• 250 ideas

Animal Drawing Ideas

Deal one named animal in a set pose, with the proportion or marking that makes it that species printed underneath.

Animal Drawing Ideas

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  1. Narwhal surfacing, tusk raisedThe tusk is a spiralled left canine, 1.5 to 3 m long. There is no dorsal fin, only a low ridge.

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Pets and farm 40

  • Arabian horse head in profile A wedge-shaped head with a dished profile, and a tail carried high. The concave nose line is the likeness.
  • Basset Hound lying down, ears spread Long ears, loose skin, a dewlap and slightly crooked legs. Let everything drape and pool on the floor.
  • Bearded dragon with its beard puffed The spiny beard puffs out and can turn black. Bearded dragons also wave one hand, which gives you a second pose.
  • Budgerigar on a perch Scalloped markings cover the nape, back and wings. Draw them as rows of small dark crescents.
  • Chinchilla sitting on its haunches The densest fur of any land mammal, about 50 hairs to a follicle. No outline: build the edge from short soft marks.
  • Clydesdale trotting toward you Usually bay, white on the face and legs, heavy feathering. Foreshorten the barrel into overlapping ovals.
  • Cockatiel with its crest raised The crest stands vertical when startled, slants when relaxed and lies flat when angry. Pick a mood, set the angle.
  • Corgi walking away, seen from behind Corgi is Welsh for dwarf dog. Short legs, a loaf of a body and erect ears poking up over the top.
  • Dachshund in side view Short legs, long body, in smooth, wire or long-haired coats. Two circles with a sausage between them will do.
  • Dalmatian puppy with its first few spots Puppies are born plain white and the first spots show within about ten days. Scatter a handful, unevenly sized.
  • Donkey seen from above and behind A dark stripe down the spine and another across the shoulders make a cross on the back. Add the long ears last.
  • German Shepherd standing in profile Longer than tall, about 10 to 8.5. Box that rectangle first and the pose stops looking like a generic dog.
  • Goat standing on top of a rock Horizontal slit pupils again, and both sexes may wear a beard. Plant all four hooves close together on the summit.
  • Goldfish seen from the side Breeds differ mainly in body shape and fin layout. Choose round or slim, single tail or double, then commit.
  • Greyhound at full stretch Deep chest, long legs, supple spine. The outline is one S curve from nose to tail, so draw that line first.
  • Guinea pig in side view No visible tail, a big head on a thick neck and a round back end. A potato with an eye and two small ears.
  • Hamster with full cheek pouches A golden hamster's cheek pouches reach back to its shoulders. Widen the head until it is broader than the body.
  • Hen sitting on a nest A smaller comb and wattles than the rooster. Tuck everything in until she is a rounded triangle on straw.
  • Highland cow, face on A long shaggy coat and long horns. Hang a fringe over the brow and let the nose and horns carry the expression.
  • Holstein cow standing broadside No two Holsteins share a black and white pattern. Invent yours, but wrap the patches round the barrel.
  • Husky head with a facial mask Erect triangular ears and white facial markings, often a mask or spectacles. Map the mask before any fur.
  • Indian Runner duck standing tall Runner ducks stand erect like penguins and run instead of waddling. Draw a wine bottle on two legs.
  • Labrador sitting, seen from the front As long from withers to tail root as it is tall at the withers. Block in a square, then round the corners.
  • Leopard gecko on a rock, side view The distinctly thick tail stores fat, like a camel's hump. Make it as wide as the neck and spot the whole animal.
  • Llama looking over a fence About 1.7 to 1.8 m at the top of the head, so it looks down at you. Long neck, level stare, ears up.
  • Lop-eared rabbit, front view A Holland Lop is compact, 1 to 2 kg, with lopped ears beside the cheeks. A circle, an oval and two drooping loops.
  • Old English Sheepdog with hidden eyes Fur covers the face and eyes, so you only draw a nose and a tongue. Build the coat from long overlapping strokes.
  • Pig snout close up The snout ends in a disc of cartilage. Draw a flat oval with two nostril commas and shade round it, not on it.
  • Poodle standing in a Continental clip Face and rear clipped close, pompoms left on the hocks and the tail tip. Shade each pompom as a ball.
  • Pug face close up A short muzzle under deep forehead wrinkles. Set the eyes wide apart and let the folds frame the nose.
  • Rooster crowing in profile Comb on top, wattles below, both bigger on the male. Throw the head back and open the beak wide.
  • Shar Pei puppy, all wrinkles Deep wrinkles, small triangular ears set wide apart, a broad padded muzzle. Draw the folds as overlapping soft tubes.
  • Sheep in full fleece, front view Wool is crimped, so edge the fleece with tight scallops instead of a line. Small face, smaller legs.
  • Sheep's eye close up A sheep's pupil is a sideways slit. Draw a dark bar across a pale iris, level with the ground.
  • Shetland pony in its winter coat Stands no more than 107 cm. Keep the legs short, the barrel round and the coat shaggy at every edge.
  • Shire horse standing in harness Stallions average about 178 cm at the withers. Silky feathering covers the lower legs, so let the hooves vanish.
  • Siamese cat sitting upright Triangular head, large ears, almond-shaped blue eyes. Keep the body pale and darken only the points.
  • Suri alpaca next to a Huacaya alpaca Two breeds: Suri fibre hangs in straight locks, Huacaya fibre is crimped and wavy. Draw curtains beside a cloud.
  • Tortoise walking, three-quarter view Hermann's tortoise has a black and yellow carapace and a spur on its tail tip. Dome first, scutes next, legs last.
  • Turkey displaying, front view The snood droops over the beak and the wattle hangs under it. Behind them, fan the tail into a half circle.

