Do you want to impress your family and friends by drawing animals in your sketchbook? Do you have a strong desire to develop your skills as an artist and feel like you’re getting nowhere?
Don’t feel overwhelmed! With my comprehensive guide on how to draw animals, you’ll quickly be able to draw realistic and accurate animals that your friends and family will ooh and aah over.
Gathering The Supplies
The first step to becoming an accomplished animal sketcher is to gather the materials you need. Start by getting some quality drawing paper, a sharp graphite pencil, an eraser, and some basic drawing supplies such as charcoal or ink. With the necessary supplies in hand, you’ll be ready to unleash your creative juices and begin drawing animals.
Making A Plan
Before you start sketching, it’s important to plan out what you want to draw. Should you draw a domestic animal like a dog or cat? Perhaps you should draw a wild animal like a lion or a bear? Making a plan will help make the drawing experience more enjoyable and will also help you to stay focused.
Start Sketching
Now that you have your materials together, it’s time to get started with the actual drawing! Begin by lightly sketching out basic shapes to serve as guidelines for your drawing. A helpful tip for novice sketchers is to imagine the drawings as simple geometric shapes such as circles, triangles, and squares. Using this method, you’ll be able to create a more accurate representation of the animal you’re aiming to draw.
Add Textures And Details
Once you’ve completed your basic shapes, you can move on to texturizing and adding details. Start by adding fur, scales, and other textures to your animal using hatching and cross-hatching techniques. Then, you can add details like eyes, nostrils, hair, feathers, etc. to bring your animal to life.
Working In Shading And Highlights
The final step of the artistic process is to make your drawing pop off the page by adding shadows and highlights. By utilizing light and dark tones, you can give your animal a sense of depth and reality. You can also use highlights to emphasize the details and textures you’ve added to your drawing.
Final Touches
Once you’ve worked in all your details and added shading and highlights, you’re ready to put the finishing touches on your animal sketch. Gently erase any existing guidelines and touch up some of your lines and shading to give your drawing an extra boost. After that, you’re ready to show off your fantastic animal drawing to your friends and family!
Refining Your Skills And Practicing
Drawing animals is a skill that requires practice and patience. As you practice more and more, you’ll be able to develop the knowledge and skills to draw any type of animal you envisage. Challenge yourself by attempting a variety of animals that are more intricate or are more difficult to draw. Through practice and dedication, you’ll soon become a master animal sketcher!
