How to draw animals – inspiration and step-by-step tutorials

by John Griffith
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With all of the free time we have on our hands we are constantly looking for new ways to entertain ourselves. And while some people use social media and streaming platforms to fill their time, others are looking for more creative outlets. If in the last few months you have not taken up any hobby then what is wrong with you? Jokes aside, though, some people started trying different DIYs, others started redecorating their homes and then there are those who gave their time to art. If you are one of those people who has started enjoying painting and drawing, this article is just for you. In it, we are going to give you lots of inspiration as well as step by step tutorials on how to draw animals. So, grab a pencil and a sketchbook and start drawing!

Drawing is so relaxing

acrylic painting of a giraffe with tilted head simple animal drawings painted in orange brown black on white background

What are the health benefits of drawing?

As we already said drawing definitely is the hobby to try. Not only is it a great way to express yourself, it is also quite useful when it comes to your health. So, here are a few health benefits of drawing and painting.

  1. It greatly improves your creativity. Every time you draw something even if it is a real object or person, you are using your imagination. What’s more, you can use your creativity to change colors or reimagine the thing you are drawing in an abstract way. Because of that, you develop your creativity and imagination.
  2. Drawing improves your mental health. Not everything can be expressed with words. So, if you often find yourself overthinking or not being able to express your thoughts, drawing is a great way to do just that. Even if you are just doodling, you are still expressing yourself in some way.
  3. It helps reduce stress. Sometimes while you are drawing it seems like you have left this planet and are on a journey of your own. You completely forget your troubles and instead you focus all of your attention to the task at hand. So, needless to say, if you have a demanding job, or are under pressure all the time and super stressed, drawing is a great way to alleviate the stress and calm your mind.

Drawing cute animals can definitely help reduce stress

baby cow watercolor drawing on white background easy animal sketches half of its head drawn in brown with white spots

There is even more benefits

4. Drawing and painting improves your communication skills. Expressing yourself through art is a form of self-therapy. By allowing you deepest, darkest thoughts to come out on the paper you free so much space in your mind. Therefore, you are more able to organise your real thoughts and communicate them in a better, much more coherent way.

5. It improves motor skills as well. Drawing requires lots of hand-eye coordination. The more you draw the easier it will be for your to command your muscles and make them follow certain patterns.

6. Drawing helps you focus on details more. We go through life every day without even paying attention to the small things in our surroundings. When you draw, however, you need to pay attention to the smallest details. By doing so, you start paying attention to the details around you as well.

Drawing has lots of health benefits

baby tiger drawn in watercolor with flower crown on its head with three pink roses painted on white background realistic animal drawings

How do I begin to draw?

If you are a beginner and are just now starting to get into drawing, fear not! There are a few tips and tricks, which can help you on your journey of becoming an artist.

  • First off, try an exercise, which is going to improve your hand-eye coordination. For it you just need a pencil and a piece of paper. Now, start drawing circles which differ in size. Make sure you fill the whole page without overlapping the circles. This exercise is very helpful for the improvement of your motor skills.
  • Try tracing. Download a few images and print them out. Make sure they are simple enough to recreate. Start tracing whatever is drawn on them. That way your hand will get used to the movement and the different shapes.
  • Teach yourself how to build a structure. For example, if you are drawing a lion, make sure you draw its so called skeleton first. That will make it easier for you to draw the entirety of its body after.
  • Start simple. Don’t overdo it with your drawings. Allow yourself time to grow and to learn new techniques. Learning how to draw takes time, so don’t rush it.

Once you feel confident enough in your drawing skills, you can even start using watercolor and acrylics

black and white watercolor panda gholding a bamboo watercolor painting on white background simple animal drawings

How to draw animals?

When it comes to drawing animals, it is important to know how to draw their skeleton first. What’s more, you need to be able to draw their movements. So, study different photos of animals in different positions, which is going to make it easier for you to recreate them. After you have drawn the body of the animal, you need to add the details, as well as shading. Once again, start small. Start by drawing smaller animals without lots of detail. Then, slowly start adding more and more details as you keep drawing. Trust us, you will become a pro in no time. Now, grab a pencil and a piece of paper, scroll down, find all the inspiration you are going to need plus a few tutorials and start drawing!