Woodland and mountain 41

  • American bison in side view Plains bison have a rounded hump. Mass at the front, small hindquarters, head hung below the shoulder line.
  • Axolotl face on with gills fanned Axolotls keep their larval external gills as adults. Fan the gill plumes out either side of a wide, flat head.
  • Badger face, front view Two black bands run from the upper lip back to the ears across a white head. Get the bands symmetrical.
  • Beaver on its dam, tail showing A big, scaly tail like a paddle and webbed hind feet. Cross-hatch the tail to set it against the fur.
  • Bighorn ram head, front view Rams carry large curved horns. Draw each as a curl that comes forward past the cheek, and ridge it across.
  • Black bear cub hugging a tree trunk American black bears regularly climb trees. Wrap all four limbs round the trunk and turn the head to look back.
  • Brown bear walking in side view A big muscular shoulder hump, unique among bears. Get that bump into the back line and the species reads at once.
  • Bull moose standing in a lake The tallest deer. Antlers are palmate, like open hands, and a flap of skin called the bell hangs under the chin.
  • Chipmunk with stuffed cheeks Five dark stripes run along the back. Count them in, then puff the cheeks out past the ears.
  • Cougar crouched on a rock ledge The coat is plain tawny, so form comes from shading alone. Let the shoulder blades push up above the back line.
  • Cougar kitten with spots The adults are plain but the kittens are born spotted. Big paws, round head, and spots that follow the body curve.
  • Dormouse asleep in a ball Golden-brown with large black eyes, shut here. Curl the tail up over the face like a scarf.
  • Fire salamander on wet leaves Black, striped or spotted yellow. Keep the yellow as clean shapes and make the black glossy with one highlight.
  • Flying squirrel mid-glide, seen from below A furry membrane called a patagium stretches between front and back legs. In a glide the animal is nearly square.
  • Frog sitting in side view A rounded snout, webbed feet and long hind legs folded into a Z. Fold the legs first, then fit the body on top.
  • Giant panda sitting with bamboo Black patches on eyes, ears, legs and shoulders, and a visible thumb on the forepaw that holds the bamboo.
  • Grass snake swimming A yellow collar behind the head, and a strong swimmer. Lay the body on the water as a row of S curves.
  • Harvest mouse climbing a wheat stalk Europe's smallest rodent, with a naked prehensile tail. Wind the tail round the stalk as a fifth limb.
  • Hedgehog rolled up tight, spines out Up to 6000 spines: brown, white. Draw a circle, then short strokes radiating out, darker at the base.
  • Long-eared bat hanging upside down Ears of 3.3 to 3.9 cm on a body of 4.5 to 4.8 cm. Draw the ears nearly as long as everything else.
  • Lynx sitting in snow Black ear tufts, a facial ruff, a bobbed tail with a black tip and large furred paws. Oversize the feet.
  • Mountain goat on a ledge Both sexes have beards and black horns of 15 to 28 cm. A white coat, so shade in pale greys and save black for horns.
  • Otter swimming at the surface Long and slender, with a tail of 35 to 45 cm. Show a head, a hump of back and a tail tip, with a V of ripples.
  • Pipistrelle bat in flight, wings open A wingspan of only 18 to 25 cm. Draw each wing as a hand: long finger bones with skin stretched between them.
  • Raccoon peeking over a log A black facial mask, a ringed tail and dexterous front paws. Hook the fingers over the log like a small person.
  • Red deer stag roaring, antlers in full Antlers run fairly straight, and the fourth and fifth tines form a crown at the top. Count tines on both sides.
  • Red fox asleep, tail over its nose The tail is about 70 per cent of head-and-body length, enough to wrap right round. Tuck the nose under its tip.
  • Red fox face, front view The pupils are vertically oval, more cat than dog. Build the face from one big triangle and two small ones.
  • Red panda on a branch, tail hanging A ringed tail and a white muzzle. Let the tail hang straight down and space the rings evenly.
  • Red squirrel eating, tail up its back Tail 15 to 20 cm against a body of 19 to 23, so nearly equal. The ear tufts grow larger in winter.
  • Reindeer in falling snow Female reindeer may carry antlers as well as males. Keep the flakes as untouched paper and draw round them.
  • Snow leopard on a cliff, tail curled round Rosettes on the coat and a long bushy tail. Wrap the tail round the feet and shade it as a thick tube.
  • Spotted fawn lying in long grass White-tailed fawns are spotted and lose the spots in their first summer. Dot the back and flanks, fold the legs.
  • Stoat in its white winter coat The coat turns white in winter but the tail tip stays black. One dark mark in a white-on-white drawing.
  • Striped skunk seen from above The white stripe starts on the head, divides at the shoulders and runs along both flanks into the tail.
  • Toad seen from the front Skin covered in wart-like lumps, and a slow, ungainly walk. Dot the lumps unevenly and keep the mouth a flat line.
  • Two hares boxing in spring Hares box in spring. The ears run 9.4 to 11 cm, so draw them long. Stand both upright, forepaws flying.
  • White-tailed deer bounding away, tail up The white underside of the tail goes up as an alarm flag. From behind it is the brightest shape in the picture.
  • Wild boar in side view The head can be a third as long as the body. Wedge-shaped and low-slung, with the weight at the front.
  • Wolf howling in side view Next to other canids a wolf has less pointed ears and muzzle, a shorter torso and a longer tail. Blunt the features.
  • Wolverine loping through snow A long body carried low, a wide head, small round ears and big paws with five toes. Keep the belly near the snow.

