How to Draw a Dove (Easy Step by Step)
A dove in flight is a friendly drawing made from simple shapes. You will use a bean for the body, two long leaf shapes for the wings, and a little fan for the tail. The olive branch next to its face makes it feel like a gift being carried to a friend.
- Medium
- 15 minutes
- 7 steps
You need: paper, a pencil, an eraser, and crayons or markers for coloring.
Start drawingIn this article (7 sections)
How to draw a dove step by step
How to Draw a Dove · tinyhandscreate.com
Step 1: Guide shapes
Lightly sketch this oval. It only shows where the big parts go, so press softly. You will erase it at the end.
Step 2: Head and body
Draw a big bean shape that slants down to the right. Make the upper left end round and a little smaller for the head, and let the other end swing out into a plump belly.
Step 3: The back wing
Start at the back of the neck and draw a long, tall leaf shape that points up. Give the outer edge three little scallops, like soft bumps.
Step 4: The front wing
Draw a second, wider wing that starts at the top of the body and sweeps up and out to the right. Finish the far edge with scalloped bumps, just like the first wing.
Step 5: The tail feathers
At the end of the body, draw a short curved line to mark where the tail begins. Then draw a rounded fan shape below it and add two long curved lines inside for the feathers.
Step 6: Three small leaves
To the left of the head, draw three small pointed leaf shapes, like little lemons, in a loose cluster. Join them with a short wiggly line.
Step 7: Eye, olive, and stem
Add a small round dot for the eye. Draw a little olive shape next to the face, then connect the leaves to it with a wiggly stem and add a short line inside each leaf.
All done!
Erase the guide shapes, go over your lines, then color it in.
Finished your dove? Keep the pencils out and learn how to draw a menorah or how to draw a dreidel next.
Tips for drawing a dove
- Draw the body bean first and keep it plump. A round belly makes the dove look soft and the wings easy to place.
- The scalloped wing edges are the trickiest part. Draw three small bumps in a row, like a tiny cloud, instead of one wavy line.
- Draw the three leaves first, then join them with a wiggly stem that reaches the olive near the dove's face.
Free dove coloring page
Want to go straight to coloring? Open this dove coloring page at full size and print it. It is the same drawing you just learned, with clean lines ready for crayons or markers.
How to color your dove drawing
Try soft gray or white for the wings and body, light blue for the sky, and green for the leaves. For a twist, color each wing feather bump a different pastel shade.
Dove fun fact for kids
Homing pigeons can find their way home from hundreds of miles away, and people have used pigeons to carry messages for thousands of years.
Questions about drawing a dove
What shapes do I need to draw a dove?
You need a bean shape for the head and body, two long leaf shapes for the wings, and a small fan for the tail. The branch uses a wiggly line, three pointed leaves, and a small olive.
How do I make my dove look cuter?
Make the head round and the belly extra plump, and keep the eye small and round. Big, bumpy wing edges also look sweet.
How do I draw the wings so they look like they are flapping?
Draw one wing pointing up and the other sweeping out to the side. Having the wings at different angles makes the dove look like it is in the middle of a flap.
