Drawing cute animals is easy. Animation Basics: Secrets of Drawing Animals

It is very important for a cartoonist to be able to draw faces and facial expressions. But your knowledge will not be complete unless you can draw the vast world of animals in all its diversity - fish, birds, pets, wild animals - each animal with its own unique characteristics. Therefore, in this lesson we will learn how to draw cartoon animals.

1. Creating the Foundation

The cartoon is very useful. Children are simply delighted when watching complex parts human forms in a simple and attractive interpretation. By exaggerating the facial expressions of our characters, we not only entertain them, but also teach them how to deal with the adversities of life. For a child, the world of cartoons without animals would not be complete. TO a cartoonist who lacks the ability to draw various animals on paper is not an artist. Today we are going to change that. We will draw animals using mainly circle.

Let's place the eyes optimally in our first drawing and will use them for all our animals.

See also the lesson “How to properly draw faces from cartoons” and the lesson “Creating emotions of cartoon characters.”

You'll see the key elements of drawing animals and also get a few useful tips by modifying the original design into something new.

Now we have a template, let's move on to drawing the first animal.

2. Draw a cartoon cat

The cat's face is quite easy to draw, it is well rounded and follows the shape of our template.

Cool, isn't it? Now let's draw the cat from different angles:

Rules for drawing a cat:

  • Large and pointed ears - slightly separated from each other;
  • Tiny nose - almost glued to the face;
  • Large whiskers (tactile hairs).

Let's see what it takes to make this cat a cat?

We just changed the eyebrows and drew the eyelashes. That's all! Now we have a cat!

3. Draw a cartoon pig

Let's start with the muzzle:

The secret to drawing a pig is drawing the ears and face. The muzzle should have a rounded shape, the chin should disappear. The ears point slightly forward, the nose connects directly to the head:

The technique is quite simple. Take these features into account and you will be successful.

Is it possible to make an elephant from a pig? Certainly! Small changes can give life to completely different creatures!

4. Draw a cartoon horse

We use the same template for all animals.

Let's draw a horse. Please note that the horse's skull is thinner, the muzzle is extended forward, the jaw is round with large teeth.

Finishing the corners:

Notice that the mane goes down the neck.

Horses have wide and strong necks, their nostrils protrude upward, and their ears are of normal size compared to the size of their heads.

5. Differences between animals

We drew a cat, but an equally important animal remains...

Let's look at the main differences between a dog and a cat:

  • A larger nose that moves forward with the jaw;
  • Ears are closer to each other;
  • Thicker than eyebrows;
  • Less round face;

The length of a dog's ears can vary depending on the breed: the ears may fall onto the face or point upward.

Drawing various breeds dogs can take all day. Unlike cats, dog breeds are quite different from each other.

Birds also have differences between their species:

The chicken has a round head, the eagle and the parrot have a flat head.

Well, now it's time for you to try it. Try redrawing the animals that were drawn above as many times as necessary until you can do it easily and simply. After this you will be able to draw other animals. Don't forget to note the characteristics of each animal and try to reproduce them on paper:

6. Lights, camera... motor!

Animal bodies are very flexible. It is not at all necessary to know the anatomy of an animal to draw it in motion. It is enough to simply highlight the main directions and understand how the body works in motion.

Learn to simplify the shapes of the animal you are drawing, but make sure that the position of the most important body structures, such as the neck, hips, tail and limbs, is correct.

The size of feline limbs varies depending on the animal.

Please note that lions and tigers are strong. In the lower right corner we have an example of a cartoon lion head.

Once you understand how animals move, you can play with them! IN cartoon style it is even possible to combine the body of an animal with a human one. This is a very interesting technique. Try putting the quadruped on two legs.

Notice how the sketch changes depending on anatomical structure character: everything is based on rounded shapes.

7. Ungulates in motion

Let's take a look at the anatomy of a horse and check out the main differences:

The front legs of a horse have a slight difference from other animals: in them they look like human legs (with a knee), while in cats and dogs they look like elbows (curved in the opposite direction).

All ungulates follow the same pattern as the horse, regardless of size or shape:

Not always, though:

In fact, anatomy is not that complicated.

So many animals in a short time!

Now you have the knowledge needed to draw almost all animals! Of course, the search doesn't stop there. Observe how animals behave in real life. Watch the Discovery Channel, make your own video and improve your ability to draw animals.

Animals have feelings and should be treated with respect, love and care. Be it in cartoons or in real life. Remember that pets are part of the family.

Translation - Duty room.