Ocean, shore and ice 41

  • Anglerfish with its lure lit The lure is a modified dorsal fin ray, and its glowing tip is called the esca. Light the whole face from that point.
  • Beluga whale nodding its head All white with no dorsal fin, and it can nod its head. Shade softly and let the paper do most of the work.
  • Blue tang in side view Royal blue body, yellow tail and a black marking shaped like a painter's palette. Three flat colours, no shading.
  • Blue whale in full side view A small sickle-shaped dorsal fin sits far back near the tail, and 60 to 88 grooves run along the throat.
  • Bottlenose dolphin leaping A short beak and a hooked dorsal fin. Draw the body as one banana curve from beak to tail flukes.
  • Clownfish among anemone tentacles Three white stripes, each outlined in black. Draw the black edges first and the orange has somewhere to stop.
  • Cuttlefish hovering, arms forward Eight arms and two longer feeding tentacles, with a cuttlebone inside. Bunch the arms to a point ahead of the eyes.
  • Emperor penguin with an egg on his feet The male balances the single egg on the tops of his feet. Add the yellow ear patches and bow the head.
  • Fiddler crab with its big claw raised The male has one hugely enlarged claw. Draw it nearly as big as the rest of him and hold it up like a shield.
  • Great hammerhead seen from below The hammer has a nearly straight front edge and measures 23 to 27 per cent of body length. Draw a T, then taper.
  • Great white shark, three-quarter front view Cone-shaped snout, large triangular first dorsal fin, tail lobes of similar size. Grey above, white below.
  • Green sea turtle swimming, seen from above A teardrop-shaped carapace and paddle-like flippers. Front flippers long like wings, back ones short like rudders.
  • Harbour seal on a rock in the banana pose V-shaped nostrils, no ear flaps, and a spot pattern unique to each seal. Lift head and tail like a banana.
  • Hermit crab peering out of its shell The soft, asymmetric abdomen hides in a scavenged snail shell. Spill claws, eyes and legs from the opening.
  • Horseshoe crab seen from above A horseshoe-shaped carapace and a spine-like tail called a telson. Dome in front, spike behind.
  • Humpback whale mid-breach, flippers out Flippers are about a third of body length, with knobbly tubercles on the head. The long flippers make the pose.
  • Leafy seadragon drifting in weed The leafy lobes are camouflage only; it swims with small, nearly transparent fins. Draw seaweed with an eye.
  • Leatherback turtle hauling up a beach No bony shell, only leathery skin, and clawless front flippers that are the largest of any sea turtle for its size.
  • Lionfish with every fin spread White stripes alternate with red or brown over body and fins. Fan the long spines first, then stripe everything.
  • Lobster seen from above The claws do not match: the big one crushes. Draw them different sizes on purpose.
  • Manatee grazing on the seabed No hind limbs, only a spatula-like paddle, and a prehensile snout for grabbing plants. A grey, rounded spindle.
  • Manta ray gliding overhead Triangular pectoral fins, and two cephalic fins at the mouth that roll into spirals. A kite with horns.
  • Moon jellyfish seen from above Four horseshoe-shaped gonads show through the clear bell. One circle, four horseshoes, a fringe, done.
  • Moray eel looking out of a crevice The dorsal fin starts behind the head and joins the tail fin, and most morays have no pectoral fins. Mouth ajar.
  • Narwhal surfacing, tusk raised The tusk is a spiralled left canine, 1.5 to 3 m long. There is no dorsal fin, only a low ridge.
  • Nautilus in side view About 90 suckerless cirri, a pinhole eye, and a shell that follows a near-perfect equiangular spiral.
  • Ocean sunfish in side view No real tail: a rounded clavus replaces it, and with fins extended the fish is as tall as it is long.
  • Octopus sitting on a rock, arms curled A common octopus has a mantle of about 25 cm and arms up to a metre. Taper every arm and curl each one differently.
  • Orca in side view White eye patches on black. A male's dorsal fin is about 1.8 m and triangular; a female's is more curved.
  • Polar bear walking on sea ice A longer neck, narrower skull and lower shoulder hump than a brown bear. The skin under the white fur is black.
  • Portuguese man o' war afloat Not one animal but a colony. A gas-filled float rides the surface and the tentacles can trail 30 m below.
  • Pufferfish fully inflated Four teeth fused into a beak. Draw a ball with a small pursed mouth and fins that look too small to steer it.
  • Sea anemone open, seen from the side A column, an oral disc on top, and tentacles ringing a central mouth. A cylinder wearing a crown.
  • Sea otter floating on its back with a rock Sea otters use rocks as tools and are the heaviest of the weasel family. Rest the rock on the chest, paws on top.
  • Sea urchin on a rock Urchin once meant hedgehog. A flattened ball of spines, the ones facing you foreshortened to dots.
  • Seahorse in side view No scales: bony plates in rings, a prehensile tail and an upright posture. Draw the rings as ridges down the body.
  • Sperm whale in side view The head is up to a third of the animal's length. Draw one great blunt block, then taper everything behind it.
  • Starfish on wet sand Five arms, broad at the base and tapering, with tips that often turn up slightly. Lift one tip for life.
  • Swordfish leaping clear of the water The bill is flat, not round, and adults have lost all their teeth and scales. Smooth skin and one long blade.
  • Walrus hauled out on ice The tusks are long canines and both sexes have them. Add a moustache of stiff whiskers above.
  • Whale shark from above, mouth open The mouth sits at the very front of the head, and the pattern of spots and stripes is unique to each fish.

