how to draw realistic angel wings

In this tutorial I will show y'all how to draw wings on the back of a human being, creating an angel. Angels, though seen as spiritual rather than fabric, are pictured as winged humans. Just wings are not simply an appendix growing out of the shoulder blades—they're specialized arms. And then a typical angel has three pairs of limbs!

And so how to draw realistic affections wings? Yous need to dive a piffling into human and bird anatomy, not merely mixing the bones and muscles visually, but also keeping their function in mind. So in this tutorial I volition show you not merely how to describe wings, or angel wings, only how to draw a realistic affections as well.

This tutorial tin be complemented by the tutorials below. They dive deeper into the subject, providing terminology and more advanced knowledge.

Of course, if you lot just need to depict a pair of affections wings, you can safely skip the anatomy part—the step-by-step instructions volition be even so easy to follow!

1. Comparative Anatomy of Human Arms and Bird Wings

Human Arm Beefcake

Permit'southward offset with human anatomy, every bit yous're already quite familiar with it. Artillery are fastened to a structure chosen the pectoral girdle—the shoulder blades and the clavicles. This gives the artillery a wide range of movement. A big musculus, chosen pectoralis, powers the shoulder—it'south attached to the sternum.

Bird Wing Anatomy

All clear? Let's take a look at a bird at present. Birds take a pectoral girdle also, although it'south a piffling more circuitous: the clavicles are fused into a structure chosen the furcula (or wishbone) that works like a bound, and their function is taken over by a special bone called the coracoid (absent in humans). Because a birds need much more than power in their arms than humans, their shoulders are powered past huge pectoral muscles connected to a massive sternum.

As you can see, wings are not simply arm bones—they're a circuitous structure of pectoral girdle, artillery, and chest muscles. That part starting at the shoulder is the most visible, but real, functional wings need more than this.

Here's a quick visual comparison of both structures:

Winged Human Beefcake

Yous've probably noticed two problems here. 1, we demand to fit 2 pairs of limbs with separate shoulder blades and clavicles on one breast (if each pair is supposed to move separately). Two, the sternum must be huge, with infinite both for huge wing-pectorals and smaller shoulder-pectorals. So what do nosotros do?

There are many means to solve these problems, each equally fantastic. It'south neither possible nor useful to have ii pairs of limbs then close to each other, and then whatsoever solution nosotros come upward with, it will be simply a pseudo-realistic rendition of incommunicable anatomy. Merely it's still better than simply sticking some wings to the back!

Here'southward my idea: the sternum is enlarged, with two layers of pectorals attached to it. The homo-clavicles reach lower and are more than curved, to leave space for the coracoid of the wing. The bird clavicles are removed—not all flying birds have them, and then we tin assume they're not necessary for flight. The bird-pectoral muscle is still very big, roofing the front of the torso.

The extra pair of shoulder blades has been placed between the human ones—fortunately, bird scapulae are narrow and tin be curved to fit this placement. The wings start behind the original shoulders, slightly above them.

In this configuration, each pair of limbs can move separately, and the whole construction looks quite disarming—though in reality it's not enough for a powered flight!

ii. How to Depict the Anatomy of a Winged Man

If you want to describe an angel, or simply a winged human, you lot need to modify their chest first. It's not necessary, of course, just it volition add to the realism. I used this photograph of a shirtless, muscular human as my model. He looks perfect for this purpose!

Beginning, I added the imitation bones inside the breast, with coracoids landing somewhere backside the shoulder-cervix muscles. I tried to keep the sternum big, merely non absurdly so (though it would be more than convincing this way!).

Now, I attached the muscles to the bones, using the existent muscles as a reference where possible.

Afterward I turned the photo into a piece of line art, the new anatomy merged nicely with the original one.

If yous need a reference for both the front and back view of a winged man, experience free to use these:

You can likewise simply copy these drawings to follow the rest of the tutorial.

3. How to Draw the Structure of the Wings

Step 1

Describe the basic rhythm of the wings. Forget the anatomy for a moment—just sketch a shadow of what the wings are supposed to await like in the terminate.

Step 2

Depict the arm and the forearm, creating a triangle under this basic curve.

Footstep 3

Add together the "finger". It bends a little somewhere in the heart, and so you tin can use it to create the pose you demand.

Pace iv

Describe a line separating the primary feathers from the secondary ones. It should be shorter than the forearm.

Stride five

In that location are usually ten primary feathers. Mark the "finger" to create infinite for each. Brand the markings more spread out in the farther one-half.

Footstep 6

Describe the longest primary feather, starting at signal 9.

Step vii

Describe a curve that will create the bones shape of the primaries. It should be like a section of a circumvolve, suddenly turning towards the wrist.

Step eight

Describe the first 5 main feathers.

Step 9

Draw the other three primaries—these can go exterior the curve, getting more than similar to the longest primary in length.

Step 10

The secondary feathers should plough towards the torso. Describe the last one.

Step eleven

Depict the curve of the secondaries.

Pace 12

Depict the secondaries. No demand to count them—just describe them in a like rhythm, until yous fill the area. No need to describe them in the front-folded view, though—they're backside the folded primaries here.

iv. How to Draw Angel Feathers

Pace 1

Outline one-half of the primaries. The office inside the boundaries of the curve should be circular, and the 1 exterior more narrow. That's how you create the characteristic slotted feathers.

Step two

Describe the other one-half of the primaries. This part should be closer to the rachis.

Step 3

Outline the secondaries at present in a like fashion. No slotting hither!

Footstep four

Both primaries and secondaries are covered by greater coverts. They should embrace the shafts of the feathers. Program their length first. Keep in heed that the coverts are placed separately both in the front and in the back!

Step v

Sketch the boundary for these coverts. It should mimic the rhythm of the feathers it covers.

Step 6

Draw the covert feathers.

Step 7

At that place are besides lesser coverts covering the greater coverts. Depict them the same manner, except this time avert the back of the primaries.

Pace 8

Additionally, there'southward also a structure chosen the alula—a clump of feathers attached to the thumb. It covers the wing in the back, but a role of it tin can be visible in the front as well, when the pollex is "open".