How to Draw a Turkey

Welcome to our fun and simple guide on how to draw a turkey! Whether you are a parent helping a child or a total beginner, these simple steps make learning easy and enjoyable. By breaking the bird down into basic shapes, you will see that drawing your turkey is a breeze. Grab your favorite pencil and let's get started!

Easy
15 Minutes
Ages 5+
Animals
Birds
Beginner
Kids

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Step 1Step 2

Easy for beginners

Learning the Basics of Drawing Your Turkey

In this lesson, we show you how to draw a turkey using simple circles and curved lines. You will start with the main round form, then learn how to draw a turkey face and a big fan of tail feathers step by step.

Pencil — For sketching light lines first.

Eraser — To clean up extra marks.

Black Marker — To outline your final drawing.

Crayons or Markers — To add fun, bright colors.

Jump to the steps

Drawing supplies: pencil, paper, eraser and crayons

How to Draw a Turkey Step by Step

1
Step 1 of 9
Draw the main body
To start learning how to draw a turkey, draw a large, round shape in the lower middle of your paper. This big circle will be the main body. Make sure to leave plenty of room above and around it for the head and big tail feathers later.
Tip: Draw this first shape lightly so you can easily erase any mistakes.
2
Step 2 of 9
Add the head and neck
Next, draw a smaller round circle just above the main body to create the head. Then, draw two slightly curved lines pointing downward to smoothly connect the head right to the body. This forms a nice, simple and sturdy neck for your cute bird.
Tip: Keep the neck lines spaced apart so the neck does not look too thin.
3
Step 3 of 9
Draw the beak and snood
Now it is time to work on the face. Draw a small, sideways triangle on the front of the head to make the beak. Over the beak, draw a bumpy teardrop shape hanging down. This neat little flap is called a snood!
Tip: Make the snood droop right over the top edge of the beak.
4
Step 4 of 9
Add the eye and wattle
Draw a small dot or circle near the top of the head to give your bird a bright, happy eye. Below the beak and neck, draw a squiggly, bumpy shape hanging down towards the chest. This funny, bumpy part is called a wattle.
Tip: Draw the eye a bit larger if you want a friendlier look.
5
Step 5 of 9
Draw the side wing
On the side of the large body circle, draw a long, curved shape that looks just like a folded leaf or a sideways letter U. Add a couple of gentle, curved lines inside this shape to show where the simple wing feathers perfectly overlap.
Tip: Let the wing rest right in the middle of the large body circle.
6
Step 6 of 9
Add the legs and feet
At the bottom of the round body, draw two straight vertical lines pointing down. These are the main legs of your bird. At the end of each leg, draw three straight lines pointing outward like a small fork to create the funny little toes.
Tip: Keep the legs short and sturdy to support the round body.
7
Step 7 of 9
Draw the tail feather base
Behind the round body, draw a very large half-circle that arches right over the back and head. This huge shape creates the perfect background for the big fan of tail feathers. It should look like a giant rainbow shape standing behind your beautiful bird.
Tip: Make this shape extra wide so the tail looks big and impressive.
8
Step 8 of 9
Detail the tail feathers
Turn the big half-circle into separate feathers by drawing straight lines from the body's edge out to the outside of the large arch. Add small bumps or soft scallops along the very top edge of the arch to show the rounded tips of each feather.
Tip: Space your straight lines out evenly to create nice, wide feathers.
9
Finished drawing
Add simple color to finish
Erase any extra overlapping pencil lines. To finish learning how to draw a turkey, add fun, simple colors! Use a bright red for the wattle and snood, orange for the beak and feet, and different easy shades of brown for the round body and feathers.
Tip: Try using different crayons or markers to make the feathers super colorful!