In this free art lesson, you'll learn how to draw a Rhinoceros (Indian) 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.

 

The Time-Lapse (Speed Drawing) video:

 

To draw an Indian Rhinoceros 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 rhinoceros' 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 glass, a lid 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 left, draw another circle as a guide for the back portion of the rhino's body. Draw this circle using the four- marks method too. The circles should be around the same size. Don't draw the circles too far apart, otherwise your rhinoceros will be too long.

 

 

Step 3: On the right side, draw a smaller circle as a guide for the rhino's head. This circle should be about one- third the size of the first circle, and the edges should be touching.

 

Step 4: On the right side of the head, draw a small arc as a guide for the muzzle. Pay attention to the size of this arc in relation to the circle for the rhino's head.

 

 

Step 5: Draw a series of lines that connect the circles and form the shape of the body. The line that connects the big circles at the bottom should curve to create the belly. The line on the top, right side should also curve to finish the shape of the rhino's big head.

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Step 6: On the top, right side, draw two small, thin arcs as guide for the rhino's ears.

 

Step 7: Under the big circle on the right, draw a long, vertical line that bends at the bottom as a guide for the rhino's first front leg. To the right, draw a line that bends in the middle and at the bottom as a guide for the other lifted front leg.

 

 

Step 8: Under the circle on the left, draw two more lines as guides for the rhino's hind legs. These lines should bend in the middle and at the bottom for the joints. Pay attention to their length relative to the body.

 

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

 

 

Step 9: Inside the circle for the head, near the top, right side, draw a small circle for the eye. Make the sides of the eyes pointier. Inside the rhinoceros' eye, draw a tiny circle to represent shine. Shade the inside of the eye except for the tiny glare circle. Add a few lines around the eye for the eyelid and wrinkles. Make the lines that are farthest away from the eye longer for the loose skin.

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Step 10: Inside the rhino's muzzle, near the top, right, draw a thin, small shape for the nostril using curved lines. The shape should be similar to a thin oval with pointy ends.

 

Step 11: Darken the curved edge of the initial arc to create the shape of the muzzle. Curve the line to the left so that it ends at the circle's edge. This will create the rhino's mouth. Sketch lightly at first. When you get the shape right, darken the lines. The line for the mouth should be a bit wavy. Don't place it too far below the nostril. Below the mouth, draw couple of short, curved lines for the lower lip and chin. Follow the basic curvature of the initial arc as you draw the rhino's lower lip and chin.

 

 

Step 12: Above the muzzle, draw the horn as a small, triangular shape. Sketch lightly at first. Place the rhino's horn directly above the nostril. Unlike the white rhinoceros, Indian rhinos only have one horn. You can make the horn longer and pointier if you'd like.

 

Step 13: Use the small arcs on the head as guides to draw the ears. Follow the path of the first arc but make the shape thinner and pointier at the top. The bottom of the rhino's ear should be inside the head more. Add some lines inside the shape for the ear's structure. Draw the other ear the same way, except the line inside should be closer to the middle because the ear is turned.

 

 

Step 14: Use the remaining lines and shapes as guides to draw the rest of the head. Simply darken the outer edges of the initial guides to create the shape of the rhino's head. As you darken the edges of the guides, make the lines wavier for a blockier shape to the head. Draw a few curved lines inside the head for the wrinkles and thick skin. Add longer lines under the eye and shorter lines under the horn and mouth.

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Step 15: Use the second line from the right as a guide to draw the rhino's first front leg. Follow the guide and lightly sketch the shape of the leg around it. When you get the shape of the leg right, darken the lines. At the top, where the leg meets the body, draw a couple of curved lines for the thick, loose skin hanging over the leg. The shape of the leg should be wide at the top and thin at the bottom. The rhinoceros' foot should also be wide. At the bottom of the foot, draw a couple of square-like shapes for the big, thick nails.

 

Step 16: Use the angled line on the right as a guide to draw the other front leg the same way. Lightly sketch the shape of the lifted leg around the angled guide line. When you get the shape right, darken the lines. Use a series of lines along the left edge for wrinkles. The shape of the rhinoceros' leg should be thick at the top, thin in the middle where it bends and thick again for the foot. Add a couple of curved lines on the tip of the foot for the rhino's nails.

 

 

Step 17: Use the angled line on the far left side as a guide to draw the first hind leg. Follow the path of the guide and lightly sketch the leg around it. The top part of the leg should consist of a wide, curved line for the loose skin on top overlapping the shape of the leg. When you get the shape of the rhino's leg right, darken the lines. The shape of the leg should bend twice on the left side to indicate the joints. The foot at the bottom should be blocky and wide. Add a couple of curved lines at the tip for the nails.

 

Step 18: Use the last line under the rhino's body as a guide to draw the other hind leg the same way. Draw the shape of the leg around the guide. Curve the shape at the joints and make the foot wide. Use short, curved lines to indicate the wrinkles on the joints and add curved lines on the foot for the nails.

 

 

Step 19: Use the first big circle as a guide to draw the front part of the rhino's body. Draw a few curved lines behind the ears for the folded skin on the neck. Then darken the top part of the initial circle. Near the left edge of the initial circle, bend the line down for the big section of folded skin there. This line should curve down and meet the front leg at the bottom. Add and extra line inside to make the shape thicker.

Draw a series of curved lines along the bottom edge for the folds on the neck's skin. Rhinoceroses have thick hides that act like armor. More wavy lines indicate more folds on the skin. Add a long fold on the skin that stretches from the neck to the top, left side. As with the legs, sketch lightly at first and only darken the lines when you get the shapes right.

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Step 20: Darken the top part of the initial guides to create the back. Curve the line down across the initial circle so that it creates a skin fold and meets the hind leg at the bottom. Add a curved line inside to make the skin thicker. Darken the guide at the bottom for the underside of the rhino's body. Darken the left side of the initial circle to finish the shape of the body. Connect the line to the leg at the bottom but add an extra curved line in the middle for another skin fold.

 

 

Step 21: 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 rhinoceros drawing to give it more dimension and volume. Pick the direction of the light source when shading so that the shadows are consistent with it. Vary the pressure on your pencil to get different degrees of tonal value. Add an extra-dark value close to the skin folds to really emphasize the overlap. Don't worry about shading too smoothly. The rough value will give the rhino's skin a bumpy texture. For a more detailed guide on how to shade, check out this tutorial: How to shade.

You can add even more value throughout the rhino's body for extra detail. Indian rhinoceroses are basically gray, so simply add a medium value to the entire body. As you add the value, leave a thin area along the skin folds blank to act as a highlight. If you make the value for the body darker than the shadows, make the shadows darker too. Shading can be time-consuming, so be patient and take breaks. It's always a good idea to use reference for a more accurate drawing.

Add a cast shadow underneath. This helps to ground the rhino ceros so it doesn't appear to be floating. Don't forget to pause the video after each step to draw at your own pace.

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