Please PAUSE the "How to Draw a Musk Ox" video after each step to draw at your own pace.

 

Time-Lapse (Speed Drawing) video:

 

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 on the left side of the paper as a guide for the top part of the musk ox's head. First make four small marks to indicate its height and width. Then connect the marks using curved lines. Sketch lightly so it's easy to erase if you make a mistake. But the circle doesn't have to be perfect. It's just a guide. If you're struggling drawing the circle, trace the outer rim of a coin, a lid or any other object with a circular edge.

 

Step 2: Under the circle, draw a long, curved line as a guide for the bottom half of the head. The line should look similar to the letter U. Pay attention to its size in relation to the musk ox's head.

 

Step 3: Draw two intersecting lines across the head: one vertical and one horizontal. These are construction lines that will help you place the musk ox's facial features later on.

 

Step 4: On top of the head, draw two small, triangle-like shapes as guides for the musk ox's ears.

 

Step 5: On either side of the head, draw a short, curved line as guides for the horns. Musk ox horns aren't that big, so don't draw these guide lines too long.

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Step 6: To the left of the head, draw a big oval as a guide for the front part of the body. Just like with the head, first make four small marks to indicate the height and width of the oval. Then connect the marks using curved lines to finish the shape of the oval. The left side of the oval shouldn't be visible, as it is hiding behind the musk ox's head. Pay attention to how big the oval is in relation to the head.

 

Step 7: Now draw the guide for the back of the musk ox's body by first making a small mark on the far right side. Now connect that mark to the top of the big oval using a long, curved line. The distance from the small mark to the oval should be about the same as the width of the oval. Finish the guide for the back of the body by drawing a long, horizontal line at the bottom.

 

Step 8: Under the big oval, draw two short, angled lines as guides for the musk ox's front legs. The shape of the guides should be similar to a backward letter L.

 

Step 9: Under the body, on the right side, draw two more angled lines as guides for the hind legs. The legs of musk ox are hidden under a shaggy coat, so don't draw these lines too long.

 

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: Lightly sketch the eyes inside the head as two small circles. Use the initial lines as guides for placement. When you get the size and shape right, darken the lines. The musk ox's eyes should be small, and they should be close to the outer edges of the head. Draw a few lines around the eyes for extra detail on the wrinkles.

 

Step 11: Shade in the eyes using a medium value. Make the middle section of the eye a little darker for the pupil. Leave a tiny section at the top blank to represent glare. Add a few short strokes around the eyes for the fur. Musk ox eyes are small, so don't worry too much about the detail. Just shade them in.

 

Step 12: Add the musk ox's nose by first lightly sketching a curved line near the bottom of the head. Darken the line using short strokes for the fur. Add two thicker lines underneath for the nostrils. Add more short strokes below the nostrils for the bottom part of the nose.

 

Step 13: Draw a thick, horizontal line under the nose for the mouth. On either side of the musk ox's mouth, draw a line that's made up of short strokes that curves up for the muzzle. Darken the lower edge of the initial guide using quick, short strokes to create the chin.

 

Step 14: Use the initial shapes and lines as guides to draw the head. Darken the sides of the guide using quick, short strokes to create the shape of the furry head. Add a series of quick, short strokes above the eyes for the top part of the head. The top of the head should curve up from the eyes and meet in the middle. Add a few more quick, short strokes below the eyes for more detail on the musk ox's fur. Draw some strokes down the middle of the head to form a broken V-shaped line for more fur.

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Step 15: Draw the musk ox's horns by first darkening the top, left edge of the initial circle. Continue drawing the line downward , then curve it to the left as you follow the curved guide on the side. Follow the path of the guide and draw the shape of the horn around it. Make the tip pointy. Draw the horn on the right side the same way. Darken the top part of the circle first. Then curve the line toward the right as you follow the path of the curved guide line. Draw the horn around the guide and make it thick. The tip should be pointy. Add a few lines in the middle of the horns at the top for extra detail.

 

Step 16: Use the triangle-like shapes on the head as guides to draw the musk ox's ears. Use quick, short strokes to darken the edges and add some strokes inside the shapes too.

 

Step 17: Lightly sketch the shape of the musk ox's leg around the guide under the body. When you get the shape right, darken the leg using quick, short strokes. Make the shape wider at the bottom for the hoof. Split the shape of the hoof using a small line on the left.

 

Step 18: Use the line on the left as a guide to draw the musk ox's other front leg the same way. Draw the shape of the leg around the guide using quick, short strokes and add the hoof at the bottom.

 

Step 19: Use the angled line on the far right side as a guide to draw the first hind leg. Follow the basic path of the guide as you lightly sketch the shape of the leg around it. When you get the shape of the leg right, darken the lines using quick, short strokes. Add the musk ox's hoof at the bottom.

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Step 20: Use the last line under the body as a guide to draw the other hind leg the same way. This leg is stepping forward a bit, so make the hoof pointier on the left side.

 

Step 21: Use the remaining shapes as guides to draw the rest of the musk ox's body. Draw a series of quick, short strokes along the basic path of the guide to create the furry coat. At the top of the body, curve the path of the short strokes downward to create the hump. After that, simply follow the outer edges of the initial guides to create the shape of the body.

The strokes at the top should have a diagonal orientation, while closer to the bottom, they should be vertical. Make the strokes along the bottom longer to create a shaggier coat. The strokes should overlap the shape of the legs to emphasize the length of the musk ox's coat. Add a few short strokes to the left of the head as well to finish the shape of the body.

 

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 musk ox drawing for extra detail. Use a dark value all over the body to create the shaggy coat. As you shade, use strokes that go in the general direction of the hair. The strokes radiate outward around the head. Inside the head , they have a vertical orientation. Don't overlap the shape of the musk ox's horns as you add the dark value. The horns are light colored. Use a medium value for the forehead and for the muzzle.

Continue adding the coat around the fur and be careful so that you don't overlap the horns. If you do, just erase it. The strokes at the top should have a diagonal orientation, then gradually turn vertical toward the bottom. Adding the dark value can be very time-consuming, so be patient and take breaks. You can also use a black color pencil to make the coat darker and the process a bit faster. Musk ox coats are a bit lighter at the top, so use a lighter value here.

Don't push down too hard on your pencil because the graphite becomes shiny and you might tear the paper. Use a lighter value for the horns. Add some darker shading at the bottom to give them more volume. Use a lighter value for the musk ox's feet too but make the hooves dark. Add some shadows too. It's always a good idea to use reference as you draw. Don't forget to pause the video to draw at your own pace.

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

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