Pencil drawing is a wonderful art. It's hard to believe that with this simple tool you can create entire paintings on paper.

Even if you don't intend to become professional artists, ability to do pencil drawings may be useful to you later. For example, when you have children. The ability to draw will help in their upbringing and training. Drawings of animals in this case will come in handy. Of course, drawing beautifully is not so easy, but if you try, everyone can learn it.

Pencil drawings of animals for beginners: photos

To finally complete the drawing, erase all the auxiliary lines and mark the shadows in the drawing.

Pencil drawing of a dolphin for beginners

Drawing this amazing animal is not at all difficult. The most important condition for receiving beautiful drawing dolphin - maintaining proportions.

The first stage of drawing a dolphin is that right now you should put it into your future drawing his grace and plasticity. To do this, you will have to try to depict the arched body, elongated muzzle and fins as accurately as possible.

At the first stage, draw the top line of the oval-shaped body, and also mark the location of the fins and tail.

At the second stage, be careful with the proportions of the torso and head. Almost parallel to the upper contour of the body, which you drew in the first stage, draw a line for the abdomen. At first, you can use simple straight lines for this, placing them at an angle.

If you are sure that you have kept all the proportions correctly, you can begin to give the dolphin a streamlined shape. To do this, you have to smooth out the contour, that is, the angle formed by the two lines should become smoother, and the straight lines themselves need to be slightly curved.

Remember that the main goal of our drawing is to show the grace of the animal. This effect can be achieved by using smooth lines and maintaining proportions. First of all, we must ensure the exact proportions of the head and fins.

Speaking of fins. They should not be too large or small in relation to the size of the entire picture. Try to ensure that the fins are depicted in your drawing as accurately as possible. It will be better if you draw the fins in a certain sequence: first draw the fin that is on top, then the two side fins, and then the caudal fin should take its shape in the drawing (remember that the caudal fin is divided into two parts). Then you need to make the dolphin’s nose more rounded and draw the line of its mouth.

In order for the drawing to gain volume, it is necessary to apply shadows and correctly position the light. To do this, you should use shading. As soon as the dolphin acquires its visible volume, you can consider your drawing complete. If you are not satisfied with a simple drawing of a dolphin, come up with some kind of landscape that will surround it. Then you will get the whole picture.

Drawing a cat in pencil for beginners

The cat is one of the most common pets. In addition, cats can be found on the pages of many fairy tales. It is not surprising that this particular character is often found in children's drawings.

Like any animal, a cat should be drawn step by step to make the image more reliable. The structure of the drawn cat is based on three circles. You need to start the image with a circle intended for the animal’s head. You should also add a few lines to this circle to get the correct shape of the muzzle.

The next detail will be a large oval, which will later become the body of the purr. The last detail will not be quite round shape. You need to draw two curved lines that will be connected at the bottom, which is a line. This figure is a blank for the cat's hips.

Now start working on each detail individually. The first such detail will be the head. You need to outline the shape of the animal's head. Don't forget to draw a few lines on the front side of the neck and head that serve as visible fur. The animal must have ears and cheeks. Draw them. Using the previously drawn contours, sketch out the eyes and mouth of the cat.

On the cat’s ears, draw lines that will help directly shape the ears. You also need to add some fur and fluff on the cat's forehead. The mustache should be an integral part of the animal's design.

Start drawing the front paws. To do this, first mark the support from which they will come out. When the base of the paws is outlined, draw a small bone that comes out of the cat's chest.

To make the drawing complete, you have to outline the back of the animal’s body, its back and its front legs. Then draw the cat's tail and hind legs. Now you can delete all auxiliary lines that are no longer needed in the drawing.

When the linear drawing is completed, do not forget to add a little light and shade to it, which will make your creation more attractive.

Drawing an animal with a pencil is not so difficult. The main thing is to observe all the proportions and stages of the drawings. You will succeed!

Children begin to be interested in drawing from the very beginning. early age. The only thing that can stop novice artists is the discrepancy between the picture on paper and what they wanted to depict. Therefore, parents should show their kids how to draw different animals step by step.

The main mistake of beginning artists is that they first of all paint a separate part of the main object of their painting. The drawings of most toddlers are images of animals.

For some reason, almost all toddlers begin reproducing their animal from the head. An oval is drawn, which is overgrown with ears, eyes, mustaches, horns - depending on what kind of animal the little one wants to draw.

But at this point the little one gets stuck: what to do next? How to fit everything else into this magnificent head? Often the baby can’t think of anything better than attaching a few sausages - legs or paws, and a tail.

