How to Draw a Heron

The herons of the Ardeidae Family are a collection of as many as 64 different species that vary significantly in appearance.

Though widely distributed across the world, however they cannot survive in extreme weather conditions. Therefore, they are found neither in the Frigid Zones or mountains, nor in the tropical deserts.

Herons are one of the wading birds that walk in shallow water spreads in the search of food. For the purpose, they have thin long legs and medium sized bodies.

The neck portion of a heron has a unique feature of 'retraction.' The birds can pull their long necks inside, like a compressed spring. A retracted neck appears virtually non-existent. Aesthetics is often the biggest inspiration in the artistic recreations of herons.

Steps for drawing a heron:

The following guide is designed to help you draw a heron:

Drawing Model:
Do your research before choosing the reference image. As mentioned above, the look of a species can be a point of consideration. The internet is the ideal source to look at. However, equally potential offline media also exists, like science magazines, books, periodicals, newspapers, etc.

Reference Drawing:
It helps maintain the ratios, size, and structure of the original picture. It is an easy task in this case. Start with a small circle for head and append a letter 'S' shaped curve for the neck area. Species, like the Yellow Bittern and Lava Heron have blunt and small necks. Therefore, such variations in different parts should be taken care of. An oval marks the central portion of the body. The size will differ among the subspecies. The legs of herons are long and sleek. They are best represented by straight or bent lines with circles at the end (for claws).

Structure Formation:
The beak of a heron is longer than that of average birds and is pointed. Draw the beak first and shape up the head portion accordingly. Sketch the contours of the neck on both the sides of the reference line. The thickness should be in agreement with the size of the head. The outermost feathers will affect the final shape of the central body. Unless it is pencil work, do not add elaborate shading effects at this stage. While sketching the legs, pay attention to the visible joints and ridged patterns. The claws of herons contain four toes. Three are situated in the front, balanced by one at the back.

Color and Shading:
A color drawing is more suitable for herons because it helps in highlighting the characteristics of the chosen species. For instance, Black Heron is grey-black in color, while the Eastern Great Egret is a purely white variety. On the other hand, the Blue Heron is a beautiful species in the graded tones of blue, with orange beak.

Drawing Courses:

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About the Author:
Annette Labedzki received her BFA at the Emily Carr College of Art and Design in Vancouver, B.C. Canada. She has more than 25 years experience. She is the founder and developer of an online art gallery featuring original art from all over the world. Please visit the website at http://www.Labedzki-Art.com It is a great site for art collectors to buy original art. Artists can join for free and their image upload is unlimited.

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