Eagle Drawing
(Sketching + Vector)

This superb eagle drawing is the subject of this new tutorial! Are you up to the challenge? This mysterious animal is really enjoyable to draw. With its aggressive lines and amazing eyes, it is really a pleasure to go through the process of creating such a fascinating cartoon character.

This drawing lesson is rather complex so don't hesitate to draw it over and over again. Practicing is the best thing you can do to achieve this fun tutorial.

Step 1

Start your drawing lesson by sketching the eagle. I usually draw most animals using a front view, but the eagle is one little fellow that is easier to draw using a side view. Notice how the character seems to be proud and confident.

Step 2

Next, add black outlines on your illustration. Make sure that you convert your pencil drawing into a digital file before proceeding since we are using a vector application to complete this tutorial.

Step 3

Add plain colors using new shapes. These new elements must be placed behind the outlines. I like this technique because it gives me the opportunity to add various shadows between the solid shapes and the outlines.

Step 4

Use the gradient tool to add a simple effect on each shape. Notice how the end of the wing is lighter. Also, the leg on the far side must be darker since it is almost completely hidden by the body of the eagle drawing.

Step 5

Now create new shapes to illustrate the darker shadows of the cartoon character. Don't add too many shadows on your illustration. Doing so will make it hard to read. Only a few well-placed elements are necessary.

Step 6

Select the transparency tool and partially hide the shapes created previously. During this step, you might have to experiment a little to find the right tone of color, the right percentage of transparency needed. 

Step 7

Once again, create new shapes, but this time to illustrate reflection on your character's body. These new shapes must be large and colored in white. You can also leave a small space between the reflections and the outlines. 

Step 8

Finally, use the transparency tool again to hide the bottom part of each shape. Good job! Your eagle drawing is now done. I hope you had fun creating this cool animal and don't hesitate to try more characters from this category.

Go back to Animal drawing tutorials
Go back from Eagle drawing (Sketching + vector) to home page