Drawn light
The Phoenix bird has always served as a symbol of rebirth and renewal. This myth has always been a reminder that even in the darkest depths of despair, on the ruins of hopes, it is possible to rise from the ashes and start anew with a clean slate. The symbol of the firebird is trendy in popular culture and folklore. It appears in ancient legends and new stories like “Harry Potter”. But where does the Phoenix myth originate, and what does it hide?
Ancient Egypt and Ancient Greece had their depictions of this mystical firebird. The name comes from the ancient Greek word “phoinix” meaning Phoenician or reddish purple. The roots of the legend, as historians believe, lie in Egypt. According to the stories of Egypt, the phoenix burned itself on the altar in the temple of Heliopolis. There, the creature was called Bennu. It was the size of an eagle; its plumage was bright red and gold.
The Phoenix could live for 500 years. When his death approached, he built a nest of branches of fruit trees and spices and set it on fire. The nest would burn with the dying bird, and a new phoenix would rise from the heat. The ashes became an embalmed egg. It was encased in solidified myrrh. The newborn bird always went to the Sun City of Heliopolis. There phoenix laid the egg on the altar of the Egyptian sun god Ra.
The Egyptians have always associated the phoenix with immortality. The symbol spread throughout the world after Rome conquered Egypt and all of Europe. Phoenix became a symbol of power and eternity of the great Roman Empire, and it is often minted on Roman coins.
Outside of Ancient Egypt, similar stories of firebirds are found throughout North America, Russia and Asia.
The indigenous peoples of North America have very similar stories of phoenix-like creatures. The Algonquin tribes call it the thunderbird that rules the “upper” or heavenly world. When the thunderbird flaps its wings, thunder rolls across the sky and lightning strikes the earth, scattering creatures of the underworld.
Chinese mythology also has its version of the firebird. This creature is called Fenghuang. Fenghuang is an immortal and rare bird that symbolizes harmony and good luck. The bird has a beautiful voice; its songs are mesmerizing. It represents both feminine and masculine at the same time, embodying the harmony of yin-yang. According to legend, Fenghuang last appeared in Anhui Province at the tomb of Hongwu, the founder of the Ming Dynasty, in 1368. In Japan, the same creature is known as Hou-ou.
There is one unusual bird in mythology. Legend has it that it is unique because it is born from ashes. And when death arrives, it burns in its flames. Then, she is reborn from the ashes again. And there is no end to this chain. It’s a phoenix bird. Its feathers are painted in bright, fiery colors, which we will try to depict on paper. Let’s proceed to the lesson: how to draw a phoenix with a pencil step by step.
Drawing a Phoenix with Pencil (option 1)
Tools and materials:
1. white sheet of paper.
2. A simple pencil.
3. Eraser.
4. A black pen.
5. Colored pencils (yellow, orange, red, black).
Step 1
Outline the general location and shape of the bird’s body using a circle.
Step 2
Draw the inside of the Phoenix’s wings.
Step 3
Now draw the body. Lines are smooth and curved.
Step 4
From the bottom, add long feathers and a tail. Work out the details of the drawing.
Step 5
With an eraser, we will remove excess lines.
Step 6
We start with the yellow color. Draw the lightest feathers with it.
Step 7
Then add orange color.
Step 8
Now draw in red color for a fiery effect of feathers.
Step 9
The black pencil will add shade and clarity to the drawing.
Step 10
The black pen will work out small elements. The drawing is ready! We hope we have answered how to draw a phoenix bird!
Drawing a Phoenix Bird (option 2)
Let’s try to draw beautifully the legendary Phoenix bird, which is reborn from the ashes.We will draw this bird as a fairy-tale creature.
First, draw a horizontal and vertical center line in the middle of the sheet for simplicity.
In the upper right corner, with the help of an oval and a circle, we will outline the bird’s body and head and connect them with necklines.
In the lower right part, we will start to draw tail feathers; the bird’s tail is long.
Next, we will outline the wings.
Then, draw patterns on the wings, the crest and the bird’s eye.