To teach the heir to draw correctly, you need to explain to him what it is step by step drawing how the drawing diagram is built. Well, if you yourself are not a very skilled artist, then you have a unique opportunity to learn this art together with your children.

From this article you will learn

Where to begin

How to depict animals step by step so that they are easily recognizable can be explained to both a three-year-old child and a schoolchild. Of course, a kindergartener’s instructions will differ from those of a 12-year-old child, but some common features will be traced.

  • To teach a child to depict animals step by step, you need to explain what shapes (circles, ovals, rectangles) this or that animal consists of.
  • Show how to make sketches that will later become detailed.
  • Start teaching novice creators with simple plots. We learn as we go, so don't expect your baby to succeed right away. Gradually, the baby will learn to recreate more complex objects step by step.

Before moving on to the process, stock up on paper, an eraser and pencils: simple for sketching and colored for coloring.

Pictures for kids

You can show your little one how to draw step by step those little animals that he is already familiar with. The most simple technique drawing - circles. True, for this you need your child to master these simple figures.

There is a simple algorithm for teaching little ones how to draw basic shapes: you need to take the child’s hand in yours and draw a circle with a pencil. If your little one has mastered drawing a circle, show him how you can use this shape to draw funny little animals:

In this way, you can learn to portray not only funny cats and dogs, but even your favorite cartoon characters (for example, Smeshariki).

Drawing for children 4-7 years old

At this age, children can draw different geometric figures, and their drawings based on natural motifs are already quite recognizable. Now the fidget is able to understand how to draw animals step by step.

The diagram is not particularly complicated: we learn to draw several circles (head and torso), which will serve as the basis; then we schematically depict the paws (legs), then add details and erase the auxiliary lines with an eraser.

You should teach novice artists that the first stage of work should be to determine the composition: where will it be located? main object, which objects will be in the foreground and which ones will be in the background.

As you can see, the animal drawings are still quite simplified and not burdened with details. All these nuances will need to be explained to the knights of pencil and paper when they grow up a little.

Drawing with middle school children

Starting from 8-10 years old, boys and girls are much more interested in depicting not only domestic but also wild animals. At this age, you can teach children to make animals look realistic.

The bunny for a kindergarten child was cartoonishly round and consisted mainly of circles. For older children, we learn to draw a hare in a slightly different way step by step: it has long paws with claws, body proportions correspond to real ones, the skin is not monochromatic, but with drawn fur.

We learn to depict other animals in the same way: first - a sketch, then the main figures are completed. After we erase the sketch lines, we detail the drawing.

The final touch is to give the drawing volume using shading (if it is a drawing with a simple pencil, like a horse) or painting the animal in accordance with its real color (lion).

It is definitely worth teaching your child to work with a simple pencil. If some lines are not entirely successful, they can be easily erased. Having mastered the technique of drawing with a simple pencil, a novice creator can move on to more complex drawing methods.

All children love to draw. And this is not surprising: after all, this creative process interesting, young artists are delighted to master pencils and paints. At first, these are, as the children themselves put it, little scribbles. Toddlers like to just learn colors at first. Next, the young artist depicts his family and everything he sees around him. You can teach children to draw different techniques: let them try pencils, paints, felt-tip pens... And it often happens that there is no room for a wide imagination to run wild - is it possible to express something on a landscape sheet? Then wallpaper, walls, tables and various other surfaces that are in the danger zone, where the child can reach, are used. Just give him the task, in any case, to keep the baby busy with something - safe for him and for the furniture, and also useful and exciting. For example, show him, with a pencil, step by step - according to all the rules. At first, of course, it may not work out, but training is the key to success. So, we draw animals in stages: everything is very simple and fast.

Stage one: preparation for work

Of course, you can simply draw an animal in the center of a white sheet and leave it in the album. And you can make this work a real pride. First, decide what you will draw with: for paints, for example, it is better to make a larger sketch. Teach your child to use a brush or sharpen pencils and erase unnecessary lines with an eraser. Then choose which animal you want to depict. If the artist shows interest in a particular animal, then draw it. While drawing, you can tell your child about this animal. Next, decide on what background you will depict the animal. If it is, for example, a cat, then create a homely atmosphere and place a ball nearby. But if you have to depict the king of animals - a lion, then draw him in the savannah. The wolf will live in the picture, but the dolphin will live in the waters of warm seas. You can find many master classes on this topic on the Internet. There are also lessons in illustrations that advise animals step by step - but they also need to be voiced so that the artist understands why he draws certain lines. You can draw, or you can come up with an image yourself. So, we draw animals step by step. Let's look at the lesson using the example of several animals.

