How to Draw a Pheasant (Easy Step by Step)
This step-by-step guide teaches you how to draw a pheasant using simple round shapes. You will learn to construct the bird from a big round body, a smaller head, and a leaf-shaped tail, then add small details.
- Begin your pheasant drawing by using mostly round shapes.
- Construct the pheasant's body with a large round shape.
- Use a smaller round shape to form the pheasant's head.
- Draw a tall, leaf-shaped form for the pheasant's tail.
- Add a few small details to make your bird drawing look realistic.
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A pheasant is a great first bird to draw because it is mostly round shapes put together. You will build it from a big round body, a smaller round head, and a tall leaf-shaped tail. Once those shapes are down, a few small details make it look like a real bird.
- Easy
- 10 minutes
- 9 steps
You need: paper, a pencil, an eraser, and crayons or markers for coloring.
Start drawing
In this article (7 sections)
How to draw a pheasant step by step
How to Draw a Pheasant · 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: Body and back
Draw a big, plump bowl shape for the body, a little lower than the middle of your page. Start with a small curl on the left, sweep down around the bottom and up the right side, then add a gently curved back line across the top, leaving small gaps.
Step 3: Top of the head
Start at the top right of the body and draw a curved line that goes up and over, like the top of a round head. Stop with the end hanging in the air on the right, so the face is still open.
Step 4: Tail feathers
On the left side of the body, draw a tall, pointy leaf shape that leans up and to the left. Then add a shorter rounded feather right beside it, tucked against the body.
Step 5: The neck ring
Draw two curved lines that bend downward, one above the other, where the head meets the body. Together they make a little scarf around the neck.
Step 6: Eye and beak
Draw a small rounded triangle on the right side of the head for the beak. Add a curved line from the beak down to the neck ring to close the face, then put a solid round dot for the eye to the left of the beak.
Step 7: The crest
On top of the head, draw a small wavy crown with a couple of little bumps. Start and end the line on the top of the head.
Step 8: Legs and feet
Draw two short, straight lines going down from the bottom of the body for legs. At the bottom of each leg, add a few tiny toes that point outward.
Step 9: Wing and feather line
Inside the body, draw a curved smile shape that starts with a small flick on the left and sweeps down and up on the right. Finish with a short straight line inside the big tail feather.
All done!
Erase the guide shapes, go over your lines, then color it in.
Finished your pheasant? Keep the pencils out and learn how to draw a fox or how to draw a hedgehog next.
Tips for drawing a pheasant
- Draw the body first and give it plenty of room. Everything else attaches to it, so a roomy body makes the rest easier.
- The tail is the trickiest part. Think of a long leaf leaning to the left, and draw the shorter feather beside it only after the big one is done.
- Keep the legs short and straight, and make the toes small. If the feet look messy, try drawing just two or three tiny lines at the end of each leg.
Free pheasant coloring page
Want to go straight to coloring? Open this pheasant 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 pheasant drawing
Try warm browns and golds for the body, a green head, and a red crest, with a white neck ring. For a creative twist, give your pheasant a rainbow tail with one stripe of color on each feather.
Pheasant fun fact for kids
A male ring-necked pheasant has a white ring around his neck, which is where the bird gets its name. Pheasants often run instead of flying, but they can burst into the air when startled.
Questions about drawing a pheasant
What shapes do I need to draw a pheasant?
You need a big round shape for the body, a smaller round shape for the head, and a long leaf shape for the tail. A small rounded triangle makes the beak, and straight lines make the legs.
How do I make my pheasant look cuter?
Make the head round and the eye a big solid dot. A plump body and short legs also help your pheasant look friendly.
How do I draw the tail feathers?
Start with one tall, pointy leaf shape leaning to the left. Then add a shorter rounded feather beside it, and finish with a short line inside the big feather.
