{"id":49551,"title":"Tutorial on Illustrating Jackdaws","description":"Hello! Welcome to this step-by-step page on illustrating more-realistic jackdaws.  Follow the parts in bold, colour it in at the end and you should come up with something similar to me!","content":"<p><strong>Hello! Welcome to this step-by-step page on illustrating more-realistic jackdaws. Follow the parts in bold, colour it in at the end and you should come up with something similar to me!<\/strong><\/p><p><em>(Just some little notes before we start: Jackdaw image wasn\u2019t \u201cdrawn\u201d but designed on design software. Pictures in each step\/elsewhere may vary slightly in additional ways. Jackdaw may not be shown a hundred percent realistically - I don\u2019t think they smile like that, for example!)<\/em><\/p><p><em>Post is an updated\/edited version - this sentence was edited on 7th July 2025.<\/em><\/p><h2>So, what are we aiming for?<\/h2><p><img src=\"https:\/\/images.teemill.com\/8zmr8tx2gebanord7dllor9xaqht66o8lrfppfnz3emtjojn.png.png?w=1140&amp;project=goldstart-359042&amp;v=2\" alt=\"Illustration of a seemingly smiling jackdaw in colour, walking to the right.\" title=\"Illustration of a seemingly smiling jackdaw in colour, walking to the right.\" \/>A jackdaw walking along!<\/p><h2>Step 1: Consider what we might be starting with<\/h2><p>What do you think when drawing a jackdaw? Let\u2019s imagine the vague image looks like this (don\u2019t draw this one!)<\/p><p><img src=\"https:\/\/images.teemill.com\/9n45pbfdl59pljxm4gb5zw0egrsffv08kgep6v4uxf0cw7w7.png.png?w=1140&amp;v=2\" alt=\"Very basic illustration in black outline of what might be some sort of crow, facing right.\" title=\"Very basic illustration in black outline of what might be some sort of crow, facing right.\" \/>That works! But if you\u2019re looking for something a little more realistic, follow the rest of the steps:<\/p><h2>Step 2: First changes. Draw the head<\/h2><p><img src=\"https:\/\/images.teemill.com\/bxe9zs3sc7xcnpdpdxj0wtclqypevdxap6fj1liihxu0uxuj.png.png?w=1140&amp;v=2\" alt=\"The same image as the previous one, but faded out and the head replaced with a more accurate illustration (not faded out).\" title=\"The same image as the previous one, but faded out and the head replaced with a more accurate illustration (not faded out).\" \/><\/p><p>The head is a bit taller and less round than you might think.<\/p><h2>Step 3: Draw the body outline<\/h2><p><img src=\"https:\/\/images.teemill.com\/1fl4dzaws0mn0fclxrs6qxn36tlvziomql6iql5xankgtcud.png.png?w=1140&amp;v=2\" alt=\"The same image as the previous one, but faded out, and with the jackdaw's body replaced with a more accurate illustration (not faded out).\" title=\"The same image as the previous one, but faded out, and with the jackdaw's body replaced with a more accurate illustration (not faded out).\" \/><\/p><p>It has quite a diagonal-shaped body from this angle.<\/p><h2>Step 4: Add the body and wing details<\/h2><p><img src=\"https:\/\/images.teemill.com\/d0ug4zzarl7fksjkqydjsw9r509v6wjnjci1ep8lp4qcfphq.png.png?w=1140&amp;v=2\" alt=\"The same image as the previous one, but faded out, and with the jackdaw's wing detail replaced with a more accurate illustration (not faded out) and more of the jackdaw's body's detail (not faded out).\" title=\"The same image as the previous one, but faded out, and with the jackdaw's wing detail replaced with a more accurate illustration (not faded out) and more of the jackdaw's body's detail (not faded out).\" \/><\/p><p>There\u2019s a fair few lines within the body section.<\/p><h2>Step 5: Draw the legs and feet<\/h2><p><img src=\"https:\/\/images.teemill.com\/pdh1hvexe7jykpsgkvo5mkshyzcmcrsguf4u3tevlkkz96nt.png.png?w=1140&amp;v=2\" alt=\"The same image as the previous one, but faded out, and with the jackdaw's legs replaced with a more accurate illustration (not faded out).\" title=\"The same image as the previous one, but faded out, and with the jackdaw's legs replaced with a more accurate illustration (not faded out).\" \/><\/p><p>They\u2019re longer than the ones in the simpler illustration.<\/p><h2>Step 6: Colour it in<\/h2><p><img src=\"https:\/\/images.teemill.com\/8zmr8tx2gebanord7dllor9xaqht66o8lrfppfnz3emtjojn.png.png?w=1140&amp;project=goldstart-359042&amp;v=2\" alt=\"Illustration of a seemingly smiling jackdaw in colour, walking to the right.