How to Draw a Pink Flamingo
Today, I'm going to teach you how to draw flamingos! Perhaps you've already encountered this strange animal if you've visited the southeastern coast of France, near the Camargue. Some people have only seen them in zoos, but I've seen them regularly since I was little. I hope to inspire you to try drawing one!
Before diving into the heart of the matter, which is a step-by-step drawing of a flamingo, the most important thing is to understand the different parts of the animal and how they join together. Once you understand the animal well, you will be able to draw it in different positions if you wish.
DRAWING THE DIFFERENT PARTS OF A FLAMINGO'S BODY
Here we have a photograph of a flamingo in profile. It is the best position to observe all the parts of the flamingo's body. I should mention that flamingos, depending on their habitat and diet, will not have exactly the same color. Take a good look at this explanatory diagram summarizing the body parts to better understand how it works.
DRAWING THE HEAD (IN PROFILE)
We will now take a closer look at the head. In the first step, we observe the basic shapes. The neck is in green, and then the oval of the head is in red. When we examine the flamingo's beak, we see that it can be divided into 2 parts: a base with a flat top, and a tip that is more drooping and pointed. The width of the first part creates a small bump on the underside of the beak.
Next, we add the details. We have the opening of the beak, which is not in the middle but rather at the top of the shape of the beak. Add the nostril, and the trace of black at the tip of the beak. Add the eye and the line that outlines it and marks the base of the beak. Then clean it up and then color it!
THE FEET
Let's take a closer look at the feet. When flat, there are 3 webbed toes on the ground, with small claws at the end. At the back, there is also a small clawed appendage. When the foot lifts and folds, its rounded joint is clearly visible. Each toe has a phalanx. The webs fold and can even give the impression that the toes are thicker.
DRAWING THE WINGS FROM THE FRONT VIEW
It's time now to observe the flamingo from the front, especially its unfolded wings. Already, several things are noticeable when the flamingo is facing forward. Its neck forms an "S" shape when viewed from the side, but from the front, this is no longer visible, giving the impression that it is straight. Of course, this will be visible again depending on the movement of the animal's head and neck. As for the beak, from this point of view, it's no longer clearly visible that it is in two parts.
As for the wings, they are organized in layers. I have made each layer the same color. You can see that each layer is divided in two at the location where the wing can fold. It is also at this point that the feathers slightly change direction. Once the layers have been properly determined, you can draw the feathers within them.
We move from the ones on top to the ones underneath. Here it’s from top to bottom, so we first draw the layer in purple. We can use this layering principle on all birds: we determine the layers of feathers, where the fold is, and we draw the feathers from those on top to those underneath.
THE WINGS OF THE PINK FLAMINGO FROM BEHIND
It's the same principle for the back view regarding the wings. In terms of colors, the wings are usually darker than the body, and the last row of feathers is black. It is from the back that you can clearly see the feathers on the upper body that cover the wings when they are folded. They start from each side and let the tail stand out at the bottom.
DRAWING A PINK FLAMINGO STEP BY STEP
Now that the pink flamingo has been thoroughly analyzed from every angle, let’s move on to the final drawing, step by step! I chose to show you one of the most commonly imagined positions when thinking of a pink flamingo: side profile, with one leg folded.
We, of course, start with the construction. You should not start with the details, or you will quickly get lost! First, draw an oval for the body base, an "S" for the neck, and a circle for the head at the end. Then add the leg that will be placed on the ground, making it long enough (a bit more than 2 body heights), slightly bent, and properly positioning its joint in the middle. Also add a line on the ground for the foot.
Then, we can add the beak, as shown in the part explaining the head. Over the body, we place the areas allocated to feathers, which will cover the wings and determine the attachment of the second leg.
In the hollow between the 2 feather areas, start the new leg, which is bent. Make sure to keep proportions similar to the other leg. Use the "S" guide to give the neck thickness. Make sure that the base, starting from the body, is a bit thicker. And don't forget to add the eye!
Add the details of the head and beak, and add the tail area.
And it's over the tail but under the body feathers that we add the tips of the folded wings. And there you have it, our basic construction!
Let's get into the details! We'll start with what is on top of the rest and gradually move upwards. Let's start with the body feathers, which follow its curve nicely.
We add the tips of the wings, which are the feathers pointing backwards underneath the body feathers. We go over the areas of the neck and head again.
We can now give some thickness to the legs. The folded leg goes in front of the other one, but it is located under the feathers of the upper body and wings.
Add the bottom of the tail that goes behind everything and the final details (black of the beak, additions of small feather details if desired) to complete the drawing.
Finally, color everything in! As mentioned before, there are plenty of color possibilities for the flamingo. Generally, the feathers on the upper body are lighter than the rest, and the wings are darker. Don't hesitate to look at references! In any case, here's the result 😊
I hope you enjoyed this tutorial and that it inspires you to draw your own flamingo!
Illustrator and writer: Natacha Peaster - "Nayala"