How to Draw Beaks

All artists have their own way of drawing beaks. This is how I learned to do it. If you find another way, that’s great!

Click the thumbnails to see the larger image.

The basic head/beak construction guides that I use when I do most of my heads. It's adapted slighty from the one I use for humans, which I think I found in a Christopher Hart book.

The only difference between humans and ducks is the head and obviously, the beak.

Some different expressions and angles, using Calista's head as an example.

Male beaks follow the exact same lines of contruction as female beaks; you simply have to make them a little longer. Body build and beak size are usually the determining factors between male and female.

Some different viewpoints. Although I'm not particularly fond on how most of these turned out, they could still be helpful.

Eyes and eyebrows are probably the most important facial features for creating expressions, so don't rely solely on the beak for that.

How you draw the hair can also sometimes indicate different moods.

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