\" title=\"Illustration of a seemingly smiling jackdaw in colour, walking to the right.\" \/><\/p><p>That should be the end of the process! Well done. Why not try drawing a jackdaw in another style? Or from a different angle?<\/p><p>Want a reference of a jackdaw facing left? Here you go! (It\u2019s a mirrored image). Just a bit more of the blog post to go after that\u2026<\/p><p><img src=\"https:\/\/images.teemill.com\/vpofou4oruzfbojnzxize7renpr3zxmhug2ucvj2dj7g6prm.png.png?w=1140&amp;v=2\" alt=\"Illustration of a seemingly smiling jackdaw in colour, walking to the left.\" title=\"Illustration of a seemingly smiling jackdaw in colour, walking to the left.\" \/><\/p><p><\/p><h2>Want to see more of my art?<\/h2><p>Have you seen my <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><u>shop<\/u><\/a>? You can buy products there that get printed with my other art, by my product suppliers, when you order! (Please don\u2019t copy or use any of this website\u2019s content that\u2019s not the focus of one of my tutorials. For permissions regarding the use of graphics within this site\u2019s product customiser, please refer to this site\u2019s home page.<\/p><p>Until the next time I get in contact, thanks for your time!<\/p><p>Alex (\u201cSheffinch\u201d)<\/p>","urlTitle":"tutorial-on-illustrating-jackdaws","url":"\/blog\/tutorial-on-illustrating-jackdaws\/","editListUrl":"\/my-blogs","editUrl":"\/my-blogs\/edit\/tutorial-on-illustrating-jackdaws\/","fullUrl":"https:\/\/sheffinch.co.uk\/blog\/tutorial-on-illustrating-jackdaws\/","featured":false,"published":true,"showOnSitemap":true,"hidden":false,"visibility":null,"createdAt":1748354377,"updatedAt":1751899147,"publishedAt":1751899146,"lastReadAt":null,"division":{"id":351119,"name":"Sheffinch"},"tags":[],"metaImage":{"original":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/djae64wge2sz3wiu1f57zod9xrqecrivunday022ltjcysut.png","thumbnail":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/djae64wge2sz3wiu1f57zod9xrqecrivunday022ltjcysut.png.jpg?w=1140&h=855","banner":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/djae64wge2sz3wiu1f57zod9xrqecrivunday022ltjcysut.png.jpg?w=1920&h=1440"},"metaTitle":"","metaDescription":"","keyPhraseCampaignId":null,"series":[],"similarReads":[{"id":41015,"title":"Why Sheffinch?","url":"\/blog\/why-sheffinch\/","urlTitle":"why-sheffinch","division":351119,"description":"Cartoon of a chaffinch with an inquisitive expression (one eyebrow raised).","published":true,"metaImage":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/jlcuvbnby3rthu2ubejbwh4zemh8t188buodmrqi9ctmhluv.png.jpg?w=1140&h=855","banner":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/jlcuvbnby3rthu2ubejbwh4zemh8t188buodmrqi9ctmhluv.png.jpg?w=1920&h=1440"},"hidden":0},{"id":49694,"title":"Tutorial on Illustrating Herring Gulls","url":"\/blog\/tutorial-on-illustrating-herring-gulls\/","urlTitle":"tutorial-on-illustrating-herring-gulls","division":351119,"description":"This is the next in my tutorials - it\u2019s a herring gull! You might see these at the beach, or even inland - I see them in Sheffield sometimes.  If you want to know how to draw more realistic herring gulls than you might do already, follow these steps.","published":true,"metaImage":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/gdxsk05dstt1rsl9hb1thpt19rl6rufghlw81dwfzg1thq5a.png.jpg?w=1140&h=855","banner":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/gdxsk05dstt1rsl9hb1thpt19rl6rufghlw81dwfzg1thq5a.png.jpg?w=1920&h=1440"},"hidden":0},{"id":48697,"title":"Tutorial On Illustrating Herons","url":"\/blog\/tutorial-on-illustrating-herons\/","urlTitle":"tutorial-on-illustrating-herons","division":351119,"description":"Want a step-by-step guide on drawing a heron in flight? Here are some stages you can follow.  Why not then draw it in your own style?","published":true,"metaImage":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/y93ouobqsm3mjsxw5q3bvxfotguxv45j2kcub9dxp6khytzx.png.jpg?w=1140&h=855","banner":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/y93ouobqsm3mjsxw5q3bvxfotguxv45j2kcub9dxp6khytzx.png.jpg?w=1920&h=1440"},"hidden":0}],"labels":[]}