In this free art lesson, you'll learn how to draw an Alpaca 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 Alpaca 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 as a guide for the front part of the alpaca's body. First make four small marks to indicate the circle's height and width. Then connect the marks using curved lines. Sketch lightly at first so that it's easy to erase if you make a mistake. If you're struggling to draw the circle, trace the outer rim of a coin, a bottle cap 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 another circle as a guide for the back portion of the body. Draw this circle using the four-marks method too. Make it a bit smaller than the first circle. The circles should be right next to each other. If you place them far apart, your alpaca will be too long.

 

 

Step 3: Draw another circle on the top, right side as a guide for the head. Alpacas have long necks, so don't draw the head too close to the body. This circle should be about half the size of the first circle.

 

Step 4: Draw a curved, horizontal line across the head to help you add the alpaca's facial features later. Add a curved, vertical line on the top, right side of the head for another construction line.

 

 

Step 5: Inside the head, draw a small circle as a guide for the short muzzle. Draw this circle where the construction lines intersect, near the left edge of the alpaca's head.

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Step 6: On top of the head, draw two short arcs as guides for the alpaca's ears.

 

Step 7: Draw two long, vertical lines under the circle on the left as a guide for the front legs. Pay attention to the length of these lines in relation to the body. Alpacas have pretty long legs.

 

 

Step 8: Draw two more long, vertical lines under the circle on the right as a guide for the hind legs. Bend the lines a bit in the middle and at the bottom tips to indicate the alpaca's joints and feet.

 

Step 9: Draw a series of lines that connect the circles together to form the rest of the body. Use two vertical lines under the head to create the guide for the alpaca's neck. Use a couple of curved, horizontal lines to connect the first two circles together.

 

 

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 head, lightly sketch the alpaca's eye as a small oval. Use the initial lines as guides for placement. When you get the size and position of the eye right, darken the lines but make the sides pointier. Draw a couple of curved lines inside for the eyeball and around the eye for the eyelids. Inside the eye, draw a tiny circle to represent glare. Shade the rest of the eye. Use a dark value to shade the alpaca's eye and don't overlap the tiny glare circle.

 

Step 11: Inside the muzzle circle, near the left edge, draw a small, V-shaped line for the nose. Above the V-shaped line, on the left, draw a wavy line for the bridge of the nose. Use the initial construction lines as guides to help you place the alpaca's nose. Add a few short strokes around the nose for a bit of fur.

 

 

Step 12: Under the nose, draw a line that curves to the right for the first part of the mouth. This line should almost touch the right edge of the circle for the muzzle. Add a curved line on the left side to finish the shape of the upper lip. At the bottom, draw a curved line that's parallel to the initial circle for the alpaca's chin.

 

Step 13: Use the curved lines on top of the head as guides to draw the alpaca's ears. Draw short strokes along the arc for a fuzzy texture. The bottom part of the ear on the right should come into the head. Add some strokes inside the arc for the furry ear opening. Draw the alpaca's other ear the same way.

 

 

Step 14: Draw a series of short strokes along the path of the big circle to create the top part of the head. On the left side, curve the strokes in toward the muzzle to create the alpaca's fluffy forehead. Draw a series of short strokes across the head, above the eye, for the wool spilling over from the forehead. On the left side, curve the wool downward below the ear so that it touches the initial construction line.

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Step 15: Use the rest of the initial circle as a guide to finish the shape of the alpaca's head. Draw short strokes along the path of the circle to create the fluffy head but make the left side thinner. At the bottom, curve the strokes up so that they're closer to the muzzle. The strokes then should curve up toward the ear to create a fluffy cheek.

 

Step 16: Use the second vertical line from the left as a guide to draw the alpaca's first front leg. Follow the guide and lightly sketch the shape of the leg around it. This alpaca's wool will be fluffy, so make the shape of the leg thick around the guide line. When you get the shape of the leg right, darken the lines. The bottom should be thinner for the foot.

Use a series of short, curved lines to indicate the fluffy texture of the alpaca's wool. The leg should be thick at the top and then gradually get a bit thinner toward the bottom. At the bottom, draw a curved line for the foot. Add a short line near the tip to split the hoof.

 

 

Step 17: Use the line on the left as a guide to draw the other front leg the same way. Lightly sketch the leg around the guide. When you get the shape right, darken the lines. Make the shape of the alpaca's foot thinner at the bottom and don't forget to split the hoof at the tip.

 

Step 18: Use the line on the far right side as a guide to draw the first hind leg. Lightly sketch the alpaca's leg around the guide and only darken the lines when you get the shape right. The top part of the hind leg should be wider than the top part of the front leg. Remember to use small, curved lines for a fluffy texture. Add some lines inside the leg for extra detail.

 

 

Step 19: Use the last line under the body as a guide to draw the alpaca's other hind leg the same way. A big part of this leg will be hidden behind the first hind leg, so don't draw that section.

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Step 20: Use the remaining lines and shapes as guides to draw the rest of the alpaca's body. Simply darken the outer edges of the initial guides to create the shape of the body. Use curved and wavy lies as you draw the edges of the body to emphasize the texture of the wool. Along the way, add a few longer lines that come in to the body for the creases on the wool. Add an extra bump on the upper, right side of the body for the alpaca's fluffy tail drooping down.

 

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 alpaca 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. Don't shade the body too smoothly. Rougher strokes give the wool more texture. Vary the pressure on your pencil to get different degrees of tonal value. Make the creases on the wool extra dark. For a more detailed guide on how to shade, check out this tutorial: How to shade.

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

You can stop here for a white alpaca or add even more value for extra detail. Use a medium value throughout the body for more detail. Some alpacas even have multiple tones on their coats! Separate each individual stroke a bit so that the white of the paper comes through and gives the wool more texture. Shading your alpaca can be time-consuming, so be patient and take breaks. It's always a good idea to use reference for a more accurate drawing. Don't forget to pause the video after each step to draw at your own pace.

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