How to draw lovebirds

Two lovebirds on a branch are a classic first watercolor subject: rounded bodies, small beaks and bright, simple areas of color. The stages take you from pencil placement to soft layers of paint.

  • Watercolor
  • Intermediate
  • 35 min
  • 9 stages

Draw on paper with any pencil or pen. Compare each stage with the guide before you move on.

The finished Watercolor lovebirds drawing
What you will draw

Stage by stage

  1. Watercolor lovebirds, stage 1: Big shapes

    Big shapes

    Sketch the largest ovals and boxes with light marks.

    Check before you move on: Do the big shapes fill the page like the reference?

  2. Watercolor lovebirds, stage 2: Proportions

    Proportions

    Compare height and width, then add a center line.

    Check before you move on: Are the main height-to-width ratios close?

  3. Watercolor lovebirds, stage 3: Placement

    Placement

    Mark the positions of the main parts before adding detail.

    Check before you move on: Are the main parts in the right places?

  4. Watercolor lovebirds, stage 4: Outer contour

    Outer contour

    Choose one clear outline over your light guides.

    Check before you move on: Does the silhouette match the reference?

  5. Watercolor lovebirds, stage 5: Interior edges

    Interior edges

    Add only the inner edges that explain the form.

    Check before you move on: Can you understand the form without extra lines?

  6. Watercolor lovebirds, stage 6: Shadow shapes

    Shadow shapes

    Fill the largest shadow areas with one pale tone.

    Check before you move on: Are light and shadow clearly separated?

  7. Watercolor lovebirds, stage 7: Midtones

    Midtones

    Add a middle tone between the light and shadow.

    Check before you move on: Can you see light, middle and dark groups?

  8. Watercolor lovebirds, stage 8: Accents

    Accents

    Deepen a few dark accents where forms overlap.

    Check before you move on: Are the darkest marks limited and deliberate?

  9. Watercolor lovebirds, stage 9: Finish

    Finish

    Refine a few focal details and keep the rest simple.

    Check before you move on: Does one focal area stand out?

Tips for this drawing

  • Place both birds and the branch as simple shapes before any feather detail, and check how the two birds overlap.
  • Use thin, transparent washes and let each layer dry before you add the next.
  • Keep a few spots of bare paper for highlights. You cannot paint white back in.

Make a lesson like this from your own photo

Sketchwise builds a guide image for every stage, checks your page along the way and scores the finished drawing.

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