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“Draw from life” is an advice that we, as artists, might have heard so often. So, to create our winged characters, we must look at what nature has in store for us.

 

Interestingly, human hands and the wings of birds, bats, and pterosaurs have similar structures. I color-coded the bones to highlight how similar they are.

 

The main differences lie in the length of the bones and the total of fingers and phalanges.

It’s fun to do poses with hands and turn them into wings.

And depending on your style, wings can be drawn as expressive as human hands.

Also, birds, bats, and pterosaurs have this membrane that connects the shoulder to the wrist, called “propatagium”—which we don’t have. I marked it with the red lines.

Bird Wings

Bird wing is the most complicated of the wings we’re drawing today. I’ll do my best to simplify.

 

We start off with the bones. Birds have three fingers, we’ll call the first finger the thumb of the bird. Cover the bones with the flesh.

Then, it’s time for the feathers. Bird wings have three layers. On the bottom layer, there are “primary feathers” which are the longest feathers of the wing. It’s narrower on the outer side.

Next to it, there are the “secondary feathers” which are shorter and less sharp. It’s not narrower on one side, unlike the primary feathers.

On the mid layer, there are “coverts”. “Primary covert” is above “primary feathers” and “secondary covert” is above “secondary feathers.”

You might have realized that the feathers on the outside are the primaries and the ones on the inside are secondaries. There’s an imaginary border right on the wrist that separates the two.

On the top layer, the one that covers most of it are fluffy feathers called “marginal coverts.”

And, there’s a feather called “alula” which covers the thumb.

Lastly, there are feathers that cover the shoulder part which is called “scapular.” And, to fill the gap underneath the scapular, there are "tertials."

By the way, wings have two sides, the outer part (dorsal) is the one we talked about just now. The inner part (ventral) looks a bit different.

 

The top and mid layers have different feathers. But the bottom layer (primary feathers and secondary feathers) is the same.

Here’s the direct comparison.

Instead of the scapular, there are axillaries. And in the place of coverts, there are “underwing coverts” which are shorter than the coverts on the dorsal side.

Also, the number and shape of the feathers vary from species to species. If accuracy is important, you’ll need to do some research.

 

When a bird wing folds, the primaries will go underneath the secondaries.

Here’s a magpie study I did. As you can see, the primaries (orange) just pops a tiny bit, covered by the secondaries.

Drawing Bird Wings

Okay, we now know what the bird wing is like. There are two methods that I use to draw it.

 

The first one is straightforward and, personally, it's easier to use when I want to draw neat feathers.

 

1. Draw the bones.

2. Flesh it out.

3. Draw the border between primaries and secondaries.

4. Map the division.

5. Map the primaries. Primary feathers and primary coverts can overlap neatly, so I map it in one go.

6. Draw the primaries.

7. Map the secondaries. Like the primaries, secondary feathers and secondary coverts can overlap neatly too.

8. Draw the secondaries.

9. Draw the marginal coverts.

10. Draw the alula.

11. Draw the scapulars. And done!

The second method is the one I like better. It relies on loose mapping. But it can be a bit confusing if you don’t remember the layers and all the feathers yet. When I first tried this method, I found it easier to digest by drawing along.

 

1. Draw the bones.

2. Draw the propatagium and a curve that starts from the shoulder to the wrist. That’s for secondary coverts.

3. Draw the edge of the wing. Then, starting from the elbow, draw a curve that ends about halfway the edge line. That’s for primary coverts.

4. Starting from the shoulder, draw a big curve that ends at the edge. The same point from step 3.

5. Then, draw another big curve that starts from the elbow to the end of the wing.

6. Split on the wrist to determine where the primaries and secondaries are.

It’s okay if you’re confused. I was, too. Let’s take a break and see what the map actually looks like.

7. Then, draw the feathers. The mapping isn’t to be followed religiously, it’s just a guide so we can tell which part goes where.

8. Done.

I used method 2 to draw all kinds of wings without reference.

Talking about reference, since human hands are quite similar to bird wings, we can use our own hands, photographs, or 3D models as reference. Like, this pose, for example.

Using method 2 to draw the wings:

But method 1 works well too if that’s what you prefer. The result won’t be different.

Bat and Pterosaur Wings

Bat wing is way simpler than bird’s. Compared to humans, the forearm and fingers are way longer.

 

Bat has five digits, like us. The thumb is very tiny and like a hook. The index and middle fingers are close to each other.

 

The wing is made of a membrane that is connected to the body up until the ankle.

Unlike bird wings, the dorsal and ventral views of a bat wing don’t look much different.

 

The wing membrane can tear, but it can heal on its own. So, the tatters are not permanent.

What I love about posing bat wing, is that the fingers can fold like ours.

 

I bet you have seen a picture bat covering itself with its wings before. It can only be done because of the bones. Birds can’t do this because there are no bones and muscles in their feathers.

Drawing bat wings is fairly easy. All we need is to draw the bones first. And then draw the membrane.

 

That’s pretty much it.

Bat wing is commonly used as the base for dragon and devil wings. I tend to modify the shape and forgo drawing the details like the joints.

 

And there are pterosaur wings. If a bat wing is an arm, a pterosaur wing is a leg.

 

Pterosaur has one bone called “pteroid” that connects to the propatagium. It has three short digits which function as the foot and one long digit which functions as the edge of the wing.

When folded, the longest finger stays straight. I think it is what makes a pterosaur wing look cool.

Fairy Wings

Fairy wings tend to be inspired by insect wings, especially dragonflies and butterflies. Since there are endless varieties of insect wing shapes and colors, I draw what I want. Usually without reference.

There’s what is called the “vein” of the wing. It’s pretty much the same as our blood veins. It’s there to ensure that the wing tissue, sensory hair, and stuff are functional.

 

We don’t have to draw the veins, but it can be used to design a unique pattern that makes your fairy wing pop.

One thing I love about fairy wings is I can make them look transparent.

 

I always choose saturated colors for transparent stuff. Lowering the saturation will make the colors look dull. And when a color looks dull, it doesn’t look as transparent because we perceive it as muddy.

 

Too high in saturation does hurt the eyes, though. So, lower it a bit if needed.

Designing Wings

Time for the most exciting part! Be warned that I don’t mind if it’s not realistically possible to fly with the wings I designed.

 

I always start with silhouettes. It’s easier to visualize ideas when I’m not burdened by details.

After the silhouette, I’ll draw the details in white just to see what I can make. After that, I’ll pick out the ones that I like.

We can create designs based on a reference too. For example, this bird's wing can be simplified or stylized.

Also, mix and match!

Pterosaur-style wings, but for mammals and birds. Or add another long digit just because.

Bird wing, but replace the bottom layer with a bat wing. Mix pterosaur wing with insect wing. Double bird wings, inspired by butterflies. Bat wing, but with feathers instead of the membrane.

Or, just take the shape and create things like elemental wings, blade wings, mechanical wings, origami wings, hair... wings?

 

Or maybe a cape that can turn into wings. The sky is the limit.

Wings and Characters

We know about wings, we have designed the wings, so it’s time to place it on our characters.

 

The most common placement is on the back and as an arm replacement.

But, there are weird placements that I’ve seen used like on the side of the head, on the wrist, on the back (hip area), ankle, or even detached from the body.

It doesn’t make sense, but why not, right?

 

Another thing that might need to be considered is clothes. There need to be an opening for the wing.

When trying to design clothes, determine where the wings would be.

And then, if you’re like me, draw silhouettes followed by details in white.

Thank you for reading! I hope this tutorial is helpful.

 

I’ll see you in the next tutorial!