Take some inspiration from all of these wonderful drawings

black pencil drawing of horse head with long mane how to draw animals white background

Just because your drawings are simple, doesn’t mean they are not gorgeous

black pencil drawing of the profile of lion head realistic animal drawings drawn on white background with black pencil

On the other hand, if you are already a pro, try this gorgeous, detailed drawing

bull drawin with pencil and watercolor step by step drawing animals painted on white background

Bring in the watercolor to create cute animal drawings

butterfly on the nose of deer watercolor painting simple animal drawings painted on white background

Like we said, drawing develops your creativity and helps you think outside of the box

cat drawn in different colors easy animal sketches profile of a kitten with the colors of the rainbow

Breathtaking realistic animal drawings

cat pencil drawing with butterfly on its nose realistic animal drawings made with black pencil and shading cute animal drawings easy black pencil sketch on white background with bird flying wings spread dalmatian digital drawing cute animal drawings easy white dog with black spots drawn on white background digital drawing of the silhouette of wolf head step by step drawing animals colored like a night sky with stars moon

How to draw a horse step by step tutorial

diy tutorial step by step with explanation how to draw a hotse easy animals to draw pencil sketch on white background drawing of a baby giraffe head eating leaves black pencil sketch on white background how to draw animals easy

drawing of a lion with its cub how to draw animals easy black pencil drawing on white background

How to draw animals

drawing of a rabbit with long ears easy animals to draw black pencil sketch on white background drawing of a unicorn with black and blue pencil on white background how to draw animals step by step drawing of a whale half whale in black other half geometrical pictures of animals to draw white background drawing of a wolf head how to draw animals easy black pencil sketch on white background

drawing of an elephant colored in different colors step by step drawing animals drawn in four steps diy tutorial

Easy animals to draw – cute otter

drawing of an otter in the water how to draw animals step by step realistic drawing on white background drawing of an owl in abstract colors how to draw animals step by step pink and green owl drawn on pink background drawing of tortoise in water black pencil sketch easy animal sketches white background drawings of a cat in different poses how to draw animals easy black pencil sketch on white background sad looking cat easy animal sketches black pencil drawing on white background of snail with absract lines

Pictures of animals to draw

easy animals to draw realistic pencil drawing of an elephant standing next to lake black pencil sketch frog standing on tree branch how to draw animals step by step black pencil drawing on white background

Step by step drawing animals

how to draw a bird in eight steps cute animal drawings easy black pencil drawing on white background how to draw a giraffe in four steps simple animal drawings step by step diy tutorial for children how to draw a horse with explanations easy animal sketches step by step diy tutorial black pencil sketch on white background

How to draw animals easy

how to draw a lion in eleven steps step by step drawing animals pencil sketch on white background how to draw a lion step by step diy tutorial how to draw animals black pencil sketch on white background how to draw animals baby elephant painted with watercolor in gray with orange flowers on its head white background how to draw animals easy howling wolf only head drawn black pencil drawing on white background how to draw animals step by step realistic drawing of black cat lying on bed black pencil sketch on white background

How to draw animals step by step

how to draw the head of a dog in nine steps with explanations cute animal drawings easy white background how to draw wolves from different angles realistic animal drawings step by step diy tutorials pencil sketch of fox with long tail cute animal drawings easy sketched with red pencil on white background pictures of animals to draw small kitten realistic drawing in black white and pink drawn on white background puppy drawn with black and white pencils easy animals to draw black and white pencil sketch realistic drawing

Simple animal drawings

realistic animal drawings big elephant with baby elephant walking black and white pencil drawing on white background realistic drawing of a dog drawn with black and white pencil on white background pictures of animals to draw realistic pencil drawing of dog head how to draw animals drawn on white background simple animal drawings drawing of a tortoise with seaweed covered shell black pencil drawing on white background

How to draw animals step by step

step by step diy tutorial how to draw a cartoon bear in four steps easy animals to draw black pencil sketch on white background step by step diy tutorial how to draw a mouse how to draw animals black pencil sketch on white background step by step drawing animals colored pencil drawing of a small cartoon mouse drawn on white background

John Griffith
John Griffith

John Griffith is a young, passionate journalist. Writing has been John’s hobby ever since he was a boy. He has worked in some of the UK’s most successful news portals over the course of his professional career but found his forever home at Archzine.

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