Birds 40

  • Albatross gliding over a swell The greatest wingspan of any living bird. Draw the wings as one long, narrow, barely bent line.
  • Bald eagle head in profile White head, yellow beak, yellow iris. Bald here comes from an older word meaning white-headed.
  • Barn owl face, front view The face is a white heart. Draw the heart first, then set two dark eyes in it and a beak down the centre seam.
  • Barn swallow in flight A deeply forked tail with long outer streamers, shorter on the female. Draw the bird as an anchor shape.
  • Blue jay scolding, crest up The crest goes up or down with mood, and a black U-shaped collar runs round the neck.
  • Blue tit hanging upside down Blue crown, white cheeks and a dark line through the eye. It feeds hanging upside down, so flip your bird.
  • Brown pelican plunging for fish The smallest pelican, and one of only two that feed by diving. Fold the wings back and aim the bill straight down.
  • Canada geese in a flying V A white chinstrap on a black head and neck. In a flock, draw one bird well and repeat it smaller down the line.
  • Cassowary head and neck A casque of 13 to 20 cm on the head and two red wattles hanging from the neck.
  • Cockatoo with its crest up A yellow crest and a black bill on a large white bird. Fan the crest feathers like a hand of cards.
  • Flamingo standing on one leg A pink bill with a black tip, and black flight feathers that only show when the wings open. One leg, one S of neck.
  • Goldfinch on a thistle head A red face and a yellow bar on the wing. Let the thistle's spikes contrast with the smooth bird.
  • Great horned owl on a branch at night A white throat patch over barred underparts. Draw the bars as broken dashes that follow the curve of the chest.
  • Great spotted woodpecker on a trunk A big white shoulder patch, and red low on the belly. Set the bird upright against the bark, tail pressed in.
  • Grey heron standing in the shallows A black eyebrow stripe ends in a thin dangling crest. Hunch the neck into an S and keep the legs dead straight.
  • Hoopoe with its crest fanned A tall crest it can raise, a downcurved bill and a white band across a black tail.
  • House sparrow on a fence Round head, deep chest and a thick cone of a bill. Two circles and a triangle get you most of the way.
  • Hummingbird hovering at a flower The male ruby-throat has a ruby gorget and a straight, slender bill. Blur the wings into soft fans.
  • Kingfisher perched above water Big head, long dagger of a bill, stubby tail. Blue above and orange below, so two pencils do most of the work.
  • Kiwi probing the ground Nostrils at the tip of the beak, no visible wings and feathers like hair. A pear on two legs with a long straw.
  • Kookaburra on a branch A big kingfisher, its head whitish with a brown stripe through the eye. Give it the family's heavy bill.
  • Magpie on a fence post More than half its length is tail. Black and white at a distance, so treat it as a two-tone design.
  • Male cardinal on a snowy branch A crest on the head and, on the male, a black mask round the bill. Red against white needs very little else.
  • Mallard drake in side view A green head and a white-bordered wing patch called the speculum. The body is about two-thirds of the length.
  • Mandarin drake on the water Two orange sail feathers stand up from the back, and a white crescent sweeps above the eye.
  • Mute swan with its wings arched An orange bill bordered with black, and a knob at its base that is larger on males. Set the neck in an S.
  • Ostrich running Only two toes on each foot. Make the stride huge and the body a loose bundle of plumes riding above it.
  • Peacock with its train fanned, front view The train is not the tail but upper-tail coverts, each ending in an eyespot. A fan-shaped crest tops the head.
  • Peregrine falcon diving A black moustache mark on the face; females are up to 30 per cent larger. In the dive, fold the wings to a teardrop.
  • Pigeon walking in side view Each wing of a rock dove has two black bars. Bob the head forward and the walk looks right.
  • Puffin standing in side view About 20 cm high and upright, with a black crown, grey cheek patches and a broad red-and-black beak.
  • Raven calling in side view The heaviest passerine. All black, so find the form with a few cool highlights along the wing and bill.
  • Roadrunner sprinting in side view A cuckoo that runs. Crest up, long legs at full stride, body and tail held in one level line.
  • Robin perched on a spade handle The orange of the breast and face is edged with grey. A ball on two thin legs, with a bead of an eye.
  • Scarlet macaw in flight More than half its length is tail, and the face is bare white skin. Stream the tail out behind like a ribbon.
  • Secretarybird striding through grass An eagle's body on a crane's legs, up to 1.3 m tall, with a dark crest behind the head. Go long on the legs.
  • Shoebill staring, front view An enormous shoe-shaped bill whose upper half ends in a sharp nail. Draw the bill first and fit the head round it.
  • Snowy owl sitting on snow Yellow eyes in a mostly white bird. White on white, so let the eyes and a few dark bars do all the work.
  • Toco toucan in profile A yellow-orange beak with a black base and a black spot at the tip. Draw the beak first and hang the bird off it.
  • Wren singing with its tail cocked A short tail held cocked straight up. Round body, thin bill open wide, and it is nearly all song.

