How to draw a great horned owl

Step 1 of 51Guide lines

Head and body guides

Hazel swoops low over a log, talons out, but the mouse in it is safe. Start light: an oval for her head, and a bigger tipped one behind it for her body.

Draw these lightly: they’re only there to help, and you’ll rub them out in step 35.

Step 2 of 51Guide lines

Wing guides

For each wing, a curve out to the wrist (the right from her back, the left from behind her head), and a long curve where the feather tips reach. The left wing is smaller.

Draw these lightly: they’re only there to help, and you’ll rub them out in step 35.

Step 3 of 51

The head

Up the left tuft from inside her head to its point, down its outer edge and her side, under her chin. Then over the top, round the right tuft, and a short line inside it.

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Brows

Her brows, one long V: from inside the right tuft down to a point in the middle of her face, and up towards the left tuft.

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The eyes

An eye under each side of the V, left first: its narrow, tipped outline from the beak side, a big pupil inside, a glint in its top. Then the right eye, rounder and bigger.

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The beak

The hooked beak below the point of the V: over its top, down its right side to the tip and back up. Then a line inside its right side.

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The face disc

Left: a line from under the tuft to the eye; one from the beak to her cheek. Right: from above the brow, round the eye to the beak; a short line down to the eye.

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Her body

Under her chin, round her belly to the right. Then five soft lines on her chest: one right of her face, a curve under the right cheek, two short ones, one above the belly.

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The right wing's leading edge

From the right tuft along her back, up the right wing's leading edge to the wrist's point, into the notch and along the top. Then the line inside, and a curve at her shoulder.

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Small coverts

Coverts are the small feathers over the wing's base, like roof tiles. A wavy line of them under the leading edge, from near the wrist to her shoulder, then a short line along her back.

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The middle coverts

Seven bigger coverts in a row below them, from the top down: each from the one above, round its end and out to its tip.

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Coverts by the tip

Seven more down the column at the right, from the top line: each from the one above, round its end and out to its tip.

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The longest feathers

Now the long flight feathers, six to the wing tip, from the top: each from under the one above, out round its rounded tip and back along its lower edge.

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Feathers towards her body

Seven more the same way, each shorter, working in towards her body: from under the one above, round its tip and back to the coverts.

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The left wing's leading edge

The left wing is smaller: from her head, behind the tuft, out to the wrist's point, into the notch and on round the top feather. Then the line inside it, back to her head.

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Its coverts

Five coverts under the top feather, from the tip end in: each from the one before, round its end and out to its tip. Then a wavy line of small ones to her head.

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Its long feathers

Five long feathers below the top one: each from under the one before, round its tip and back along its lower edge to the coverts.

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Its feathers by her head

Six more, shorter, in towards her head; the last is just its tip, ending on her cheek.

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The left foot

The left foot hangs below her chin: from her belly over the toes into the first claw, under to the back claw, up the leg; then a toe line, the second claw, two creases.

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The right foot

The right foot: the thigh line; from her belly over the toes to the first claw, under to the back claw, up the leg. Then a toe line, two claws, a line between.

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Leg feathers

Fluffy feathers on the back of the right leg: a zigzag up from the leg; then, just right of where it ends, a line up into her body.

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The tail

The tail, fanned behind her legs: her back down from under the wing, the top feather round its tip, then four below it. A line in the last; three fluffy marks at its root.

Step 23 of 51

The mouse

The mouse, below the tip of Hazel's tail, low on the page: over its head and big ear, down its back; its back ear. Its chin round the paw, its front, its haunch.

Step 24 of 51

Its ear and eye

Two curved lines inside the mouse's big ear, and a dot for its eye.

Step 25 of 51

The mouse's tail

Its long thin tail curling out to the right: the top edge out to the curled tip, then the lower edge back.

Step 26 of 51

The hollow end

The log's hollow end: the inner rim from the mouse's back up round its head and down to its feet. Then the outer rim, from its tail right round and back.

Step 27 of 51

The log

The log, lightly: its top edge from under the left wing's wrist, just below her claws, to the broken branch. The cut end's near edge, a ring in it, over it to the hollow end.

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A tuft of grass

A small tuft of grass in front of the log, below Hazel's right foot: three pointed blades, each up one side to its tip and down the other.

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The log's left end

From the top's left corner down the log's end and into a crack. From the crack round the lower end, along the bottom to the tuft; then from the tuft to the hollow end.

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Bark on the left

Seven bark lines along the log's left half: a short one at its left end, three long ones from the top down, two low ones from the left end, one from just above the crack.

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Bark on the right

Nine more on the right half, top to bottom; the ones that meet the hollow end start there.

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The hollow's grain

Five curved lines inside the hollow for the grain, behind the mouse, left to right.

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Grass on the left

Last, the grass. On the left: two short blades by the log's end, three long blades, then a wavy line for the ground.

Step 34 of 51

Grass on the right

On the right: a tall blade, a long one leaning out, a small one, and one curling over into the ground.

Step 35 of 51

Erase the guides

Rub out the ovals and guide curves. Hazel, the mouse and the log stay.

Step 36 of 51

Go over her head

Press harder now, round Hazel's outline. Her head as you drew it: up the left tuft, down her left side and under her chin, then across the top and round the right tuft.

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Go over the right wing

The right wing: up the leading edge to the wrist, along the top out to the tip, and back along every feather tip to her body. The coverts stay lighter.

Step 38 of 51

Go over the left wing

The left wing: out along its leading edge to the tip, and back along the feather tips to her cheek.

Step 39 of 51

Go over her feet and tail

From her belly round the left foot and its claws, then round the right foot's claws, up the back of its leg and out along the tail's feather tips. Leave the log light.

Step 40 of 51

Go over the mouse

Go over the mouse too, a little firmer: from its nose over its head and ear, down its back, round under and up its front past the paw. Then its tail.

Step 41 of 51

Shading the right wing

Shading now, soft and light. On the right wing, a band of tone down the coverts just inside the leading edge, and thin stripes on a few long feathers.

Step 42 of 51

Shading the left wing

The same on the left wing: a band across its coverts beside her head, and thin stripes along a few of its long feathers.

Step 43 of 51

Shading her belly and tail

A light tone under her chin and along her belly, down the back of the right leg, on the tail feathers, and a touch on the left foot.

Step 44 of 51

Deeper tones on Hazel

Press a little harder in the deepest places: inside each wing's leading edge, at the right shoulder, and a strip under her belly.

Step 45 of 51

The log's left end

Now the log, lighter than Hazel so she stands out. A soft, streaky tone along the grain at its left end; leave its top white, where the light catches it.

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Along the log

On along the log, the same light tone, the strokes running along the grain.

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On along the log

Keep going along the log with the same light, streaky tone.

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Towards the hollow end

Up to the hollow end, and a little tone inside it, to the right of the mouse.

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The hollow and the log's underside

Press harder inside the hollow, darkest round the mouse so it peeps out of the shadow. Then darker strips along the log's underside.

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The ground

A soft shadow on the ground under the log, so it sits in the grass. Hazel gets no shadow: she's still in the air.

Step 51 of 51

The darks

Last of all, fill in each of Hazel's big pupils, leaving its round glint white. The mouse watches her sail past: she missed her catch this time.