In this tutorial, I’ll show how to draw a Snowy Owl full body on a branch in 21 steps. The structure is easy to follow, but the details make it a medium to advanced-level drawing. The focus here is on proportions, posture, and feather texture to capture the look of this northern bird.
About the Snowy Owl
The Snowy Owl is one of the most recognizable owl species, known for its white plumage and yellow eyes. It lives in Arctic regions and is well adapted to cold weather. Males are usually whiter, while females and younger owls have more visible dark markings on their feathers.
- Body: Rounded and covered with dense plumage
- Head: Broad, no ear tufts, with short facial feathers
- Eyes: Bright yellow and forward-facing
- Beak: Short, dark, and slightly hooked
- Wings: Long with rounded edges
- Feathers: White with grey or black markings
- Feet: Covered in feathers, with sharp dark talons
- Pose: Sitting upright on a tree branch
After finishing your Snowy Owl drawing, you can also try other birds of prey like the golden or bald eagle and great horned owl to explore different feather patterns body and wing shapes.
Understanding the 21-Step Snowy Owl Drawing Guide
This guide uses color-coding to help you build the drawing layer by layer:
- Red Color: new lines added in the current step
- Black Color: lines completed in previous steps
- Grey Color: the base sketch used for structure
When you finish your Snowy Owl drawing, share it in the comments under the pinned Pinterest post. It’s always interesting to see how other artists capture the same bird with different textures and shading styles.
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