Drawing is a wonderful way to use your imagination and create something beautiful. Today, let’s learn how to draw a cozy cardinal, a lovely bird that looks perfect in winter. Grab your drawing tools, and let’s begin!
Start by drawing a big circle near the top center of your paper for the cardinal’s eye. Inside this circle, draw a smaller circle, and then add a tiny circle in the top right corner for the shiny part of the eye.
To draw the beak, make a sideways “V” shape. Begin with a slanted line coming down next to the eye, then a shorter line going forward and down to the left. Curve the top of the beak down halfway and connect it to the bottom of the “V” shape.
Draw spiky feathers on top of the head. Curve the back of the head down, stopping in line with the bottom of the eye. Add a black mask around the face by drawing a short line over the beak and curving around the eye.
Under the eye, draw a curve that goes down to make the wing. Then, draw the top of the wing by making a shoulder that curves back and a straight line down, like an upside-down raindrop.
Draw the belly of the cardinal under the beak, curving around to meet the wing. For the back, draw a diagonal line that connects to the wing.
Imagine a line going behind the wing and draw a diagonal line coming down for the tail. Make the other side of the tail wider at the bottom, and connect the two lines to finish the tail.
Add two little U-shaped talons sticking out from the bottom of the body. Do the same shape for the other foot.
To make your cardinal cozy, draw a sweater. Start with a curve connecting to the shoulder and draw the collar. Add a matching curve for the bottom of the sweater and two lines for the sleeves. You can also add feather lines to the sweater.
Draw thick pine needles around the cardinal. Start with shapes that extend outwards and overlap them for a fuller look. Then, sketch a wiggly line for the branch, making it thicker by adding another wiggly line alongside it.
To give your drawing a wintery feel, add bumpy lines to represent snow on the branch. You can vary the size of the bumps and even add some pine needles peeking through the snow.
Now that your drawing is complete, it’s time to color! Use red for the main body, orange for the beak, and various shades of green for the sweater and pine needles. You can also use browns for the branch and a light blue for the snow.
Great job! You’ve drawn and colored a cozy cardinal. Remember, the most important part of drawing is to have fun and be creative. Your cardinal might look different from others, and that’s perfectly okay. Keep practicing and enjoy making art!
Cardinal Observation Walk: Take a walk in your neighborhood or a nearby park with a grown-up and try to spot real birds. Look for cardinals or other colorful birds. Notice their colors, shapes, and how they move. Can you see any birds wearing “sweaters” like your drawing? Discuss with your grown-up how birds stay warm in winter.
Design Your Own Bird Sweater: Imagine if you could design a sweater for a bird. What patterns and colors would you use? Draw a picture of your bird wearing your special sweater design. Share your drawing with your classmates and explain why you chose those colors and patterns.
Bird Feeder Craft: Make a simple bird feeder using a pine cone, peanut butter, and birdseed. Spread peanut butter on the pine cone and roll it in birdseed. Hang it outside and watch to see if any birds come to visit. Keep a journal of the different types of birds you see and try to draw them, just like you did with the cardinal.
