How to Draw Bird Wings: Structure Before Feathers

Before drawing for the wings, it is recommended to understand.

Let's not be fooled by the arrangement of the feathers, but let's see the volume of the wings first.

Wings are actually the forelimbs of birds.

It has shoulders, elbows, and wrists, and it follows a certain mechanical logic of operation

We'll take you through two structural manuscripts, from geometric generalizations to skeletal details, to reacquaint you with the wings.

Since the wing structures are similar, this article will use crow and pigeon wings as examples.

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Geometry in a nutshell: understanding "geometry" before painting wings

The body is a ball, the wings are pillars.

• Before getting into the intricacies of feathers, please see my sketch of the structure.
  The core of a bird's torso can be simplified to a full egg shape (sphere)
• The center line sets the direction: Pay attention to the centerline of the chest (the keel), which determines the bird's orientation.

• Wings constitute logic: The roots of the wings are not flat on the back, but "inserted" like cylinders into spheres on either side of the thorax.

Simplified Shape Method

• Body = Sphere (chest) + Cone (tail)

• Head : Orb (skull) + Cone (beak)

• wings : Folded rectangles or sectors with thicknesses

小Reminder: Only when we can break down the bird into these geometries in our minds will the bird begin to take on a sense of volume!

Wing Skeletal Bracket: The Hidden "Z" Robotic Arm

Look for the three key joints of the wing

Look at this arm skeleton. The folding of the wings depends entirely on these three points:

Shoulders : Attached to the trunk, usually covered by shoulder feathers.

Humerus, upper arm

The part that connects the body. This bone is short and stout, and is usually covered by the pectoral muscles and feathers, but it determines the thickness of the root when the wings are spread out

placement: Shoulder joint → Elbow joint (the main bone of the wing against the body).
functionality: Provides the primary leverage for wing flapping; flight muscles such as the pectoralis major transmit their power to the humerus through the shoulder girdle.

• The humerus determines the "thickness of the wing root" and the overall attitude of the wing.

• Draw the wing gesture first:shoulder-elbowThe wings are immediately structured.

Wings Folding Logic

When the wings are retracted or half-open.Humerus (upper arm), ulna (forearm), metacarpal (palm) There will be a standard Z-shaped

： Drawing the wings in a smooth curve, forgetting that the bones underneath have "folds".

Elbow : Backward protruding pivot point

Radius + ulna.

This is a long paragraph. Remember the "ulna" because it is theSecondary FeatherAttachment Points

placement: Elbow → wrist (forearm segment is two bones in parallel).
functionality：

• ulna (anatomy) : It is the bone to which the inner wing feathers (secondary wings) are primarily attached, providing stability and support.
• radius : Thinner to assist in forearm stabilization and micro-rotation (in conjunction with spreader/retractor and airfoil angle adjustments).

finesse(Degenerative fusion of fingers)

This is an important structural point! It is the only raised point on the leading edge of the wing (and where the winglets grow).

Behind the Airfoil Streamlining Logic

Why don't the wings open with a V-shaped notch like a human arm? Because of theectoderm (biology)（The line (skin and ligaments) connects the shoulder to the wrist. This line must be drawnTight and smoothIt is the key to the windward side of the wing.

Feather arrangement: 'zoning logic' like laying tiles

With the skeleton, we are like building a house with steel reinforcement, and then we have to put on the "roof tiles" (feathers).

Feathers don't grow randomly, they're zoned.

It is advisable not to draw them one by one! Let's start with three main sections

Once the skeleton is in place, we start "laying tiles". Remember this mantra:

Main Flying Feather(Thrusters)

→ fingers: It grows on the "palm" of the hand. It's thin, stiff, and it pushes.

• placement: grows on the bones of the palm of the hand

• functionalityThe wing's outer, longest feather is responsible for propulsion and steering. This is the outermost and longest feather of the wing.

• special featureIn crows and ravens, these feathers are split at the ends like human fingers. In crows and ravens, these feathers are split at the ends and spread out like human fingers, which is called a "wingtip notch" in aerodynamics and reduces turbulence and increases lift.

Secondary Feather(lifting surface)

→ Arm: It's on the ulna.

Wide, rounded, responsible for lift, tightly arranged like blinds.

• Overlay → Roof: A "fairing" that covers the base of the feather. Ensures smooth airflow

Feather Cover (Streamlined Shell)

placement: Covering the roots of the flight feathers in layers.

• functionality: Smooths and streamlines the surface of the wing and protects the roots of the feathers.

• Highlights: Draw them in fish-scale-like layers, not as a single long hair, but as layers of "flakes".

Wings Block: Small Wing Feather

At the turn of the wrist, there is a bunch of small feathers that are raised, that is the "thumb" of birds. When you draw a crow, make it a little bit more protruding to increase the realism and vividness of the structure.

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How to Draw Wings Summary: The wings of the wing are drawn in the same way that the wings of the wing are drawn.

The secret to a good wing painting is not whether you can draw the texture of each feather, but whether you understand what's underneath.Skeletal structure supportas well asCharacteristics of the zonal shape of the feathers。

When you understand that a crow's wing is an "extension of the arm", your painting is no longer just a flat pattern, but is equipped with anatomical logic and knowledge of three-dimensional structure.

Above is the introduction of how to draw wings, do you have any difficulties in drawing wings? Feel free to leave a comment or send me a private message.Instagram Exchanges.

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