In this free art lesson, you'll learn how to draw and color a Giraffe 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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The Time-Lapse (Speed Drawing) video:

 

To draw and color a Giraffe 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 circle near the middle of the paper as a guide for the front part of the giraffe's body. First make four small marks to indicate the circle's height and width. Then connect the marks using curved lines. If you're struggling to draw the circle, trace the outer rim of a bottle cap, a coin or any other object with a circular edge. 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 right, draw a smaller circle as a guide for the back portion of the body. The edges of the circles should touch. Leave enough space at the top and bottom for the giraffe's long neck and legs.

 

 

Step 3: High above the circle on the left, draw a small circle as a guide for the head. This circle should be about one-fifth the size of the first circle. Giraffes have very long necks, so make sure you place this circle high above the body.

 

Step 4: To the left of the head, draw a small, sloping arc as a guide for the giraffe's muzzle.

 

 

Step 5: On top of the head, draw a small arc as a guide for the giraffe's ear and two short lines for the horns.

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Step 6: Under the circle on the left, draw two long lines as guides for the giraffe's front legs. The length of these lines should be about the same size as the gap between the body and the head. The first leg should slope to the left slightly and the second leg should slope to the right a bit.

 

Step 7: Under the circle on the right, draw two more long lines as guides for the hind legs. These lines should bend slightly near the middle to indicate where the giraffe's joints will be.

 

 

Step 8: Draw two long lines that connect the head to the body to create the guide for the neck. The giraffe's neck should be thin at the top and gradually get wider toward the bottom.

 

Step 9: Draw two short, curved lines that connect the first two circles to complete the guide for the body. On the right side of the body, draw a long wavy, line as a guide for the giraffe's tail.

 

 

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

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Step 10: Inside the circle for the head, near the middle, lightly sketch a small oval for the eye. When you get the size and position of the eye right, darken the lines but make the sides pointier. Inside the eye, draw a tiny circle to represent glare. Shade the inside of the giraffe's eye, except for the tiny glare circle. Make the middle part of the eye darker for the pupil. Draw a few curved lines around the eye for the eyelid and some wrinkles.

 

Step 11: Inside the giraffe's muzzle, near the tip, draw a short slit-like line for the nostril. Draw a few curved lines around the nostril to give the nose more structure.

 

 

Step 12: Use the initial arc as a guide to draw the shape of the muzzle. Below the nose, draw a wavy line that slopes up toward the eye for the mouth. Don't make the line for the mouth too long. Follow the basic path of the arc to finish the top of the muzzle. Under the mouth, draw two curved lines for the lower lip and chin. The giraffe's entire muzzle should fit inside the arc.

 

Step 13: Use the small arc on the head as a guide to draw the giraffe's ear. Follow the shape of the arc but make the ear a bit smaller and draw the bottom part inside the head. Add a few curved lines within the shape to give the ear more structure.

 

 

Step 14: Use the short lines on top of the head as guides to draw the horns. Lightly sketch the giraffe's horns around the lines. The shapes should be similar to cylinders with furry tops. When you get the shapes right, darken the lines. Use short strokes at the top for the fur.

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Step 15: Use the remaining lines and shapes as guides to draw the rest of the head. Darken the initial arc but make the top part a bit wavier. The bottom part of the head should be narrower than the arc. Add a few curved lines at the bottom for wrinkles. Darken the top part of the giraffe's head but don't overlap the shape of the ear. Draw a few short lines inside the head to emphasize its structure.

 

Step 16: Use the line on the far left side as a guide to draw the giraffe's first front leg. Follow the guide and lightly sketch the shape of the leg around it. Keep the shape of the leg close to the guide to maintain the thinness of the leg. The leg should be slightly wider at the top. Add an extra bump near the middle to indicate the joint. When you get the shape of the leg right, darken the lines. The foot at the bottom should be wide. Add a bump above the foot for another joint. Add a couple of lines at the bottom to shape the hoof and to split the tip.

 

 

Step 17: Use the line on the right as a guide to draw the other front leg the same way. Lightly sketch the shape of the leg around the guide. Darken the lines when you get the shape right. Draw a bump near the middle of the leg for the joint. The top of the giraffe's leg will be blocked by the first leg. Draw the joint at the bottom and make the foot wide. Add the lines for the hoof inside the shape.

 

Step 18: Use the line on the far right side as a guide to draw the first hind leg. Lightly sketch the shape of the leg around the guide. The top part of the leg should be wider than the front leg. The top of the leg should be wide enough to overlap the guide for the other hind leg a bit. Follow the path of the guide closely so that the shape bends near the middle to create the joint. Only darken the lines for the giraffe's leg when you get the shape right. Add a bump at the bottom for the other joint and make the hoof wide.

 

 

Step 19: Use the last line under the body as a guide to draw the other hind leg the same way. A big part of the leg at the top will be blocked by the other hind leg, so don't overlap the shapes. Add the joint at the bottom and make the shape of the giraffe's foot wide.

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Step 20: Darken the initial lines under the head to create the shape of the giraffe's neck. Add an extra bump at the bottom of the right side of the neck to create a hump. The neck should be very wide at the bottom and gradually get thin toward the top. Along the right edge of the neck, draw a series of short strokes for the giraffe's mane.

 

 

Step 21: Use the remaining lines and shapes as guides to draw the rest of the giraffe's body. Simply darken the outer edges of the initial guides to create the shape of the body. Draw the shape of the tail around the guide line on the left side. Part of the tail will be blocked by the leg. Add a series of long, wavy lines at the tip of the giraffe's tail for the hair found there.

 

Step 22: Go over the final sketch lines with a pen, marker or any other type of permanent ink. Take your time and be careful when you ink to avoid any accidents. After inking, get rid of every pencil mark with an eraser for a cleaner giraffe drawing.

 

 

Final Step: Color your giraffe drawing! Use light brown to create different shapes for the coat pattern. Make the shapes big and blocky, and leave a narrow space between them. The edges of the shapes should almost interlock. Giraffes have different types of patterns depending on the subspecies. Cover the entire body in this pattern, except for the bottom s of the legs. The shapes should be smaller there too.

Color the shapes using light brown. Stay within the shape as you color. Color lightly at first. Then gradually build up to the level of darkness that you like. Coloring can be very time-consuming, so be patient and take breaks. Make the shapes on the giraffe's legs smaller and lighter.

Color the top of the giraffe's head and horns light brown and add some spots to the head too. Use dark brown for the tips of the horns, the mane, the tail and a bit on the spots to make them darker. Use dark brown for the hooves too. Add a bit of yellow-orange to the rest of the body. Some giraffes are white between the spots, so you can skip the yellow- orange if you'd like.

Use gray, dark brown and a bit of purple to create some shadows and give the giraffe drawing more dimension and volume. Pick the direction of the light source when shading so that the shadows are consistent with it. It's a good idea to use reference as you draw and color for a more accurate giraffe.

Use a mixture of gray, brown and a bit of purple to create a cast shadow under the body. Don't forget to pause the video after each step to draw at your own pace.

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