How to Draw a Swallow
Welcome to this article dedicated to drawing the swallow!
The small birds are all charming, it's a fact, and the swallow is no exception. Even better, it's a bird that is associated with the return of spring, what could be better! For those who want to know how to draw a bird, there is an article about it on our blog :)
STUDYING THE SWALLOW'S STRUCTURE
The swallow is a small creature that at first glance seems quite simple to draw, and this is not entirely false. However, there are still some basic elements that should not be overlooked.
First, we will start with a brief "bird" overview. Although the silhouette of an owl is different from that of a sparrow, both share a common structure. If you wish to learn how to draw an owl, I invite you to check out the article on our blog!
Here we return to the basis of the structure of birds.
For the wings and legs, we will find the same elements that make up our limbs.
The red arrows indicate the attachment points of the limbs. Note that the wing starts after the neck and the hind legs are attached to a pelvis that is located well behind the spine. One might mistakenly think that the legs are in the middle of the body.
In fact, this error is due to the fact that the entire upper part of the leg is "submerged" in the mass of belly feathers. Often, the hind leg is only visible from segment B, and this is what gives the impression that the leg originates under the belly in the middle of the body.
For the wings and legs, we are going to find the same elements that make up our limbs.
The wings are composed of three parts (1, 2, and 3) just like the hind legs (A, B, and C).
Another very important element is indicated by the pink arrow. This front bone will structure the animal and influence its shape.
Let's take the time to quickly review the basic structure of a wing.
On the left diagram in red are the bones under the feathers, and on the right, the distribution of feathers. The first group of feathers, which "cover" the bones, are in blue (zone 1). In green (zone 2) a second series of feathers, generally a bit longer, runs along and extends the blue zone at the end. Finally, zone 4, which can be subdivided into two groups. The feathers in 4A-violet are generally longer and thinner, the feathers in 4B-pink are shorter and rectangular.
Finally, to help you visualize some movements, you can imagine you are wearing a suit on your arm. It will be as if you are holding the large feathers from zone 4A between each finger. It's an easy shortcut to imagine and quite reliable.
THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF SWALLOWS
But let us stop here with the generalities and study our little star of the day!
So know that of "swallows", there are many, but today we will focus on the observation and study of two varieties, the barn swallow [A], with its small touch of orange-red under the neck and long tail, and the window swallow [B], quite common, smaller and rounder.
And before we start, let's be careful not to confuse our beauties of the day with the little swift [C]! So if up close or from above it is not difficult to recognize, its plumage is gray, gray-fawn and uniform, in flight or from below it's more complicated!
Generally, it is observed that the tail of the swift forms a more distinct and shorter "V" than that seen in swallows. Its wings also have a slightly different appearance, being thinner and longer. They are more boomerang-shaped.
DRAW THE DETAILS OF THE SWALLOW
First, let's take a closer look at the head of a barn swallow.
The beak is thin and very slightly curved. The nostrils (blue dot) are discreet, be careful, do not place them too high or too low on the upper part of the beak. The eye, in pink, will be positioned in line with the tip of the beak (green line). The junction of the upper and lower beak will be placed under the eye (red line/red arrow).
In general, the eye will be positioned roughly in the middle of the head (in the middle of the length of the skull or slightly before → violet/pink lines, and slightly above the mid-width, which would be between the red line and the green line here).
Let's now look at the general appearance of a window swallow at first.
You find the same construction bases at the level of head A..
In B., the head is a small, rounded dome, slightly flattened, which becomes flatter at the junction with the body. The body narrows slightly towards the rear of the animal.
The back is quite straight. We can see the breastbone (in pink on the general diagram), which influences the shape. In red, the wing attachment is very high.
In purple, I have roughly replaced the leg bone. Let's not forget that the legs are attached quite low on the spine.
In the tail area (orange zone), in the continuation of the belly, the silhouette forms "a small pouch" (in brown hatching) which joins with the long tail feathers.
Now let's look at all this on a barn swallow.
In A., there is always the same structure for the head.
In B., there is always a slight advancement at the level of the breastbone (pink arrow) and a fairly straight back. You will find the same elements as before, including the small purse that finishes the belly and joins the tail feathers.
