In this step by step drawing lesson, we’ll draw a wolf.  I wouldn’t want to run into a wolf in the woods, but I sure don’t mind to draw one.  Texture is important in the finishing stages of the drawing. So, after we develop the structure with simple shapes, we’ll be sure to develop the illusion of fur using lines. Anything can be drawn with basic shapes, and this wolf is no different.  Let’s get started…

Step 1 – Draw the Basic Shapes for the Body of the Wolf

We’ll begin the drawing by drawing two simple organic shapes that slightly overlap each other.  Notice that these shapes overlap each other. The longer oval will become the body of the wolf, while the second shape will become the neck.

 

Step 2 – Draw Shapes for the Head, Ears, and Upper Portions of the Legs

Next, a series of shapes are added for the head, open mouth, ear, and the upper portion of the legs.  A line is also added for the beginnings of a tail.  The line drawn for the tail can simply extend down the back edge of the shape that we drew for the body.

The shapes for the ears and the mouth are a little tricky. These shapes should be drawn after the shape for the head. It’s important to notice how the shapes overlap each other. The shapes for the upper portion of the legs are a little easier. Remember, these shapes only represent the upper parts of the legs and not the entire leg. We’ll draw the rest of the legs in the following steps. It’s pretty early in the drawing process, so your marks can be loose and light.

 

Step 3 – Draw an Eye and Add Some More to the Legs

A couple of lines are added to connect the two shapes that were drawn in the first step.  The upper line meets the neck slightly below “half-way” and connects to the middle of the back. A line is drawn for the inside parts of the visible ear and couple more shapes are drawn for the upper portions of the legs on the left side of the body.  A small mark is made to indicate the eye as well.  Also, a shape is added to lower portion of the right rear leg.

 

Step 4 – Draw the Lower Portions of the Legs and the Paws of the Wolf

In this step, the lower portions of the leg are added along with the paws of the wolf.  Notice how the paws extend forward and how this is different from the sections of the legs just above it. The tail is also finished off with a short line that returns back into the body. This creates a point at the end of the tail.

 

Step 5 – Finish the Drawing of a Wolf by Adding Fur and Shadows

Now the drawing can be finished using the shapes established in the previous steps as a guide.  We have the basic shapes in place, so it’s just a matter of drawing the contours or outlines and adding the details. The lines drawn for the outside of the body should consist of short strokes to help create the illusion of fur on the body. A few marks are made inside of the outlines to help further this illusion. By concentrating the fur strokes in areas, the illusion of shadow can be created.

We’ll also add a couple of fangs in the mouth and darken the inside portion of the ear. The nose is also darkened. Notice that only one of the ears is visible from this angle. A bit of cast shadow is added under the wolf to finish off the drawing.

Here are all the steps we took to draw a wolf in one image…