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How to Draw a Hornbill
Draw a hornbill 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: the head.
Step 1: The head
Near the top, start at the forehead. Draw a big round head and stop at the chin.
Tip A big circle with its front missing: the beak will close it.
Step 2: Huge curved beak
From the chin, draw a huge beak out left, back up, and down to the chin. Add a mouth line.
Tip The beak is as long as the head is wide.
Step 3: Helmet on top
Start a third along the beak's top. Draw a big hump up and back to meet the head line.
Tip The helmet sits on the beak like a second, smaller beak.
Step 4: Eye and white face
Draw a big eye behind the beak. From the beak, curve a face line round the eye to the chin.
Tip Leave a finger of cheek between the beak and the eye.
Step 5: Plump body
Start behind the head. Curve down to the rump, swing round a fat belly, and up to the chin.
Tip A plump egg hanging under the head, narrower than the head.
Step 6: Fan tail
Start on the rump. Draw a fan down and back, round its wide end, and back to the tummy.
Tip One fan like an open hand: narrow at the rump, wide at the end.
Step 7: Folded wing
Start on the back below the head. Curve the wing forward and down, then sweep back to the rump.
Step 8: Front leg and toes
Start on the front of the tummy. Draw a skinny leg down to 3 chubby toes, back to the tummy.
Tip The toes curl down ready to grip: 2 forward, 1 back.
Step 9: Back leg and toes
Behind the first leg, start on the tummy. Draw another leg and toes the same way, back to the tummy.
Tip Leave a gap between the 2 feet.
Step 10: The branch
Start at the left edge below the toes. Draw a branch band across to the right and back again.
Tip The toes wrap over the front of the branch. Keep it level.
Step 11: Yellow beak, orange helmet
Colour the huge beak yellow. Colour the helmet on top of the beak orange.
Step 12: Grey wing and legs
Colour the wing, the fan tail, the legs and the toes dark grey.
Step 13: Brown branch, black head
Colour the branch brown around the toes. Colour the head black, leaving the face, eye and chest white.
Your finished drawing
Follow the steps above and this is where you end up: a hornbill, drawn by you.
Every step in one picture
