Few motifs are as graceful on paper as a swallow in flight. In this lesson, you’ll learn four ways to draw them, and you’ll find a printable cheat sheet and a tutorial for adding them to mail art.
If you’ve never drawn birds before, swallows are an excellent place to start. Their shapes are simple once you break them down, and every successful sketch builds your confidence for more complex illustrations. Below, you’ll find four sets of visual instructions for drawing swallows in different configurations. Don’t skip downloading the helpful PDF that combines those instructions! I encourage you to try your hand at the mail art tutorial included in today’s lesson, too.
Let’s begin with the simplest swallow shape and work our way to more dynamic designs. You can draw this swallow pointing upward or downward. It’s just a matter of starting with a mountain-like pencil guideline, as shown, or a “V”-shaped guideline.
Here, the foundation is a gentle crescent guideline that gives the bird a sense of motion. This is perfect for suggesting a graceful turn in flight.
A slightly narrow, sideways V gets you started. This bird has a more extended body and wings for a calm, gliding look.
Beginning with a simple angled line, you’ll create a dynamic, head-first dive. This version has more detail and presence, making it a great candidate to be a composition’s focal point.
If you see swallow-punctuated art in your future, I put together a Hand-Drawn Swallows Cheat Sheet PDF with all the step-by-step images from this lesson on a single page. That way, you can keep it next to you as you work — no screens required.
It’s easiest to practice your swallows if you use them for a fun project. In that spirit, I’ve got a swallows-themed mail art tutorial for you.
If you want to create an envelope like this one, you’ll begin by making the guidelines for a Small Swooping Swallow at the upper left. Then, draw pencil guidelines for a Large Diving Swallow in the lower right.
Next, use your pencil to sketch in the rest of the swallows. You could do steps four and onward in ink, but I recommend starting with a pencil draft if you have the time. It gives you a chance to adjust shapes and details so everything turns out just the way you want.
Once your pencil draft feels right, outline it in ink.
Then, if you want to, you can use watercolor or ink to fill in the swallows with a tone that calls to you. (I chose blue.)
Once your watercolor or ink has dried, use a fine-tipped pen (such as Micron 005) to draw hatching.
Next, add postage stamps on the upper right. If you can find stamps that are bird- or feather-themed, all the better! Then, use a pencil to make a draft of your calligraphed and/or hand-lettered address. Erase as many times as you need to in order to get the positioning right.
Finish up by tracing over the calligraphy or hand lettering with the tools of your choice. (I chose a pointed pen — a Brause EF66 nib in an oblique holder.) Once everything looks eye-catching and impactful, you’re ready to send your mail art on its way!
If you make this mail art or another illustrated swallows-themed project, consider sharing your work on the TPK Premium Discord! It’s always really cool to see what you do with these tutorials, and I’m glad to offer critiques, encouragement, or a combination of the two. Thanks so much for reading, and happy creating!
Warmly,
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