Hello, and welcome to another tutorial by Emily Drawing! Today’s tutorial is all about drawing the snowy owl! We will take you through nine simple steps to draw this awesome bird.
Snowy owls can grow as big as 26 inches tall and 3.5 to 6.5 pounds, making this bird the largest owl species in North America by weight. They also have a wingspan of 49 to 51 inches. Additionally, female snowy owls are larger than males.
Snowy owl babies, or nestlings, are cute, tiny creatures. When they’re first born, they’re about the size of a tangerine and covered in small, soft feathers.
It’s time to get started on the tutorial for drawing a snowy owl. Grab your colored pencils or markers, and learn how to draw this beautiful bird species.
Materials:
- a piece of paper
- a pencil for the guiding lines and sketching
- an eraser
- a black Sharpie or a pen for the outlines
- markers or colored pencils for coloring
- our printable drawing guide (Join my Email List below to get this Tutorial)
Here are my RECOMMENDED Art Supplies!
- Crayola Coloring Set (140 Pieces – Mega Value!)
- 24 Colored Crayon Set
- A4 Printer Paper
- Crayola Coloring Pencils
- HP Home Printer with Instant Ink!
Time needed:
15 minutes.
How to Draw a Snowy Owl — Let’s get started!
Step 1 – Draw The Snowy Owl’s Head
First, you’ll draw the snowy owl’s head. All you need to do is draw a line that curves upward or the top of a round shape. Compared to the rest of its body, a snowy owl has a pretty small head.
Step 2 – Draw The Snowy Owl’s Wings
For this step, you’ll draw the snowy owl’s body, starting with its wings. When following the picture, they almost look like little leaves. Once you’re finished, they may actually look like a pair of earmuffs! Fun fact: Snowy owls can use their wings to glide and silently sneak up on prey. They can also reach speeds of 46 miles per hour.
Step 3 – Draw The Snowy Owl’s Belly
Drawing the snowy owl’s belly is pretty easy. All you need to do is draw a curved line from wing to wing. The line curves outward to create a round shape. Here is an interesting fact about a snowy owl’s belly: This bird has strong stomach acid for digesting its prey, which it swallows whole.
Step 4 – Draw The Snowy Owl’s Left Foot
In our drawing tutorial, the left foot looks like it’s sticking out from underneath the snowy owl’s belly. You’ll draw a small front-facing foot with three toes for this step, and the toes can be the same length.
Step 5 – Draw The Snowy Owl’s Right Foot
Now, you’ll draw the snowy owl’s right foot, which is right beside the left foot. You’ll draw the left foot the same as the right, with three toes of the same length. Easy peasy! By the way, did you know the snowy owl’s feet are covered with feathers for warmth? It’s like their own pair of slippers!
Step 6 – Draw The Snowy Owl’s Facial Marking
Drawing the snowy owl’s facial marking is simple because it’s like giving your owl a mask. It features two connected curves at the top to go around the eyes. Be sure to leave a small space open at the bottom for the owl’s beak.
Step 7 – Draw The Snowy Owl’s Face
Next, you’re going to draw the snowy owl’s face inside the mask-like marking. Start with two dots for eyes in each curved area, and add the beak to the open space. The beak should be an upside-down rounded triangle. Did you know the beak is nearly covered in feathers and bristles? The bristles help the owl sense nearby objects.
Step 8 – Draw The Snowy Owl’s Feathers
Now, you’ll add feathers to your snowy owl’s body. Don’t worry, you don’t have to draw every feather. Instead, you’ll add a few curved lines to the owl’s belly and wings. Snowy owls have several layers of feathers, including a thick layer of down feathers, to keep them warm.
Step 9 – Color In Your Drawing!
Finally, it’s time to color in your snowy owl drawing! Our snowy owl is light gray with a white face and black eyes. The beak and feet are yellow, and the details resembling the feathers are black. Now, the color you choose for your snowy owl depends on its gender. Male snowy owls are nearly white, while females feature a little brown and black as well. Whether you want to represent the Arctic or create an original location, you also want to color the background of your picture. This way, you can enjoy both drawing and coloring your adorable snowy owl!
Pin it now, Draw later!
Interesting Facts About The Snowy Owl
Snowy owls live in the Arctic and can be found from coastal Alaska to Canada to Labrador. They’re also found in Greenland, Iceland, Russia, and Scandinavia.
Snowy owls prefer open tundra and tend to sit near on top of the ground. They also prefer grasslands and fields, especially when breeding season begins in May.
Did You Know?
- Snowy owls lay a large clutch of eggs, which is frequently around 5 to 11. They’re incubated for 31 to 33 days and hatch at various times.
- Snowy owls eat mammals such as squirrels, hares, voles, and lemmings.
- This bird has very sharp vision, allowing them to spot a small animal over 300 feet away.
- While snowy owls are not much of swimmers, they’re able to swim short distances in emergencies.
- The average lifespan is over 10 years in the wild and up to 28 years in captivity. The oldest-known wild snowy owl was at least 23 years, 10 months in 2015.
We hope you enjoyed our “How To Draw A Snowy Owl” tutorial. Feel free to share your drawing with us by posting on social media with the hashtag #EmilyDrawing! If you want to learn how to draw other animals, browse the tutorials on our site. We offer a variety of easy drawing tutorials!
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