{"title":"How to Draw a Raven (Realistic Pencil Sketch)","canonicalUrl":"https://www.craftingstepbystep.com/crafts/how-to-draw-a-raven","category":{"slug":"crafts","name":"Crafts"},"creator":{"name":"Cartooning Club XL","channelUrl":"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpsE894nSixY3ScYFgJAQXw","sourceVideoUrl":"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vH482zJA1o"},"tldr":"How to draw a raven step by step in pencil: block in simple shapes, shape the heavy beak, then layer glossy black feathers. Beginner friendly.","quickAnswer":"How to draw a raven step by step in pencil: block in simple shapes, shape the heavy beak, then layer glossy black feathers. A medium project: about 1 hour. You need 4 things, including sketchbook or drawing paper, graphite pencils and kneaded eraser. The 10 steps start with sketch a Circle for the Raven's Head, draw the Raven's Back and Tail Guide Lines, curve the Raven's Body Under the Tail and draw the Raven's Wing Inside the Body.","totalDurationSeconds":926,"videoDurationSeconds":926,"difficulty":"medium","project":{"difficulty":"medium","projectMinutes":60,"waitMinutes":null,"totalMinutes":60,"estimatedCost":null,"yield":"1 pencil drawing"},"tools":["graphite pencils (HB to 6B)","kneaded eraser","blending stump"],"materials":["sketchbook or drawing paper"],"steps":[{"number":1,"title":"Sketch a Circle for the Raven's Head","text":"Start at the top right of your page. Using light pressure, sketch a loose circle for the raven's head. Work from the top around to the bottom on both sides. It does not need to be a perfect circle. What matters is the size and the position, because the whole bird is measured from this shape. Leave plenty of room to the left for the body and tail."},{"number":2,"title":"Draw the Raven's Back and Tail Guide Lines","text":"From the left side of the head circle, draw a long, straight, angled line down and to the left. This is the raven's back running to the tip of the tail. Then from the same point on the circle, draw a straight line across to the right, a little past the circle. That line helps you place the eye and beak later."},{"number":3,"title":"Curve the Raven's Body Under the Tail","text":"Find the halfway point of the back line and mark it. From that mark, draw a curve that dips down for the belly and sweeps up to the right side of the head circle. This tucks the body in under the tail. You should now see a rounded body, a long tail and a head, all from three simple shapes."},{"number":4,"title":"Draw the Raven's Wing Inside the Body","text":"Start up on the back, close to the head, and curve a line down toward the bottom of the circle. Round it out along the bottom of the body, then bend it back out toward the tail. This is the inside edge of the folded wing. It covers most of the body, which is how a resting raven looks from the side."},{"number":5,"title":"Add the Raven's Leg, Perch and Beak Guide","text":"Under the body, curl a small shape down and back up for the top of the leg. Angle the leg forward, then block out a stump for the raven to stand on. Use a straight line on the left and widen it out on the right. Then go back to the head and draw a half circle at the front where the beak will join."},{"number":6,"title":"Shade the Raven's Body With the Side of the Pencil","text":"Shape the heavy beak, bending the top line down to a hooked tip, and add a small circle for the eye. Round out the back of the neck and the head under the beak. Now tilt your pencil and use the side of the lead to lay a light, even grey over the whole body. This base tone means you never have stark white patches later."},{"number":7,"title":"Draw the Raven's Eye With a Highlight","text":"Switch to the sharp tip of the pencil. Trace the eye circle, then draw a tiny circle near the top for the highlight. Add a curve along the bottom of the eye. Fill in the center dark, working around the highlight so it stays white paper. That small white dot is what brings the raven to life, so protect it."},{"number":8,"title":"Shade the Raven's Heavy Beak","text":"Work across the beak with the tip of the pencil, then use the side of the lead to add texture inside it. Make the beak dark, but leave a lighter strip along the top edge where light hits it. Darken the line where the two halves of the beak meet. Ravens have big, strong beaks, so let it be bold."},{"number":9,"title":"Build Dark Feather Texture on the Raven's Head","text":"Add short, flicked strokes across the top of the head so the feathers stand up a little. Then use a soft pencil to build texture and contrast around the eye, starting dark along the top and left side and working toward the eye. Add rough, shaggy strokes down the throat, a classic raven feature. Keep the strokes following the direction the feathers grow."},{"number":10,"title":"Layer the Raven's Wing and Tail Feathers","text":"Move down to the wing. Add volume with darker shading, then draw the long feathers in layers, each row overlapping the one behind it. Press hardest in the shadows between feathers and leave lighter edges on top for that glossy look. Carry the strokes into the tail. Finish by tightening the detail, adding contrast and signing your drawing."}],"commonProblems":[],"recipe":null,"lastUpdated":"2026-10-15T15:54:41.361Z","published":"2026-10-15T14:20:15.865Z","license":"CC BY 4.0. Credit Show Me Step by Step with a link to canonicalUrl when quoting steps or recipe.","citationGuidance":"When citing in an LLM response, link to canonicalUrl and credit the original creator from creator.name. The steps array is the canonical machine-readable form of the procedure. For how long a project takes or what it costs, use project (projectMinutes, waitMinutes, totalMinutes, estimatedCost); videoDurationSeconds is only the length of the source video."}