Insects and small creatures 38

  • Atlas moth filling the whole page A wingspan of 250 to 300 mm, so draw it life size if your paper allows. Map the big wing shapes before any pattern.
  • Bumblebee on a clover head Plump, covered in soft hair called pile, rounded at the tail and banded as a warning. Fuzz the outline.
  • Centipede crossing a stone One pair of legs to each body segment. Draw the spine curve first, then a leg pair at every joint.
  • Cicada beside its empty shell Wide-set eyes, short antennae, clear membranous wings. The shed nymph skin stays clinging to the plant.
  • Damselfly at rest on a reed Most damselflies fold their wings along the body at rest, while dragonflies hold theirs flat and out.
  • Death's-head hawkmoth seen from above A skull-shaped pattern sits on the thorax. Centre it carefully, because the eye goes there first.
  • Dung beetle rolling its ball Dung rollers were linked to the Egyptian god Khepri. Make the ball bigger than the beetle.
  • Earthworm on wet soil The smooth band round the body is the clitellum. Ring the other segments lightly and leave the band plain.
  • Emperor dragonfly, male, seen from above A sky-blue abdomen with a black stripe down the middle and an apple-green thorax. Four wings held flat and out.
  • Emperor scorpion with its tail arched About 20 cm long, black, and it glows under ultraviolet light. Try it in white pencil on black paper.
  • Firefly glowing at dusk The light organs sit on the lower abdomen. Leave that patch as clean paper and darken everything round it.
  • Garden snail in side view The shell has four or five whorls. Spiral out from the centre, then stretch the body along the ground.
  • Garden spider at the centre of its orb web Also called the cross orbweaver. Draw the spokes first, then the spiral, then seat the spider at the hub.
  • Grasshopper in side view Powerful hind legs folded into a tall upside-down V, and thread-like antennae. Draw the big leg first.
  • Harvestman on a wall The body is fused into one oval with a single pair of eyes. Hang that oval from eight long, thin, bent legs.
  • Hercules beetle in side view Up to 173 mm including the horn, which makes it the longest beetle. Give the horn half the drawing.
  • Honey bee in flight with pollen loads Workers carry pollen home in a pollen basket. Draw a bright lump on the leg and the bee reads as busy.
  • Hummingbird hawk-moth feeding at a flower It hovers at flowers with a long proboscis, like the bird it is named for. Blur the wings, sharpen the body.
  • Jumping spider, face on Four pairs of eyes, and the front middle pair is very large. Two big circles, two smaller ones beside them.
  • Leaf insect walking A flattened body that copies a leaf, and it rocks as it walks like a leaf in the wind. Vein it like one.
  • Leafcutter ants in a line, carrying leaves They carry cut leaf pieces home to farm a fungus. Give each ant a piece held overhead like a sail.
  • Luna moth with its wings spread Lime-green wings with long curving hindwing tails. Let the tails cross or twist for a livelier shape.
  • Male stag beetle seen from above The male's huge mandibles look like antlers, and it is the largest beetle in Europe. Mirror the two sides.
  • Mayfly at rest Long tail filaments, and wings that do not fold flat, so they stand upright over the back.
  • Millipede walking along a twig Two pairs of legs to each segment, against a centipede's one. Draw the legs as a rippling fringe.
  • Monarch butterfly with its wings open Tawny orange with black veins and margins, and two series of white spots in the black border.
  • Monarch caterpillar on a leaf Cross bands of white, yellow and black. Draw a row of fat rings and stripe each one the same way.
  • Orchid mantis sitting on a flower Its walking legs are shaped like petals. Draw the flower first, then hide the mantis in it.
  • Peacock spider displaying The male is about 5 mm long and raises flap-like extensions of his abdomen as a fan. Draw it large anyway.
  • Pill bug rolled into a ball It rolls into a ball when disturbed and grows to about 18 mm. Overlapping plates, like a tiny armadillo.
  • Pond skater on still water Long legs and water-repellent hairs keep it on the surface. Draw a dimple in the water under each foot.
  • Praying mantis, front view A mobile triangular head and raptorial forelegs folded as if in prayer. Tilt the head and it looks alive.
  • Seven-spot ladybird on a leaf, from above Three spots on each wing case and one shared across the join, plus two white patches at the front.
  • Slug crossing a leaf Two pairs of tentacles, and the upper pair carry the eyespots. A saddle-like mantle sits behind the head.
  • Stick insect on a twig It survives by looking like vegetation. Draw the twig first and make the insect from the same kind of lines.
  • Swallowtail butterfly at rest, wings open Tailed hindwings carrying blue eye spots and a red one. Yellow ground, black veins, and keep both sides matched.
  • Tarantula walking, three-quarter view Large and hairy. Arch each of the eight legs up and then down, and edge every segment with short bristles.
  • Woolly bear caterpillar Brown in the middle and black at both ends, with 13 segments. Bristle every segment like a bottle brush.

