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Art Thief: Draw a flamingo

Submit a drawing of this flamingo and you are eligible to win four tickets to the Philadelphia Zoo!

Amy Raudenbush

Are you a flamingo fan?
Submit a drawing of this flamingo and you are eligible to win four tickets to the Philadelphia Zoo, where you can see a flock of these beautiful birds for yourself.

1. Can you see the "S" shape that indicates the flamingo's neck? How about the "D" shape that forms the body? Start with these two shapes, then add the tail arc, the head, and the long, long legs.

2. Thicken the neck. It will be narrower near the head and wider where it meets the body. Finish the tail and connect it to the body. Did you notice the odd shape of this bird’s beak? Sketch it in and include the downward turn.

3.  The feathers on the wing are never straight lines. Notice how they sweep both left and right. Thicken the legs, then add the eye and the eye patch around the eye.

4. Apply pink and orange color to the bird with watercolors, markers or colored pencils.

5. Flamingos can live in a variety of warm habitats, but are always found near water. Create your own environment for your flamingo.

Art Thieves are invited to send or email copies of their work to Amy Raudenbush, our professional artist. Phone pictures are fine. One drawing weekly will be selected for publication on Sept. 3, and the selected artists will receive a prize.  Be sure to include your name, age, mailing address, and email or phone number.

Email photo of drawing to:
art@phillynews.com

Or mail drawing to:
Amy Raudenbush
Philadelphia Daily News
801 Market St.
Philadelphia, PA 19107