When pencil drawing, it can be a fun project to attempt to draw your pet. Pets however are unlikely to lie still and wait for your drawing to be completed, so taking a sequence of photographs is likely to be your best bet so that your pencil drawing captures the persona of the animal.

 

Drawing your own pets can be very enjoyable as you know your pet’s unique personality and idiosyncrasy, so you are ideally placed to take that unique knowledge and transpose that onto paper.

 

The following points should be considered when starting your project:

 

1. Once you have your variety of photos, you need to choose the one that captures the essence of your pet and also shows your pet in a pose which is most appealing.

 

2. Choose a pose which is not fully facing the camera, it is easier to draw your animal if the picture is taken from the side.

 

3. Make a few quick sketches first so that you can get your ‘drawing’ hand in as this quick practice will make it easier to start the actual project.

 

4. Choose the size of paper that is most practical, consider whether you are planning to use the session just as practical experience, or whether you may wish to get the drawing framed if successful.

 

5. Ensure your pencils are sharpened, and you have a variety of types of pencils to hand.

 

6. If drawing fur or feathers, just remember that you do not have to draw every single line, some lines are not relevant in a pencil drawing, when drawing pets it is important to be intuitive about the process.

 

7. Eyes contain the soul of every living creature, pay special attention when drawing your pet’s eyes so that you pet is easily recognizable.

 

8. Remember that your pencil drawing does not have to be an exact copy of the photograph; it is easy to change expressions so that they look sad, curious and even whimsical just by deciding how you wish to portray your animal.

 

9. Make sure that fur or feathers are drawn in the right direction, and darken or lighten accordingly.

 

10. Do not give up. It doesn’t matter if your initial attempts do not work out, with pencil drawing practice really does make perfect.