Big School of Drawing Animals Well-explained, practice-oriented drawing instruction for the beginning artist

by Unknown

• ISBN13: 9780760396964
• ISBN10: 0760396965
• eBook ISBN(s): 9780760396971
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2025-10-28
• Publisher: Walter Foster Publishing
• More Book Details

Summary

INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLING SERIES, now in English! More than 2.3 million copies sold in 23 languages!

Big School of Drawing Animals is your complete guide to the art of drawing animals with accuracy, creativity, and fun. Whether you are a complete beginner or an artist with some experience looking to refine your skills, this 192-page book covers all the essentials you need to create both realistic and imaginative animal art, from basic drawing techniques to advanced concepts.

Through step-by-step tutorials, explore popular animal subjects, such as cats, dogs, horses, and a variety of wildlife, learning techniques for each animal’s unique anatomy and characteristics. Additional instructions on colored pencil techniques, light, shadow, and perspective provide a foundation for success. Designed to inspire and inform, this guide helps you capture the beauty and personality of animals on paper.

Inside, you will find:

• Step-by-step instructions for drawing animals, covering popular pets like cats and dogs, as well as wild animals.
• Core art fundamentals, including perspective, light, and shadow, essential for creating dynamic and realistic animal drawings. 
• Colored pencil techniques, providing guidance on adding depth and texture to bring animal illustrations to life.

With helpful tips and easy-to-follow, step-by-step lessons, Big School of Drawing is the perfect series for beginning artists ready to grab a pencil and get started drawing. With practice, you’ll soon be able to create your own realistic pencil drawings. It’s as easy as 1, 2, 3.

Author Biography

Founded in 1922 by artist Walter T. Foster, Walter Foster Publishing, an imprint of The Quarto Group, is the world’s leading publisher of instructional art books and kits for adults and children. Walter Foster’s diverse selection of drawing, painting, doodling, and mixed media art books and kits have created a foundation for millions of beginning, intermediate, and advanced artists looking to hone their talents, learn new techniques, and discover different mediums. From color mixing recipes and art tools to the fundamentals of drawing and painting, Walter Foster’s books cover a wide variety of topics and mediums across a broad spectrum of traditional and eclectic subject matter for artists of all skill levels. Walter Foster Publishing continues to expand its offerings every year, producing cutting-edge art-instruction books and kits for a worldwide audience.

Table of Contents

Getting Started .................................. 5
Tools & Materials .................................. 6
Additional Supplies .................................. 8
Pencil Lines & Textures .................................. 9
Other Ways to Shade .................................. 10
Understanding Value .................................. 12
Working with Light & Shadow .................................. 14
Beginning with Basic Shapes .................................. 15
Drawing from Photographs .................................. 16
Tracing & Grid Methods .................................. 17
Drawing from Life & Nature .................................. 18
Wild Animals .................................. 20
Elephant .................................. 22
Gazelle .................................. 23
Giraffe .................................. 24
Iguana .................................. 25
Baboon .................................. 26
Antelope .................................. 27
Flamingo .................................. 28
Toucan .................................. 29
Chimpanzee .................................. 30
Giant Panda .................................. 31
Lion .................................. 32
Polar Bear .................................. 34
Bison .................................. 36
Wolf .................................. 38
Penguins .................................. 39
Pets .................................. 40
Rabbits .................................. 42
Guinea Pig .................................. 45
Budgerigars .................................. 46
Ferret .................................. 47
Parrot .................................. 48
Snake .................................. 49
Dogs .................................. 50
Depicting Dogs .................................. 52
Proportion & Anatomy .................................. 54
Fur Shading Techniques .................................. 56
Muzzles .................................. 57
Puppies .................................. 58
Great Dane .................................. 60
Irish Setter .................................. 61
English Springer Spaniel .................................. 62
Shar-Pei Puppy .................................. 63
English Bulldog .................................. 64
Doberman Pinscher .................................. 65
Golden Retriever .................................. 66
Focusing on Contrast .................................. 68
Cats .................................. 72
Rendering Cats .................................. 74
Proportion & Anatomy .................................. 76
The Cat's Head .................................. 77
Shading Techniques .................................. 78
Feline Features .................................. 79
Paws & Tails .................................. 81
Persian Cat .................................. 82
Tabby Cat .................................. 84
Short-Haired Cats .................................. 86
Common Behaviors .................................. 88
Kittens in Action .................................. 90
Climbing Kitten .................................. 92
Horses .................................. 94
Proportion & Anatomy .................................. 96
Techniques .................................. 98
Eyes & Muzzles .................................. 100
Ears & Hooves .................................. 101
Examining Profiles .................................. 102
Basic Profile .................................. 104
Arabian Portrait .................................. 108
Pony .................................. 112
Foal's Body .................................. 114
Arabian .................................. 116
American Quarter Horse .................................. 118
Standardbred Trotter .................................. 120
Horses & Riders .................................. 122
Animal Portraits .................................. 126
Composition .................................. 128
Perspective Basics .................................. 130
Foreshortening .................................. 131
Creating a Focal Point .................................. 132
Vertical Landscapes .................................. 133
Depth & Significance of Landscape Elements .................................. 134
Composing Animal Scenes .................................. 136
Kangaroo .................................. 138
Asian Elephant .................................. 144
Koala Bear .................................. 148
Achieving a Likeness .................................. 154
Drawing Animals in Colored Pencil .................................. 160
Tools & Materials .................................. 162
Color Basics .................................. 164
Colored Pencil Techniques .................................. 165
Toucan .................................. 168
Kitten .................................. 172
Puppy .................................. 176
Shetland Sheepdog .................................. 180
Leopard .................................. 184
Guinea Pig .................................. 188
Index .................................. 190