How to Draw Wings

Whether you’re creating a bird, an angel, or a winged fantasy character, drawing wings can be a challenge. To create a realistic wing, start by sketching in the basic shapes of the bone structure underneath. Make a ball for the shoulder joint, then sketch the upper arm and forearm in a wide V shape. Next, attach a “hand” section that’s slightly shorter than the forearm section, and angle it back down. Draw in a larger shape on top that follows the basic shape of the bone structure, including a skin flap that connects the shoulder to the “wrist” part of the forearm. Fill the area beneath the wing bones with the first layer of feathers. These should look like a series of overlapping u-shapes. Then draw a second layer of feathers beneath those. Make them a little longer than the feathers in the first layer. Finally, add a layer of longer flight feathers. These will extend out beyond the end of the wing and make it look more elongated. When you’re done, erase the bone structure sketch and any other guidelines you used, leaving just the feathers behind. You can also shade or color your wing if you like. To make a pair of wings, try mirroring the first wing, or experiment with drawing the wings in different poses. You can also make a more cartoony wing by sketching the overall shape of the whole wing, then filling in the shape with feathers and erasing the guidelines when you’re done. However you do it, remember to start with 2 to 3 rows of shorter feathers at the top of the wings, then fill in the longer flight feathers underneath. To learn how to draw a realistic bird wing, scroll down!