In this quick tutorial you'll learn how to draw a Cockatoo in 7 easy steps - great for kids and novice artists.
The images above represent how your finished drawing is going to look and the steps involved.
Below are the individual steps - you can click on each one for a High Resolution printable PDF version.
At the bottom you can read some interesting facts about the Cockatoo.
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How to Draw a Cockatoo - Step-by-Step Tutorial
Step 1: Drawing a Cockatoo is easy! Start with the head, making a curved dome for the fromt, that turns into a upward curve to make the top feather on the head. Put a few more curves below it, connecting them with points to make individual feathers. Put another curve beneath the feathers to make the back of the head.
Step 2: Now add the beak and eye. The eye should be just below the very top of the head, just between the lines you've drawn for either side. The beak can be drawn with two triangles, one with a curved point at the end to make the top beak.
Step 3: For the wing, make a curving line down and to the left, that straightens. Now make a bumpy line that goes down and to the right, drawing lines between each bump to make individual feathers. Draw one more line that curves up and towards the top of the wing to finish it up.
Step 4: Next comes the body, which is just a simple line that starts at the back bottom corner of the beak, and has a curving corner going towards the back of the animal.
Step 5: The tail can be drawn with two lines, one starting two feathers down from the top of the wing, curving back before sharply cornering. It should then curve towards the line that you've drawn for the chest and belly, but not meet it. Add one more line at the back to imply feathers.
Step 6: Drawing the leg is done by making a cone shape to fill the hole you left between the belly and tail. Then, add three prongs at the bottom for the foot. Remember to put in small points for the bird's claws!
Step 7: Make another foot just like the first nearer the front. The cone shape should connect directly to the body, and everything else should be drawn the same.
Interesting Facts about Cockatoos
Cockatoos are birds that are a popular pet because they are very sociable and intelligent. They are skilled at mimicking words and sounds. There are 21 species of cockatoo. Cockatoos are native to Australia, New Guinea, Indonesia, and islands of the South Pacific.
Did You Know?
- Cockatoos are a type of parrot. They belong to the family Cacatuidae.
- Cockatoos have a zygodactyl foot, which means that they have two toes that face forward and two toes that face backward.
- Five species of cockatoo are endangered: the red-vented cockatoo, Goffin’s cockatoo, lesser sulphur-crested cockatoo, Moluccan cockatoo, and the palm cockatoo.
- The cockatiel is the smallest species of cockatoo. On average, they weigh about 3 to 3.5 ounces and are 13 inches tall.
- The average height of cockatoos is 12 to 24 inches. They typically weigh 0.6 to 2.6 pounds.
- Unlike other parrots, cockatoos’ feathers are not brightly colored. They are gray, white, or black with small areas of color.
Cockatoos need a lot of attention from their owner. They are loyal pets, but if they are neglected, they can become sick or stressed out. They do not like being bored. When a cockatoo is bored or stressed out, it plucks its own feathers.
How To Draw A Cockatoo – Step-by-Step Tutorial