How to Draw Animals

Drawing animals can seem very complicated, but they can be broken down into simple shapes, just like anything else. You can get started by drawing from photographs, then move on to drawing live animals. The key to producing realistic animal drawings is building a proper framework. If you get the basic structure right, you'll be able to draw any kind of animal, no matter what it is.The first step is to examine a few animal photos. Look at more than one picture of the same kind of animal, and determine what kind of structure it has. Compare leg length, width of various body parts, and the way the animal moves. Draw a few proportion guidelines to indicate where parts are in relation to one another. This keeps your drawing from becoming distorted.

Next, break the animal down into basic shapes. Identify the major forms, such as the ribcage, braincase, muzzle, shoulders and joints. Use simple circles, ovals, and cylinders to indicate these shapes on the paper. Each animal has its own unique set of shapes. Spend a little time observing to figure out what they are. You can also look at other artists' work to see how they've solved this problem. Just don't copy! Once you have the main forms in place, you can add smaller shapes. Put more detailed shape structure over the basic form. Smaller shapes can be used to indicate eye placement, nostrils, ears, toes, and other areas that don't show up in the basic structure drawing.

The next step is to connect the shapes. Smooth out the spaces between the structural shapes with an even contour line. Pay attention to the reference photos. Ask yourself what silhouette the animal has. Observe information about the animal, rather than working from what you think you know. Observation will help you create a specific, more believable animal, such as an Arabian horse, rather than simply drawing a generic horse. When drawing very fluffy animals, with large amounts of feathers and fur, use the contour line to create the shape of the body under the fur or plumage first. This allows you to set the fur or feathers onto a believable structure.

After you create a solid looking form, it's time to add feathers, fur, and scales. Begin detailing the animal's body covering. Start with the largest shapes, such as the shape formed by the primary feathers at the tip of a wing, the larger fur shapes on a shaggy dog, or the main scale patterns on a fish. Sketch these in lightly over your contour drawing.

Start working with smaller areas of the animal to add more detail. Observe the general shape of fur clumps, add details around the eyes, nose, and feet, and look at the way light strikes the animal. Working from large structural elements to small will help you keep everything located correctly, and prevent construction problems in your drawing. Add markings, such as a zebra's stripes, or the pattern on a clownfish, in this stage. Be sure to observe the way markings curve around the animal's body - never draw them on as a flat pattern.

Finally, remove your construction lines. Go back and erase the original shape lines from your drawing. You may wish to ink the finished drawing first, then erase all the pencil, or just spot erase the parts of the drawing you no longer need. When inking soft areas, such as fur and feathers, remember to vary the thickness of your lines. This creates an illusion of texture than a line of even thickness can't provide. Avoid drawing each individual feather or hair, and stick to highlighting individual clumps of fur or feathers. The end result should be a more accurate animal. You can use this method to draw just about anything, from tigers to tarantulas!