Learn to draw animals step by step. Step two: one circle, two circles...

Nobody starts drawing a cat from the eyes. So first, create a frame. Its basis is always simple. One figure is the body, the second is the head. A dog, for example, has a rectangular body and an equally angular head. But a cat’s body is elongated or round. The pig has a very round shape. And the fish has an oval. To draw a turtle in the first step, draw a semicircle as part of the shell. For convenience, draw lines of symmetry on the muzzle. At the same time, take into account the animal’s posture, tilt and rotation of the head, and so on. To begin with, don’t overdo it with the complexity of the animal’s figure. Then it comes down to the paws. For cats, they are soft: make small curved semi-ovals, and on them - 4 more small finger circles. In dogs they are usually longer, and the foot itself is rectangular. But the pig has hooves. The drawn turtle's legs widen downward. Remember what shape an animal’s tail can have. For auxiliary lines, when we draw wild animals in stages, use or do not press hard on the paper. After all, they will have to be removed later anyway.

Stage three: away with everything unnecessary!

Since we are drawing animals in stages, do not rush to depict the entire animal. When the outline is ready, combine all the shapes with a smooth line. Don't forget about skin folds. Don't follow the guide lines blindly: they only give you hints. At this step, when we draw the animals step by step, you can erase the lines where the legs connect to the body. Draw the neck. If you are depicting a kitten or any animal with fur, then consider whether to make the cheeks smooth (then adjust the auxiliary circle) or add fur (then the cheek will be triangular). You also need to remember about the ears: after all, the same muzzle is the same without them or with ears different shapes may belong to a frog, dog, cat, fox or bear. When drawing the eyes, try to pay a lot of attention to the pupils and highlights. If you draw, your eyes should be big. In general, a mug is enough correct form(use cross curved lines on the face to place the eyes) and another semicircle inside - the pupil. Approximately at the intersection of these lines, build a nose: rounded for a dog, triangular for a cat or round snout for a pig. The mouth and cheeks go down from the nose. You can do this using two curved lines. Don't forget about your animal's facial expression. When all the basics are worked out, you can safely erase the auxiliary lines and begin to finer details and work on the background.

We draw animals step by step. Step four: beauty is in the details

If you are done with the face, then think of what you would like to see directly next to the animal: a bowl, a toy, a bone, a tree branch... Maybe your kitten is holding a mouse in its teeth or a burdock in the dog’s fur? Or are there not enough colors to complete the picture? Next, work on the background: forest, yard, aquarium, beach. It is very important to remember - when we draw animals in stages, we need to depict trees, stones, mountains in proportion to the animal, we must take into account how far these objects are. When you confidently put down a simple pencil, start decorating.

Step five: now we took the paints in our hands...

Here, to begin with, when we are just learning to draw wild animals in stages, it is easiest to use pencils. Teach your child not to go beyond the contours of the animal's body. Let him not try to capture as much space as possible. Tell them that the fur grows in a certain direction, so it looks much better when the hairs can stand out, and at the same time be neat and tidy. On the folds the fur is darker, on prominent places- lighter. Then move on to the background. Start working from the top. Paint the sky evenly and horizontally so that no strokes are visible. For foliage, try all kinds of spirals and squiggles.

Create your own zoo!

The main thing when we learn to draw animals is to learn that the important thing is the construction, which always has the same basis and principles. Move with your child from simple animals to more complex ones. Try to depict them in motion, combine how many individuals in one picture: fish and dolphins, playing kittens. Soon your zoo will grow and your imagination young artist will not run out.

Let's try to draw this amazing and beautiful animal correctly. This is a very graceful animal and a novice artist should first of all draw on the grace of a jaguar.



This picture of a beaver was made by me on a tablet and you can use it to color the beaver with paints. But first, let's draw a beaver with a simple pencil step by step.

Learn to draw a tiger

You can only draw a tiger from a picture or photo. You will not be able to see the Ussuri tiger live. This is an endangered species of animals (no more than 500 individuals), and besides, the tiger is a keen predator. There are several types of tigers, but for our drawing we will choose the Ussuri tiger, which lives in the Far Eastern taiga.

How to learn to draw a koala bear

The koala bear is a very cute animal and therefore in any picture the koala always looks so cute and kind that it brings a smile to every person. If you know how to draw animals, be sure to try drawing a koala.

