How to Draw an Anime Animal

Anime animals combine the characteristic features of real animals with the features of the anime style. In this tutorial, we will show you how to draw an anime animal step by step.

Of course, we cannot show how to draw all existing animals in the anime style in one tutorial. So we decided to draw a wolf as an example and show the basic principles that can be used to depict other animals in this style.

How to draw an anime animal step by step

Step 1: Sketch the animal skeleton

First, sketch the skeleton of the anime animal. Depict a head as a circle or sphere and a muzzle in the form of a cylinder. In anime, the head can be made slightly larger in relation to the body than in a realistic animal drawing. Next, use two circles to sketch the chest and pelvis. With simple lines, outline the neck, spine, tail, and limbs.

Step 2: Add volume to the animal

Now add volume to the anime animal figure. First, sketch the cylindrical neck and connect the chest and pelvis. Next, depict the legs and tail. Use the light lines from the previous step as guides. Do not forget to outline the eyes and ears.

Step 3: Add the main details

Now depict the most noticeable details of the anime animal. Start with the head by sketching the mouth and nose. Next, depict the pupils inside the eyes. Using smooth lines, correct the outer contours and add fur to the neck, tail, and the areas where the limbs connect to the torso.

Step 4: Refine the animal’s head

The rough sketch is complete, and now start drawing the anime animal in more detail. Begin with the head. Using clear and dark lines, trace the head and gradually remove the auxiliary lines. To make the animal look more like an anime character, combine sharp and smooth lines.

Step 5: Draw the fur and forelegs

Using clear and dark lines, draw the thick fur around the anime animal’s neck. Next, move to the forelegs and refine their contours. Carefully depict the toes and claws to make the animal drawing look more complete. Erase the remaining guidelines from this area.

Step 6: Refine the body and tail

Continue the neck lines and trace the torso and hind limbs. Draw the fur on the abdomen and tail. Erase all the remaining auxiliary lines and refine the final contours of the anime animal.

Step 7: Add the anime-style shadows

Anime drawings usually have fairly simple shadows located in small areas. Using hatching, add shadows to the lower parts of the body and other areas where the light does not fall. Then darken the eyes, leaving small highlights.

As we said in the introduction, we tried to show the basic principles of drawing animals in the anime style. Using the same sequence, you can depict other animals by changing the shape of the head, body, limbs, ears, and tail.

For example, try drawing a fox, dog, or another animal in the anime style. Use the characteristic features of the chosen animal and combine them with the anime details shown in this tutorial.