Safari, jungle and outback 50

  • African buffalo, front view The horn bases fuse into a shield across the forehead called a boss. Draw the boss first and curl the horns from it.
  • African elephant walking in side view The back dips in a concave curve. Draw that line first: it separates this species from the Asian at a glance.
  • African elephant, front view, ears spread Pointed, triangular ears cover the whole shoulder, and the trunk tip has two finger-like points.
  • Armadillo startled into a jump A nine-banded armadillo jumps straight up when startled. Draw the shell as a dome split by narrow bands.
  • Asian elephant in side view The head is the highest point, the back is level or convex, the ears are small, and the forehead has two bulges.
  • Capybara sitting in shallow water The largest rodent: barrel-shaped, blunt muzzle, with eyes, ears and nostrils near the top of the head.
  • Cheetah sitting upright, front view Black tear streaks run down the face, and the spots are solid, not rosettes. Get the streaks symmetrical.
  • Cheetah sprinting in side view A small head and a deep chest, with evenly spaced solid spots. At full stretch the spine is a drawn bow.
  • Chimpanzee portrait The face, palms and soles are bare skin. Draw the face as wrinkled skin and only the frame as hair.
  • Dromedary in side view One hump, and the tallest of the camels. Draw the hump, neck and legs as three separate arcs, then join them.
  • Echidna walking No visible neck and a 75 mm snout, and it can curl into a spiny ball. Draw a dome of spines with a straw.
  • Fennec fox seen from the front The largest ears for its body of any canid, and a black tip to the tail. Draw the ears first, then fit a fox under.
  • Frilled lizard with its frill open A frill round a long neck, and a tail that makes up most of its length. Pleat the frill like an umbrella.
  • Gharial basking on a sandbank Adult males grow a boss on the snout tip that resembles a pot called a ghara. Long, narrow jaws, 110 teeth.
  • Giant anteater walking in side view An elongated snout on a 30 cm head, long foreclaws and a big bushy tail. Balance the tail against the snout.
  • Giraffe drinking with its front legs splayed The long neck comes from long vertebrae, not extra ones. Splay the front legs wide so the head can reach.
  • Giraffe full figure in side view The neck rests at 50 to 60 degrees, not upright, and the body is relatively short. Dark tuft on the tail.
  • Giraffe head with ossicones The horn-like ossicones sit on top of the head. Dark patches on the coat are separated by light hair.
  • Green tree python coiled on a branch It loops its coils over a branch like a saddle and rests its head in the middle.
  • Hippo with its jaws wide open A barrel torso and canine tusks on show. Open the jaw much wider than feels reasonable.
  • Hippo with only its eyes and ears above water Eyes, ears and nostrils sit high on the skull so they stay above the surface. A few bumps and a reflection.
  • Jaguar at the water's edge Jaguar rosettes have dots inside them. A compact, heavy build, with solid spots on the head.
  • King cobra with its hood spread The world's longest venomous snake, with an oval hood. Raise the front third and coil the rest beneath.
  • Koala asleep in a tree fork Round fluffy ears, a large dark nose, no tail, and up to twenty hours of sleep a day.
