In this free art lesson, you'll learn how to draw a Yak step-by-step.

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All of the tutorials on How2DrawAnimals.com are good drawing tutorials for beginners and experienced artists alike. The online tutorials are easy to follow; they teach you the how to draw basics while showing you how to draw animals step by step. Each animal has a video drawing tutorial option, as well as step-by-step photos and written text to follow.

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To draw this Yak step by step, follow along with the video tutorial below and pause the video after each step to draw at your own pace. You may find it easier to follow the step-by-step drawings below the video. The new lines in each step are shown in red, so you'll know exactly what to draw next. You may want to open the video in a new tab and use both drawing methods. Take your time and draw at your own pace.

The Written step-by-step video tutorial:

For the first few steps, don't press down too hard with your pencil. Use light, smooth strokes to begin.

Step 1: Draw a big circle near the middle of the paper as a guide for the front part of the yak's body. To draw the circle, first make four marks to determine its height and width. Then connect the marks using curved lines. If you're struggling to draw the circle, just trace the outer rim of a circular object like a cup or a lid. For a more detailed guide on the different ways to draw a circle check out this tutorial: Four simple ways to draw a circle.

Step 2: To the left, draw another circle as a guide for the back portion of the body. Use the four-marks method to draw this circle as well. Make this circle slightly smaller than the first one. The edges of the circles should touch. If you draw them far apart, your yak's body will be too long.

Step 3: To the right, draw yet another circle as a guide for the yak's head. Make this circle small. It should be about one-fourth the size of the first circle. The sides of the circles should touch, and the top edges should almost line up.

Step 4: Below the head, make a small mark for the first part of the guide for the muzzle. Connect the mark to the sides of the head to complete the U-shaped guide for the yak's muzzle.

Step 5: Draw a long, vertical line across the entire head as a guide to help you place the yak's facial features later. Draw a horizontal line across the middle of the top circle for another construction guide.

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Step 6: On either side of the head, at the top, draw a small arc as guides for the yak's ears.

Step 7: At the top of the head, draw two lines that curve outward and then up as guides for the horns. Place the yak's horns near the top edge of the circle. You can draw the lines longer for longer horns.

Step 8: Draw two vertical lines under the first circle as guides for the yak's front legs. Bend the lines near the middle to indicate the joints and at the bottom for the feet.

Step 9: Draw two more lines under the second circle as guides for the yak's hind legs. These lines slope a bit to the left before bending near the bottom for the joints and feet.

Step 10: Draw a couple of lines that connect the first two circles to complete the guide for the yak's torso. Curve the line at the bottom as a guide to draw the low-hanging fur later. Draw a big, tall arc to connect the head to the body for the hump. At the bottom, draw a shorter line for the yak's neck.

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That's it for the guides! From this point on, press harder with your pencil for a more defined drawing.

Step 11: Lightly sketch the eyes inside the head as two small circles. Use the initial lines as guides for placement. Pay attention to how small the eyes are compared to the head. When you get the position and size of the yak's eyes right, darken the lines. Add a few lines around the eyes for extra detail on the eyelids and for wrinkles. Carefully shade the inside of the yak's eyes except for a tiny circle to represent highlight.

Step 12: Inside the muzzle, lightly sketch a small circle for the nose. Make the bottom edge a bit flatter when you darken the line. Curve the right edge inward for the nostril. Use tiny, short strokes to darken the top edge for a bit of fur on the yak's nose. Curve the left edge inward a lot more than the right edge to create the other nostril.

Step 13: Below the nose, draw a short, horizontal line for the yak's mouth. Add a few short strokes on the sides of the nose for detail on the furry muzzle. Add longer, vertical strokes along the bottom of the U-shaped arc for the furry chin.

Step 14: Darken the small arc on the left side of the head to create the yak's first furry ear. Add a few longer strokes within the shape of the arc for the fur found inside the ear. Use short strokes on the arc on the right to draw the other ear the same way.

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Step 15: Darken the curved line on the top, left side of the head for the first part of the yak's horn. Draw a similar curved line at the bottom to make the shape of the horn thicker. Keep the top pointy. Part of the bottom of the horn will be blocked by the ear. Draw the horn on the right side the same way. First darken the guide. Then add a second curved line at the bottom to thicken the shape of the horn.

Step 16: Use the initial shapes and lines as guides to draw the rest of the yak's head. Draw a series of short strokes along the outer edges of the initial guides to create the shape of the furry head. Add strokes along the bottoms of the horns to create a furry base. Make the bottom of the head narrower. Add some strokes inside, at the top, for the furry head. Add some strokes near the middle of the yak's head to emphasize the shape of the muzzle.

Step 17: Use the second line from the right as a guide to draw the first front leg. Follow the path of the guide and lightly sketch the shape of the leg around it. When you get the leg right, darken the lines using a series of short strokes for the fur. The longer you make these strokes, the shaggier the yak's fur will look. Make the hoof at the bottom blocky. At the tip, draw two angled lines to split the hoof.

Step 18: Use the line on the right as a guide to draw the other leg the same way. Draw the shape of the leg around the guide and use short strokes for the shaggy fur. Add the split hoof at the bottom. The top of this leg will be hidden behind the yak's body, so don't draw it.

Step 19: Use the line on the far left as a guide to draw the first hind leg. Just like the front legs, first sketch the shape of the hind leg lightly around the guide. When you get the leg right, darken the shape using short strokes for the fur. The top part of the leg should be wide, while the foot and hoof should be skinny.

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Step 20: Draw the shape of the other hind leg around the last line under the body. Most of this leg will be behind the yak's body, so only draw the visible lower portion and hoof.

Step 21: Use the remaining lines and shapes as guides to draw the rest of the yak's body. Darken the outer edges of the initial guides using short strokes to create the furry shape of the body. Use short strokes for the fuzzy hump and just darken the initial guide line for the rest of the back. Use longer strokes along the bottom for the longer, shaggier fur found there. Yaks can have very long fur, so you can use strokes that are as long as the legs for the fur on the underside of the body. On the left side, draw a curved line that's made up of short strokes for the yak's big, shaggy tail. Add a series of short strokes within the body for extra detail on the fur.

Step 22: For a cleaner look, erase as much as you can of the initial guide lines. Don't worry about erasing all of the guides. It's okay to leave some behind. Re-draw any final sketch lines you may have accidentally erased.

Final Step: Add some shading to your drawing for extra detail. Wild yaks don't have a coat pattern, so just use a medium to dark value all over the body. For a domestic yak, use a light value on the body and then add random patches of dark value for the coat pattern. Use a dark value for shadows and areas around the eye and nose. Use a slightly lighter value on other areas like the muzzle. Vary the pressure on your pencil to get different degrees of tonal value. For a more detailed guide on how to shade, check out this tutorial: How to shade.

Use a light value for the yak's horns. Then add a dark value at the bottom for shadows. Add the value lightly at first and gradually increase the darkness to a level that you like. As you shade the body, use strokes that go in the general direction of the fur. Shading can be time-consuming, so be patient and take breaks. It's a good idea to use reference as you draw for an accurate depiction of a yak. Don't forget to pause the video to draw at your own pace.

Add a cast shadow underneath. This helps to ground the yak so it doesn't appear to be floating.

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