How To Draw A Bison
Drawing is an art form that few can master, but with a little patience, everyone can learn how to draw a bison. The key is to properly value each initial step, because each brings you a step closer to your beautiful masterpiece. You’ll need proper supplies such as a pencil, paper, eraser, and something to rest your hand on.
First, let’s start with the head. To draw the head of a bison accurately, focus on getting the eyes, nose, and horns right. Start by lightly sketching an oval shape and dividing it in half. The eyes should be slightly closer to the upper half, then draw the nose at the center point of the oval. The horns should be added underneath the nose.
Once you have the basic shape of the bison’s head down, let’s focus on the body. Start with a large oval in the center, and draw several rounded shapes around the edges. Then, you can add bumps and indentations in the middle to represent the bison’s back and sides. For a more realistic look, add tiny curls everywhere to make the fur look fluffy.
Next, let’s move on to the legs. For a realistic-looking bison, the legs should be relatively long and curved outward. Begin by drawing two thick lines for the front and back legs, then add short angled lines for the knees. To complete the legs, add round shapes at the bottom for the feet. Make sure everything is proportionate so the bison looks natural.
The last step is to add the finishing touches to bring your bison to life. Start with the ears, which should be small, rounded triangles. Then add a line to separate the face from the neck. Finally, give your bison some personality with a tail. A plume of hair at the bottom will do the trick!
Now that you have all the basics of drawing a bison, it’s time to start practicing and perfecting your technique. Start off slowly, by sketching a few simple bison with basic shapes. Then, as you gain more confidence, start drawing bison in more complex poses and from different angles.
Shading the Bison
Once you have mastered the basics of drawing your bison, it’s time to start developing your shading skills. Shading your bison will help bring your animal to life on the page. With just a few simple steps using your pencil, you can make this happen.
The key to successful shading is to make sure you understand light and shadows. When it comes to bison, light typically comes from the left or right side depending on the pose of your animal. Start out by lightly shading the areas that are in the direct path of the light. As this light passes, it will continue to move down and create shadows on the opposite side.
To create natural-looking shadows, create a jagged stroke that mimics fur or feathers. This will help bring texture to your bison and make it appear more realistic. You can also use a blending stump to help achieve smoother and softer shading.
Your bison should also have darker shadows. These shadows will help draw attention to the animal’s head and legs. Try to keep these shadows a bit darker and in deeper contrast to the surrounding areas.
Adding Color to the Bison
Adding color to your bison can help bring it to life and make it stand out from the crowd. Fortunately, this step is relatively easy as this animal has a relatively simple color scheme. Typically, bison will be a light tan or golden brown color, but you can add in hints of orange and black if you’d like.
Start by sketching out your bison, making sure to leave plenty of white space for the color to fill in. To add a base color, start by filling in the bison’s body with a light brown. You can use either paints or colored pencils for this. To make the bison look more realistic, add in some accent colors on the face, legs and around eyes.
Next, use a darker tone of brown to add shadows and depth to your bison. Make sure the shadows look natural and don’t obscure any of the features. Finally, you can add in some final details with thinner pencil strokes to make the fur look more realistic.
Textures and Patterns
Adding textures and patterns to your bison is a great way to bring it to life and make it look more realistic. Start by using a thicker pencil to sketch out different shapes and lines on the bison’s fur. Make sure the strokes lineup and go in the same general direction to make it look more realistic.
You can also try out different textures such as dots, dashes, or other shapes to help bring out the details. After adding the textures, add in a few small details such as stripes or a bluish tint to the fur.
Finally, you can add a few subtle highlights to make your bison look more vivid. You can do this by lightly sprinkling some white paint over small sections of fur. Doing this will make the fur look sun-kissed and will give your bison a more realistic look.
Adding Finishing Touches
The final step in drawing your bison is to give it a background. This will help your bison stand out and make it look more attractive. To create the background, you can use watercolors or acrylic paints.
If you decide to use paint, start by laying down a layer of light blue. This will help establish a sky. Then, add in some darker shades of blue and brown to make it look more natural. Finally, add in some lighter browns and tans to represent a field or grassy area.
After the main background is down, it’s time to add in a few small details. You can paint in a few clouds or draw some trees or mountains in the distance. This will help make your bison look like it’s part of a larger landscape.
When you’re finished, make sure to carefully remove any mistakes with the eraser and take a step back to admire your work. With a little patience and practice, you can easily learn how to draw a beautiful bison.