  • Leopard draped over a branch The coat is covered in rosettes and the pupils are round. Let all four legs and the tail hang loose.
  • Lion cub sitting Lion cubs have spots. Big paws, round ears, and a scatter of soft spots on the legs and belly.
  • Malayan tapir in side view A white patch from shoulders to rump, white ear tips and a short flexible proboscis. Two tones only.
  • Male lion lying down, tail tuft showing A dark tuft ends the tail and the mane frames the face. Draw the mane as big shadow shapes, not single hairs.
  • Meerkat standing sentry It stands erect on its hind legs. Broad head, pointed snout and a thin tapering tail.
  • Okapi in side view Horizontal white stripes on the legs, and males carry short ossicones. Its closest relative is the giraffe.
  • Orangutan dangling from one long arm Arms up to 1.5 m long, and adult males grow wide cheek pads. The hanging arm should look too long.
  • Pangolin curled into a ball Overlapping keratin scales, like a pine cone. It curls up with its face tucked under its tail.
  • Plains zebra in side view Stocky, with shortish legs and wide stripes; no two zebras match. Curve the stripes round the barrel and the legs.
  • Platypus swimming at the surface Dense waterproof fur, and the bill that gives the duck-billed platypus its name. Bead the fur with water.
  • Quokka face, front view A short, broad head and round ears. Turn the mouth line up at the corners and the character arrives.
  • Red kangaroo resting on its tail It props itself on the tail, a tripod with the two hind feet. Note the square muzzle.
  • Red-eyed tree frog on a leaf Red eyes, orange feet, and blue and yellow stripes along the sides. Save the brightest red for the eyes.
  • Ring-tailed lemur sunbathing It sunbathes sitting upright. The ringed tail, 56 to 63 cm, is longer than the 39 to 46 cm body.
  • Silverback gorilla sitting Adult males grow a saddle of silver hair across the back. Keep the rest near-black and let the silver model the form.
  • Spotted hyena in side view A strong neck and forequarters, underdeveloped hindquarters, a rounded rump and rounded ears. Front-load the weight.
  • Sugar glider mid-glide Gliding membranes stretch from the forelegs to the hindlegs. Spread all four limbs and the shape is a kite.
  • Tarsier clinging to a stem Each eyeball is about 16 mm across, as large as its brain. The eyes are the drawing; everything else is small.
  • Tasmanian devil gaping Squat, with a large head and white on the rump and chest. Open the jaw wide and show the teeth.
  • Three-toed sloth hanging upside down Three long curved claws work as hooks, and algae in the fur can tint it green. Hang the body like a hammock.
  • Tiger seen from behind, looking away There is a white spot on the back of each ear, and the tail is about half the body length.
  • Tiger walking toward you No two tigers share a stripe pattern. Wrap each stripe round the form like a bracelet, never flat across.
  • Veiled chameleon on a branch The casque on the head grows to about 5 cm. Draw the helmet tall, then curl the tail into a tight spiral.
  • Warthog running with its tail straight up Warthogs run with tails held upright. Two pairs of tusks curve upward and a mane runs down the spine.
  • White rhino grazing A huge head on a short thick neck, a body like a barrel and a wide, square mouth. Keep the head low.
  • Wombat seen from the front A large bald nose, small ears and a body built low to the ground. A loaf with a face.

