The myriad breeds and species of animals that exist throughout the world offer endless possibilities for drawing subjects. Whether it's an adorable puppy, a slithering snake, or a galloping horse, an animal subject provides a wide range of shapes, lines, and textures to challenge and inspire you. And drawing animals isn't difficult at all—just follow the simple, step-by-step instructions in the following lessons. As you learn to draw by starting with basic shapes and progressing through finished renderings, you'll also discover various shading techniques and finishing touches that will bring your animal drawings to life. And with just a. | Chapter 3 Introduction to Animals The myriad breeds and species of animals that exist throughout the world offer endless possibilities for drawing subjects. Whether it s an adorable puppy a slithering snake or a galloping horse an animal subject provides a wide range of shapes lines and textures to challenge and inspire you. And drawing animals isn t difficult at all just follow the simple step-by-step instructions in the following lessons. As you learn to draw by starting with basic shapes and progressing through finished renderings you ll also discover various shading techniques and finishing touches that will bring your animal drawings to life. And with just a little practice you ll be able to create your own artwork featuring all your favorite animal subjects. 55 Drawing Animals by Michael Butkus Animals are fascinating subjects and you can spend many hours at the zoo with your sketchpad studying their movements their body structures and their coat textures. See pages 86-87 for more on drawing animals from life. And because pencil is such a versatile tool you can easily sketch a rough-coated goat or finely stroke a smoothhaired deer. Of course you don t have to go to the zoo to find models try copying the drawings here or find a wildlife book for reference and draw the animals that appeal to you. Studying the Head When drawing the head pay special attention to the giraffe s most distinctive features. Emphasize the narrow tapered muzzle and the heavy-lidded eyes adding long curved eyelashes. To make sure the knobbed horns don t look pasted on. draw them as a continuous line from the forehead curving back where they attach to the head. Working Out the Structure To draw the full body make sure the proportions are correct. Begin by placing circles for the midriff shoulders withers and haunches. Then use the body width as a guide for the other parts the neck from shoulder to head and the legs are all bout the same length as the body is wide and the head is roughly a
