How to Draw a Native American Feather
- 1). Draw a long, arching, vertical line. Make this line straighter at the bottom and more curved at the top. Make a line parallel to your first line that arcs to meet it at the tip. These two lines should meet at the top and remain separated at the bottom.
- 2). Draw a small, diagonally-oriented oval at the base of your two lines to connect them. This completes the spine, or rachis, of your feather.
- 3). Use short, flicking lines to create the barbs of your feathers. Make these lines light. These lines should arc slightly in a downward direction. As you get to the tip of your rachis, straighten these lines a little, while keeping them fluid and gently curving. In the top one-third portion of your feather, darken your lines to achieve a deep gray or black hue. If opting for a red color pencil, substitute if for your graphite pencil in these top feathers. Leave a small segment at the base of your rachis without barbs to create the quill.
- 4). Shade your oval lightly to create a faint shadow at the base of the feather. This completes your feather.
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