How to Draw a Thanksgiving Turkey

Finished drawing of a Thanksgiving turkey.

Thanksgiving is not only a holiday but also a time of year when many people begin to do their holiday crafts. People are either decorating their homes for the holidays or taking pictures for their scrapbooks. Since Thanksgiving is centered on a turkey, many people would like to be able to draw their own to add to their, or their children's, crafts or décor.

Things You'll Need

• Pencil or pen
• Paper

Instructions

1. 

   Draw a half circle but instead of having a straight edge add a jagged edge. This first shape is somewhat like an eggshell that has been cracked in half. The jagged edge does not have to be perfectly symmetrical. These will become the feathers of the turkey and turkey feathers are not identical.

2. 

   Add the body of the turkey to the center of the half moon shape of the feathers. The head and body are shaped like a gourd. The bottom should be larger than the top and be sure to keep the gourd shape completely inside the half circle so that the feathers will be above the turkey's head. Use a light touch with your pencil in case you need to erase.

3. 

   Sketch a few more details on the body of the Thanksgiving turkey. Pencil in the eyes, the beak and the wattle of the turkey body. The eyes can be made big so that the turkey has a wide-eyed look and the wattle is placed to hang off the beak. The beak can be drawn so that it is seen from the side or seen from the front.

4. 

   Draw the stem of each feather and accentuate the outline of the Thanksgiving turkey by darkening the lines. Add the feet of the turkey to the bottom of the gourd shape. This is a good time to darken the lines and erase any extra lines or reshape lines you are not satisfied with.

5. 

   Use a light hand to add the final details. Draw the veins of the feathers to give them more depth and to give the illusion that they are behind the body of the turkey. Shade the body of the turkey so that it blends with the feathers. Add any other details that you would like to the final drawing of the Thanksgiving turkey.

Tips & Warnings

• Use a pencil so you can erase any lines that you do not care for.

• Re-draw the turkey as many times as you want until you are satisfied.