How to draw a Good Enough peacock

Jeannel,
Two "Good Enough" peacocks

[blockquote source=”Terry Hoitz, The Other Guys“]You can’t keep me cooped up in here, okay? I am a peacock…you gotta let me fly![/blockquote]
 
Immortality. Renewal. Resurrection. Protection. Even the ability to eat poisonous snakes without harm. Across centuries and cultures, peacocks have been powerful symbols…and that’s before we even get into how wonderful they look!
 
Commonly known for his strut, the peacock is a actually possessor of some of the most admired human characteristics and is a symbol of integrity and the beauty we can achieve when we endeavor to show our true colors.
 
And yes, they even fly. (I have personally witnessed this while taking the train up the Washington coast into Canada. A peacock in flight is magnificent!)
 
So if you want to remind yourself of your own beauty when you show your true colors, or if you simply need a reminder to get out of your coop and fly now and again, why not draw a peacock of your very own? Here’s how:
 
(Felena Hanson, this one’s for you!)
 

How To Draw A Good Enough Peacock

 
Good Enough peacock drawing tutorial
 

Three (and a Half) Tips

 

  • I start with the peacock’s head and neck to help set the scale for the rest of the drawing. For a stylistic “Good Enough” peacock, two soft “s” shapes–one over the other–do the trick. The first “s” provides the crown of the head and the slope of the neck into the peacock’s wings. The top of the second “s” provides the beak, then swoops down to provide a full little body for our peacock. (Psst! Keep that top part of the second “s” short, otherwise you’ll have a bird that looks more like a hawk or a seagull!)

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  • Once the head and body are in place, I draw a large “fan” of tail feathers, starting from the top of the head and working down either side. By having an even number of bumps in the tail feather fan, I can simply start one side centered over the top of my peacock’s head, then repeat the spacing and scale down the other side. Phew! Way easier than articulating every tail feather. And speaking of articulating tail feathers….

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  • Once you have the fan shape, play and have fun with different ways you can represent those fabulous peacock feathers! I like the drop shape over some swirly stems, but you can take different approaches, too. Here are just a few:
     
    Three "Good Enough" peacocks
     
    But what if your peacock’s tail feathers get tired? How do you draw your peacock with tail feathers down?

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  • I use the same body shape, but leverage the teardrop shapes from our previous images to build a tail that cascades down in a graceful arc down across my peacock’s back:
     
    Good Enough peacock tail down
     
    The size of the teardrops is approximately the same as the drops or swirls I’d draw on the full fan of tail feathers. The flow of tail feathers is actually quite dramatic, so don’t be afraid to go longer than I did in this drawing.

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    There you are: instant peacock! ;^)
     
    What does YOUR peacock look like? Draw yours up, Tweet it out to @jeannelking #goodenough, and let your peacock fly!
     
    I cannot wait to see what you draw forth,
    Jeannel-blogsignature-leftslant
    P.S. Want to have fun drawing AND inspire others to pick up the pen at the same time?  Got something you wish you could draw, but you’re not sure how to approach it? [highlights color=”ffea00″]Tweet your drawing or idea to @jeannelking and tag it with #goodenough: it could be featured in an upcoming “how to draw Good Enough” blog post![/highlights]
     

    About Jeannel

    - INFJ - Strategic | Activator | Connectedness | Relator | Intellection - Scorpio - Cat Person - Movie Buff - Modern-Day Johnny Appleseed - Creative who Specializes in Organizational Culture Change - Painfully Aware of Her White Privilege

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