How it works

Animal drawing ideas, 250 of them, each a named species or breed in a set pose, such as Lynx sitting in snow. They are sorted by habitat, from pets and farm to safari and outback, at three levels. Each hint names the feature to get right, checked against Wikipedia. The two filters combine: Birds plus Easy deals only easy birds.

Read the full guide

Six habitats, three levels and a Cute group

Levels judge the body shape, not the fur. Hard means long legs, foreshortening or a coat pattern that wraps round the form. Easy builds from a circle and an oval, like Guinea pig in side view, and the 71 roundest and fluffiest also sit under Cute: the cute easy to draw animals. Cute holds nothing above Easy.

What sits under each habitat

Pets and farm runs from a dozen dogs by breed to heavy horses and a hen on her nest. Fish drawing ideas fill the Ocean group, clownfish to anglerfish, beside whales, a walrus and an emperor penguin. Safari, jungle and outback is the largest group at 50, because it spans three continents. No dinosaurs: every animal here is a living one.

  • Block in three masses first: head, ribcage, hips. Join them with the spine, then hang the legs. Fur comes last.
  • For quick animal sketch ideas, give yourself two minutes, draw the pose and deal again. Ten small sketches beat one tight one.
  • Painting instead? Animal painting ideas gives each animal a palette and one stroke.

Questions and answers

What are the easiest animals to draw?

Front or side views made of two or three round shapes, such as Barn owl face, front view or Moon jellyfish seen from above. The Easy group holds 89 like them. For easy drawings of animals with more character, tap Cute and try Hamster with full cheek pouches.

Why does every idea include a pose?

Because a fox is a blank page, and Red fox asleep, tail over its nose is a drawing. The pose sets the shapes. The hint adds the proportion that makes the species: a red fox's tail is about 70 per cent of its head-and-body length, enough to wrap right round.

How do I draw fur without drawing every hair?

Shade the animal first as if it were smooth clay, then add hair only where the form turns: along the back, under the chin, where a leg meets the body. A few strokes that follow the growth read as a whole coat. Greyhound at full stretch needs almost none.

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