How to draw a giraffe

Drawing a giraffe will not be difficult for you online lesson, if you have previously tried to draw animals from photos, such as a horse or a zebra.

Bear drawing for children

Drawing a bear requires some preparation and practice in drawing animals. The fact is that in addition to external resemblance, first of all, in the drawing of an animal it is necessary to reflect its character.



A drawing of a king cobra made on a graphics tablet can be a good picture to decorate your computer desktop.

How to draw a fox

Typically, foxes have a small body size and short, stocky legs. Their body is slightly elongated like that of a dachshund. All this must be remembered in order for children to learn how to draw this animal correctly.

Learn to draw a wolf

The wolf's grin can express the character of the wild animal in your drawing. Wild animals are always dangerous for people, and realistic pictures of animals need to take this into account. In this lesson we will learn how to draw a wolf step by step with a pencil.

How to draw an elephant

The elephant has a very large body and different limbs from other animals. His large ears, simple in appearance, are very difficult to draw to match reality. But the parts of an elephant that are easy to draw are its legs and torso.

Drawing a reindeer

When a deer is alarmed by something, its legs should be slightly bent, ready to jump. Drawing a deer, even step by step, can be difficult for beginners, since you must be able to reflect the grace of its movements and forms.

How to draw a dragon step by step

Color pictures of a non-existent animal - a dragon, and even in the Chinese national style, are certainly difficult to draw. In fact, a dragon is a symbiosis of a lizard and a bird, and in the drawing of a dragon it is necessary to reflect the plasticity of these two animals.

Drawing a lion step by step

The drawing of this animal may not work out from the first drawing lesson. Then take a closer look at your cat first and even draw it, then it will be easier for you to draw a lion.

Camel drawing for kids

The camel has its main feature - one or two humps, thanks to which even children's drawing a camel cannot be confused with the designs of other animals. But still, it is better to draw a camel so that not only with them it looks like a realistic camel.

How to draw a spider

For this animal drawing lesson we will choose a tarantula spider. This spider has hairy limbs and a black and white body, so the drawing does not need to be colored with paints; it is enough to do the tonal coloring with a soft simple pencil.

How to draw a snake

The snake inspires panic in many people, since some snakes are very poisonous. But in fact, this is an ordinary animal from the reptile family that uses poison for self-defense.

Picture of a kangaroo with a simple pencil

Kangaroo is a unique animal. Firstly, the kangaroo lives only in Australia, and secondly, the mother of the kangaroo, in order to feed the baby, has a “bag” on her stomach, in which it sits until it grows up. Distinctive feature This animal's features are huge, powerful hind legs and a long, thick tail.

How to draw a frog

Drawing for children with a simple pencil is best done in stages, first outlining only general outlines frogs. And then, step by step, draw the whole picture.

Drawing of a bee in pencil

Bees have a lot small parts, which complicates drawing, but drawing a bee is a good lesson for children who are interested in drawing, as it develops attentiveness and the ability to maintain proportions.

Pencil drawing of an ant for children

If you need to illustrate a fable or draw this insect for a biology lesson, I suggest you do this task together.

Hedgehog drawing step by step

How to draw this unusual animal, for example, to illustrate the cartoon Hedgehog in the Fog or for a drawing on the theme “From the Life of the Forest,” because it has so many needles? Let's try to do this step by step with a pencil. And perhaps this lesson will seem very easy for you.

How to draw a panda

This lesson is designed for children who want to draw a panda. The drawing was made step by step with a simple pencil. If desired, he can help you draw a panda from the famous cartoon.

Drawing a crocodile step by step

The crocodile is a very dangerous and predatory animal, and in order to convey the character of this animal in the picture, first of all you need to draw an open long mouth, widely spaced paws and a tail bent from tension.

How to draw a squirrel

Let's try to draw another animal - a squirrel, first with a pencil, and then we will “revive” the picture of the squirrel, color the drawing with colored pencils, draw a tree branch on which the squirrel is sitting and, of course, add a bump to the squirrel’s paws.

How to draw a dinosaur

How to draw a non-existent animal - a dinosaur, if no one has ever seen this animal? Of course, only based on your imagination and the drawings of scientists recreating different types dinosaurs that lived on our planet.

Pencil drawing of a scorpion

Few people like an insect as dangerous to humans as the scorpion, but many people like to draw predatory and dangerous animals. I suggest you do this in stages.

How to draw a dragonfly

Do you think you can’t draw such a beautiful dragonfly as in my drawing? And you try it. The main thing is to take a sharper pencil so that the lines are thin and clear.