Let's draw the Eagle!
The best way to draw the eagle is to take a family trip to a reserve and observe real live
eagles. (To find a reserve near you, serf the web, key words bald eagle) and follow these steps:
Step 1. Study your subject, the bald eagle. Identify physical characteristics of the eagle. Simplify the eagle into basic geometric shapes in your eye's mind . This technique will take away difficult details that will be added later in your drawing.
Body- oval
Head-oval (notice the proportions are different)
Upper-legs- ovals
Tail- triangle
Beak- triangle
Bottom wing tip- triangle
Wing portion next to body- rectangles
Upper wing tip- over-lapped rectangle
Step 2: Study your subject, the bald eagle. Build up the details in stages, blending the lines to create realistic values, but keep crisp lines to separate feathers, add more simple shapes.
Notice the wing feathers are created with slanted lines coming to a point.
The oval of the head is more refined at this stage. Zig zag lines create feather
details.
The edge of the triangle of the tail feathers are irregular.
Step 3: Study your subject, the bald eagle. Draw more lines. Lines to separate wing feathers, and
body feathers. Notice details of the beak, the eye.
How many layers of feathers make up the wing?
Look at the tiny feathers that
make up the bald head! They are
layered. The means one is on top
of the other.
Step 4: Now you are ready for the art element value, blend your lines to create depth.
Don't forget the feet, the bright yellow feet!
The lower part of the leg has no feathers. They are scaley.
Our National Bird, the bald eagle has winged its way back from the edge of extinction, thanks to the outlawing of the pesticide DDT in 1972 and to protections povided by the Endangered Species Act. the nations's landmark conservation law. The bird, all Americans recognize, stamped on the presidential seal of the United States, has made a strong comeback!
Facts:
Body of an Eagle: 30 to 35 inches long from the bill to the tip of the tail.
weigh 8 - 13 pounds, wingspread of approx. 7 ft.
The Head: is large and covered with white feathers. The Eagle has large
eyes that are located on either side of its head. Eagles have great
eyesight.
Feet and Legs: The feet are bright yellow. Eagles seize and kill their prey
with the long, curved talons on their feet. The lower part of
the bald eagle's legs is bare.
Feathers and Wings: The body and long wing feathers are dark brown.
The bald eagle is not really bald. It looks bald
because its head is covered with white feathers. The
tail is also white.
