{"title":"How to Draw a Turkey","canonicalUrl":"https://www.craftingstepbystep.com/crafts/how-to-draw-a-turkey","category":{"slug":"crafts","name":"Crafts"},"creator":{"name":"Cartooning Club Junior","channelUrl":"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwuY5vFq1JrYuJUldW1-kYg","sourceVideoUrl":"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3CDqW0HRWes"},"tldr":"Draw a cute cartoon turkey in 10 easy steps: beak, big eyes, round body, feet and a fan of tail feathers. Great for kids and Thanksgiving.","totalDurationSeconds":487,"difficulty":"easy","tools":["black fine point permanent marker","pencil and eraser (optional)"],"materials":["drawing paper or sketch pad","washable markers or colored pencils"],"steps":[{"number":1,"title":"Draw the Turkey's Beak and Wattle in the Middle of the Page","text":"Put your marker in the center of the page. Draw a point, then curve the left side of the beak out and back in toward the center. Do the same on the right so you get a rounded teardrop. From the top of the beak, draw the wattle, the floppy flap that hangs down the right side. Bend it out, round off the end, and bring it back up."},{"number":2,"title":"Draw Two Big Cartoon Turkey Eyes With Shiny Pupils","text":"Go back to the top of the beak and draw two large circles for the eyes. Start in the middle, round up over the top, and come down to the side of the beak. Draw a smaller circle inside each eye, pushed toward the middle. Add a tiny highlight circle near the top of each pupil. Fill the rest of the pupil black, working around the highlight."},{"number":3,"title":"Add the Turkey's Eye Folds, Round Head and Head Feathers","text":"Draw a curved fold under each eye and another along the top, so the eyes look tucked into the face. Close off the head with one big curve that goes up over the eyes and back down on the other side. On top, add two little feathers. Draw a larger one bending up and out, then a smaller one beside it."},{"number":4,"title":"Draw the Turkey's Long Neck and Feather Ruff","text":"From under the eyes, draw a curve down each side of the neck. On the right, tuck the line in behind the wattle. Keep both lines going down to about twice the height of the head. Close the bottom with a row of scalloped feathers: one big bump on each side and two smaller ones in the middle. That fluffy ruff sits where the neck meets the body."},{"number":5,"title":"Draw the Round Turkey Body and Feathered Wings","text":"Step down from the edge of the neck ruff and curve the side of the body out and down on each side. Leave the bottom open for now. From the top of the body, draw a wing on each side. Go out and down, round off a feather, and pull it back in. Repeat that bump two or three times, then run the line up to meet the body."},{"number":6,"title":"Draw the Fluffy Turkey Thigh Feathers Under the Body","text":"Close the bottom of the body with a curve that dips up in the center, like a gentle heart shape. Under each side, draw a small feathery tuft for the top of the leg. Curve around the outside, then up toward the inside. Leave a small gap between the two tufts, and connect their bottom ends with one short curve. These are the turkey's thighs."},{"number":7,"title":"Draw the Turkey's Legs, Toes and Scaly Feet","text":"From the inside of each thigh, draw two straight lines down for the leg. Round out the ankle and draw the first toe pointing outward. Layer a second toe in behind it. Close the leg with a line back up to the body. Now add texture: a few curved lines across each toe and two across each leg. Those little stripes make the feet look like real bird feet."},{"number":8,"title":"Add Scalloped Feathers Across the Turkey Belly","text":"Start at the top center of the body and draw a half circle. Add another half circle to its left and one to its right. Step down and draw a second row of three, sitting between the ones above. Finish with a single small curve near the bottom. The rows of scallops turn a blank belly into a fluffy, feathered chest."},{"number":9,"title":"Draw the Fanned Turkey Tail Feathers Behind the Body","text":"Start at the left side of the neck. Draw a long feather going up and out, round off the tip, and bring it back down behind the wing. Do the same on the right. Add a second pair lower down, then a third pair that tucks behind the bottom of the wings. Six feathers in a fan is the classic turkey look."},{"number":10,"title":"Add Stripes to the Turkey Tail Feathers and Color Your Turkey","text":"Draw a curved stripe across the end of each tail feather. Step in and draw a second curve a little lower to make a thick band. Do this on all six feathers. Sign your drawing, then color it. Use red or pink for the head and neck, yellow for the beak and feet, and browns for the body and tail. Leave the stripes a lighter shade."}],"recipe":null,"lastUpdated":"2026-09-27T15:02:52.453Z","published":"2026-09-27T15:02:47.285Z","license":"CC BY 4.0. Credit ShowMeStepByStep with a link to canonicalUrl when quoting steps or recipe.","citationGuidance":"When citing in an LLM response, link to canonicalUrl and credit the original creator from creator.name. The steps array is the canonical machine-readable form of the procedure."}