How To Draw Bird Wings

Birds such as sparrows and crows are usually seen in our daily lives.
Wings are indispensable when drawing these birds.
Wings are also necessary when drawing other characters such as angels, demons, and unicorns.

Birds are often seen in our daily lives, so some people may say that they can draw wings without much difficulty.
However, if you draw them casually, you may not be able to recognize the details, or if you change the direction or add movement, you may lose sight of them. ……

When you draw a wing, you need to be aware of its characteristics so that you can draw a wing that looks more like it.

In this section, we will introduce the characteristics of wings and points to keep in mind when drawing them.
If you want to draw a bird flapping in the sky, or an angel or a devil, please check it out.

1. Characteristics of wings and points to consider when drawing them

Let's start by looking at the general structure of a bird's wing.

◆The skeleton of a wing

The skeleton of a wing is similar to that of a human from the arms to the fingertips.
In the illustration above, the area circled in the same color is the part of the skeleton that is similar in humans and birds.

The purple part of the wing extending from the arm to the wrist is the tendon.
Because of these tendons, the arm is not stretched out completely straight like in humans, but the bones are in an open V-shape.

When drawing wings, it is easier to draw these skeletons and skeletal parts (wing tips + wing base) as a rough sketch first, and then add the wings on top of them.

How to attach the wings

Now that you have a rough idea of the shape of the skeleton, it is time to add the wings.
Now, I will show you how to attach the wings.

The feathers are divided into three major vertical sections.
It's a good idea to start with these three sections in mind.

If you want to go into more detail, the feathers can be divided into eight parts in total.

When a bird flies, its "wind vane" is active.
When raising the wing, the wind vane cuts the wind to reduce air resistance, and when lowering the wing, it catches the wind and converts it into propulsive force.

When drawing a wing, it is a good idea to pay special attention to the shape of the wind vane.

The first row of windrows is longer and sharper with a slightly pointed tip.
In contrast, the next row of wind shears is slightly wider and more rounded in shape.

Also note that the wings are slightly different when viewed from the underside, as the feathers are attached in a different way.

◆How to fold the wings

The wings of a bird are usually folded along the body.
In this case, the wing is folded with the arm bent and the part from the wrist to the fingertips bent downward.
In humans, it is like bending the elbow and pointing the back of the hand diagonally downward.
(If it is difficult to understand, it may be easier to grasp the shape by imagining a skeleton.

As you draw the arms in, pay attention to how the feathers on the arms and elbows come together, and draw the feathers in layers.

The upper half of the feathers will be almost completely hidden because it will be below the wrist.
The visible lower half of the wind feathers should be along the body towards the tail.

2. Characteristics of bat wings and points to consider when drawing them

Bats are a type of mammal, not a bird.
However, they have large wings like birds.

Bat wings are often used for demon characters and Halloween, so let's check out some tips on how to draw them.

If you look at the skeleton of a bat's wing, you can clearly see that bats have very long fingers.

The wings of bats are made of a thin membrane, not feathers.
The skin connects the long fingers with the bones of the arms, legs, and tail, like the sails of a sailboat.

The five fingers are the same as in humans: thumb, index, middle, ring, and little finger.
The thumb is outside the membrane, while the rest of the fingers are encased in the membrane.

When drawing the bones of the bat's wings, be aware that they are fingers, and draw them in a radial pattern to make them look more like that.
Depending on the deformation and the design, I sometimes dare to draw a vertical line as in the picture on the left below.