Easy Way to Draw Animals

Resting subject

Drawing animals can seem hard. Learn a few simple tips and improve your drawings quickly. Focus on major features of the animal. Don't be timid. Amateur draftsmen attempt to record literally every hair in their drawings. Faced with hundreds of details, budding artists get overwhelmed and frustrated. Drawing animals can be easy if you apply three basic principles: simplify what you see, make volume shapes instead of outlines, and express a specific emotion in each drawing you make. Choose a cat as your first subject; they are compact and have lots of character.

Things You'll Need

• Resting cat
• Adjustable direction lamp
• 9-by-12-inch sketch pad
• Black Conte art pencil
• Reddish brown Conte art pencil
• Green colored pencil
• White Conte art pencil
• Plastic water cup
• Basic watercolor set
• Watercolor brush

Instructions

1. 

   Lamp casting shadows.

   Wait until your cat is taking a nap or resting. Your first drawing will be a side view of a reclining or sitting cat. Shine the lamp light on your subject. Aim the light so that shadows fall on the cat's body and face. Take a digital photograph in case it moves before you finish, to use as a reference.

2. 

   Watercolor set

   Sit at the same level of the cat. Make sure you are at least 3 feet away from the subject to give you enough room to work. Arrange your sketch pad in front of you, your pencils and eraser on one side and your watercolors, brush and water on the other.

3. Stare at your subject. Observe the simple shapes that make up his body and head. Squint to eliminate any details you see. Notice how the body is a horizontal oval, and the head is simply a smaller oval which overlaps it slightly.

4. Position your sketch pad horizontally. Quickly draw the body shape. Draw the shape large enough so that it takes up at least half of the page but leaves room for the head and tail.

5. 

   Thumb measurement angle

   Measure the size of the head relative to the body; hold out your thumb horizontally and extend your arm. Hold your thumb so it is parallel to the cat's back. Measure how many thumb lengths make up the cat's length. Now, measure how many thumb lengths make up the cat's head. If the cat head is ¼ the length of its body, draw the oval shape ¼ of the size of your body shape.

6. Notice how the front and rear legs facing you overlap the body oval. The rear haunch is again an oval shape. It is a vertical oval, and shares one edge with your rear body oval. Use your thumb and measure the length of the haunch compared to the length of the cat head. Draw in the haunch oval.

7. Complete the leg; draw a thinner oval shape for the leg portion. Check the angle of the leg versus the horizontal line of the back. Reproduce this angle and draw the leg. Repeat this technique for the front leg. Draw any leg parts visible under the front legs.

8. If the tail is visible, draw its curving shape. Make sure to overlap on top of the body if it is on top. Observe the shape of the tail carefully; the shape of the tail helps express the character of your subject.

9. 

   Sleepy eyes shapes

   Measure the size and position of your cat's eyes. Look at the shape of the eyes. Sleepy animal eyes usually are narrow. Alert eyes are rounded almond shapes. Draw the correct shape to capture your cat's mood. Color the iris with the green pencil. Draw the pupil in black as a vertical narrow oval. Measure the distance down from between the eyes to the cat's nose. Draw the nose as a rounded, inverted triangle. If the ears are visible, measure where they sit in relation to the eyes. Draw the ears as rounded triangles.

10. 

    Cat shade shapes

    Add volume to your drawing; squint to eliminate details, and notice the shadow shapes on the body. Reproduce the shadow shapes on your drawing. Make sure to follow the curving shapes. Fill in the shadow shapes with the side of your pencil. Draw and shade all the shadow shapes you see.

Color/Expression

1. Draw over your cat outlines using the black Conte crayon. Draw outside or inside your ovals if needed to depict more complex curves. Press down harder where your subject is leaning.Try to use expressive lines; emphasize the weight of the cat on the floor by making those lines heavier and darker. Sweeping lines are expressive. Draw a heavy horizontal line indicating the floor.

2. Choose which watercolor in your set most accurately represents the overall color of your cat. Wet your watercolor brush and swirl it in your paint selection. Add lots of water so that your paint is very transparent.

3. Drag your brush inside the cat drawing. Follow the curves of the outline. If your cat has white patches, leave those areas unpainted. Your drawing and shading underneath should still show through,

4. 

   Cat eyes and whiskers

   Use your brown-red (sepia) colored pencil to fill in details. Add face whiskers. Use your white pencil to add highlights on top of the iris, and draw in quick lines to indicate hair on the body shape.

Tips & Warnings

• When drawing pet hair, draw the hair in the direction you would brush the pet.

• Wait until after feeding to draw your cat, as a contented subject will sit still longer.

• When using watercolors, avoid contact with any electrical devices or outlets.

References

• "Drawing from Life;" Clint Brown; 2004
• "The Natural Way to Draw;" Kimon Nicolaides; 1990
• "The Artist's Manual;" Friso ten Holt; 1980

Resources

• Armory Center for the Arts: Education