Inside you’ll find an easy step-by-step How to Draw a Macaw Tutorial and Macaw Coloring Page. Stop by and download yours for free. This one focuses on just their very colorful heads.
This how to draw a macaw project will probably have the most success if it is finished with one of the less messy choices of media. Those black stripes sitting next to the white cheeks might bleed if painted, or smear if oil or chalk pastels are used. For that reason, I recommend crayons, or markers to get the neatest and brightest drawing possible.
Macaws are one of the most colorful species of birds that you will find in all of South America. As members of the parrot family, their size and vivid feathers, along with their rather loud squawking, make them hard to miss wherever they live.
These birds possess brilliant coloring that is very well-suited to the Amazon jungle’s bright fruits, flowers and vivid green canopies. Different species of macaws possess varying color combinations, such as blue and gold or green and red.
This tutorial focuses on just a profile view of a macaw’s face, which is highly distinctive — maybe even as unique as our fingerprints. The close up look will give young artists lots of room to draw and color those patterns.
Getting Started with Drawing Guides
The best way to get students off to a good start to any drawing lesson is to show them how to use guides as a reference point.
You may have noticed that all of the tutorials on this website have a dashed line running through the center of each step, both in a horizontal and vertical direction. If students make their own centered lines on their own paper, before drawing, they will have an easy reference to follow.
For instance, as seen in Step 1 below, the main head shape starts to the left of the center vertical line. It also goes up almost to the top of the page. It’s important to draw that shape large so students end up with a head that fills their paper.
When students get their drawing off to a good start, there’s a better chance of them feeling successful by the time they are done. Drawing skills are all about getting the size and placement of lines on paper. Having some visual reference point to get started, will always help anyone learn how to be a little more accurate.
So does that mean students need to get out a ruler to draw a big fat line down the center of their paper before they start? Goodness no, please don’t! That will most likely be hard to erase and distract from any finished art. No, simply fold the sheet of paper in half both ways, make a crease, and unfold. The beauty is that by the time the drawing is done and colored in, the creases will disappear.
And now, on to the Macaw drawing project.
Pin me to your Pinterest Board!
Use the Button below to download a PDF Tutorial
Macaw Coloring Page
Materials for How to Draw a Macaw
- Drawing Paper. This is the good stuff you can buy in bulk for a good price.
- Pencils. I like how this brand always makes nice dark lines.
- Black Marker. A permanent marker will give you a dark black color.
- Crayons. The larger packs are nice for more color choices.
- Note: All of the above are Amazon affiliate links.