Here, the barn swallow appears plumper, mainly due to the more compact pose.
DRAWING THE LEGS
Let's take a moment to focus on the legs.
Already not very thick, they are largely covered with small feathers. Referring to the first basic skeleton diagram, we could simplify by saying that only the parts in blue are not covered with feathers (segment C).
Note, however, that swallows have fairly long claws, although they are thin. The legs end with 4 toes, 3 longer ones facing forward and a fourth slightly shorter one facing backward, which allows the bird to form a "clamp."
In the diagram, indicated by the purple arrow, zoom in on the visible upper part. The skin has a scaly structure (1), which you can simplify by arranging staggered rectangles (2). In red, a zoom on the "finger" part. Here we are more on a ring drawing on the epidermis.
Finally, note that each finger has two joints: green points and blue points.
THE SWALLOW'S WINGS
Let's finish by observing the wing.
Here is a barn swallow frozen in mid-flight. To the left in A, the view from below and to the right in B, the view from above. We see the general structure as previously viewed. Note that the transition between the feathers in zone 4A and 4B is very gradual. We can even see that in the swallow, the more rectangular and short feathers of zone 4B make up just over a third of zone 4.
However, be aware that this construction model, with zones 1, 2, and 4 (A and B), is a shortcut, a foundation; for a very realistic drawing, you will need to further refine it by studying the distribution of feathers more precisely.
DRAWING A SWALLOW STEP BY STEP
I have chosen to draw a barn swallow, which we are going to depict in flight before it reaches its nest. So you know where we are heading, I am making a quick sketch of the pose.
The light will be behind the bird and we are not aiming for a hyper-realistic drawing.
Let's start...
Step 1: Draw the head, which should be a somewhat squished circle.
Step 2: Draw the back line from the back of the head. The bird's pose will make the back curve slightly.
Step 3: Close the belly, making sure that the breastbone is slightly visible.
Step 4: Continuing from the lower body, draw the tail.
Step 5: Draw the bones of the wings, be careful (red arrow), and remember that they anchor right after the neck.
Step 6: Draw the wings over the bones and quickly position the feather distribution by zones.
Step 7: Place the hind leg bones at the lower back.
Step 8: Draw the beak, which is quite thin and slightly curved, and place the eye.
Step 9: Draw over your sketch. For the wings' feathers, first draw the exteriors (outlined in red), and make sure to leave gaps between the feather tips. Also, notice that I don't draw the feather lines completely (in green/green arrow). For area 2 (outlined in blue), I just use a few lines.
For the remaining area (outlined in pink), draw a few lines in the direction of the feathers, not necessarily trying to connect with the lines of the outer feathers. The idea is more to create the impression of feathers rather than actually drawing them one by one.
Step 10: Define the bird's mask with some crosshatching lines. We haven't really seen this element before, but the rustic tit has it on its tail, which is rather dark with a lighter "line." On the small sketch/zoom on the right, this area is shown in pink. In blue, the belly feathers will be cream/ off-white.
Let's move on to coloring.
Step A: I'm going with a fairly light gray/beige for the bird and a sand color for the background. By the way, the right tip of the tail bothers me a bit, compared to the other side I find it too long, so I'm going to "cut" the tip!
Step B: So, by looking at pictures of the bird, I now find the outer tail tips too short so I will lengthen them equally. I will use a dark blue for the head mask and tail pattern, then apply a "rust" orange on the throat and above the beak. For the legs, I'll use a shade that's not too dark and slightly pinkish.
Step C: I darken the wings, knowing that the main light is behind the bird. I use touches of the dark blue used previously, but lightly, mainly on the feathers in areas 4A and AB. For area 2, I will darken the shade with a slightly grayish brown.
Step D: I will color the beak with a gray/brown and the eyes with a very dark gray. I will place the shadow inside the wings, the tail, under the neck, on the beak and the legs. I will finish with a touch of light to the right of the eye and warm up the shade on the top of the wings to give a light effect.
Very quickly, I will add some volume to the decor and place a few touches of color behind the bird.
It's done!
As always, observation will be your most valuable ally, but now at least you are up to speed on some anatomical details. I hope you enjoyed this article and that it has inspired you to draw this charming little bird!
Illustrator and writer: Elo Illus