When looking off in the distance, this bird stands fully erect, but when it’s cold or resting, the heron ducks its head in close. It can be challenging to draw the long neck, so let’s break the steps down little by little.
Species order and family: Pelicaniformes, Ardeidae
Size: 2.9–3.2 ft (88–98 cm)
Grey herons are monogamous, the same couples returning to the same nest every spring to lay eggs. They often breed in colonies, with many pairs of herons gathered together to form a group to raise their young.
Grey heron’s body
Colored pencils used for grey heron
1. Sketch the shape of the head using bluish gray. The part where the head becomes the neck is challenging, so look closely and go slowly.
2. Begin drawing the bill in deep yellow, and then decide on the position of the eye.
3. With your black pencil, draw the pattern on the head that looks like an eyebrow.
4. The curve and length of the neck are important, so decide the shape based on the bird’s height and then draw it with bluish gray.
5. Still using your bluish gray pencil, sketch the shape of the back, wing, belly, and tail. Pay close attention to the form.
6. Draw the legs and feet. There is a small area covered in feathers where the legs attach. They have three toes in front and one in the back.
7. Layer the legs with deep yellow and color in the wing with bluish gray. Next, lightly shade the neck, the lower part of the belly, and the tail.
8. Draw the ornamental feathers behind the head, the pattern on the throat, and the dark patches on the wing using your black pencil. Then add the long, scruffy chest feathers.
Size: 22.8–25.6 in (58–65 cm)
This is a heron, but it has a short neck. And it’s nocturnal, so it’s active at night.
Size: 18.1–22 in (46–56 cm)
Typically white in color, during the summer breeding season, it develops flax-colored plumes on the face and throat.
