind the beak, draw a round eye with a black dot. Below and behind it, draw a round cheek.
Step 4: Tall top feathers
On top of the head, draw 3 long pointy feathers leaning back.
Step 5: Plump body
Start at the back of the head. Draw the back down, round a fat belly, and up to the chin.
Tip The body is an egg, narrower than the head.
Step 6: Long pointed tail
Start at the bottom of the back. Draw a long pointed tail, back to the tummy. Add 1 middle line.
Step 7: Striped wing
Start under the head's back. Draw a round shoulder, sweeping back to a point above the tail. Add 3 stripes.
Step 8: The branch
A finger below the tummy, draw a long bendy branch across, with a little twig on the left.
Step 9: Front foot
Under the front of the tummy, draw a short leg with 3 chubby toes curling over the branch.
Tip Toes curl like fingers: 2 forward, 1 back. Rub out the branch line inside them.
Step 10: Back foot
A thumb behind the first leg, draw a second short leg with 3 toes over the branch.
Step 11: Yellow head
Colour the head and the 3 tall feathers yellow, around the eye and cheek. Leave the eye white.
Step 12: Orange cheek, grey body
Colour the cheek orange. Colour the body, beak, legs and toes grey, leaving the wing white.
Step 13: Dark tail, brown branch
Colour the tail dark grey. Then colour the branch brown around the toes.