Please PAUSE the "How to Draw an Asian Elephant" 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 big circle as a guide for the elephant's body. First draw four small marks to indicate the height and width of the circle, then connect the marks using curved lines. Sketch lightly at first so that 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 do want a perfect circle, trace the outer rim of a glass, a cup or any other object with a circular edge. Elephants are big, so don't draw the circle too small. Leave enough room on the sides for the legs and head.

 

Step 2: Draw another circle on the right side as a guide for the elephant's head. Pay attention to the size of this circle in relation to the first one. It should be about one-third the size of the first one. This circle is also placed higher than the first one. Don't place them too far apart, otherwise the neck will be too long.

 

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

 

Step 4: Use a few curved lines around the main circle to finish the shape of the elephant's body. First draw two curved lines that connect the head to the body to form the neck. Then draw a long curved line to the left of the main circle to make the shape of the body a bit bigger.

 

Step 5: Draw four long lines under the body as guides for the elephant's legs. The first line should be straight, while the second one should bend near the middle to indicate a forward step. The guide line on the leftmost side should bend bit too, but in the opposite direction of the rightmost line. The final guide line should be pretty straight and should have a diagonal orientation.

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Step 6: Draw a long, curved line to the right of the head as a guide for the elephant's trunk. This guide line starts a little lower than the horizontal construction line inside the head. The shape of this line should be similar to the letter S with the top part missing. Draw a long line on the right side of the body as a guide for the tail.

 

That's it for the initial sketch! From this point on, press harder with your pencil to get a more defined sketch.

 

Step 7: Lightly sketch the eye inside the head as a small circle. Use the construction lines inside the head as guides to determine the placement of the elephant's eye. When you get the shape and placement of the eye right, darken the lines. The final shape should be similar to a football. Inside the eye, draw a small circle for the iris. Add a tiny dot in the middle of the iris for the pupil. Shade the iris using a value that's lighter than the pupil.

Draw a series of short, curved lines above the eye to represent the heavy eyelids. Elephants have wrinkly skin, so draw more lines around the eye to indicate this. Draw a few short, curved lines under the eye as well for even more wrinkles.

 

Step 8: Draw the elephant's mouth by first drawing a line on the lower, right side of the circle, below the guide for the trunk. Now extend the length of the line but make it wavier. Now curve the line so that it creates an arc and heads to the edge of the circle again. When the line goes out of the circle, curve it back inward again to create the bottom lip. Add a few lines under the lip to indicate the folds of skin found there. Draw a few lines to the left of the mouth for wrinkles and a few within the curved line for the other side of the mouth.

 

Step 9: Draw the tusk to the right of the mouth as two curved lines that come to a point. The base of the elephant's tusk should be right up against the mouth. You can make the tusk longer if you'd like.

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Step 10: Use the curved line on the right as a guide to draw the elephant's trunk. Follow the basic path of the guide as you sketch the shape of the trunk lightly at first. Draw a wavy line at the end of the guide for the finger- like tip of the trunk. When you get the outer shape of the trunk right, darken the line.

Now lightly sketch the inside line of the trunk as you follow the basic path of the guide. Make the base of the elephant's trunk thicker than the tip. Darken the line when you get the shape right. Add some small lines where the trunk curves for the skin's creases.

 

Step 11: Use the initial circle as a guide to draw the shape of the head. Follow the basic path of the circle but make the forehead come inward more. Asian elephants' heads have two domes on top, while African elephants only have one, so draw two curved lines at the top. Follow the bottom edge of the initial circle to draw the bottom part of the head. Draw the line for the jaw a little higher than the edge of the initial circle.

 

Step 12: Draw the elephant's ear inside the head. Use the construction lines as guides for the ear's placement. First draw a line from the horizontal construction line to the jawline. Then draw a wavy line for the bottom part of the ear. Now draw a longer line that follows the basic path of the circle for the outside edge of the ear. Add a few more lines within the shape of the ear for its structure and hair found there. Asian elephants' ears are smaller than those of African elephants, so don't draw this shape too big.

 

Step 13: Draw a few more lines within the shape of the head for extra detail. Draw a few curved lines and quick, short strokes around the eye to emphasize the elephant's cranial structure. Add a few lines below the eye, near the mouth, to indicate the inner path of the tusk. Draw the visible portion of the tusk that's on the other side of the trunk.

 

Step 14: Use the lines on the right side as guides to draw the elephant's front legs. Lightly sketch the shape of the legs as you follow the path of the guide lines. Make the shape of the legs thick and cylindrical, almost like tree trunks. The legs need to be thick in order to support all that weight. Their weight is also the reason why elephants can't jump.

The top part of the leg should be thicker than the bottom. When you get the shape of the leg right, darken the lines. The foot at the bottom should be wide and flat. The section right above the foot should be a bit thinner. Draw a few small arcs on the bottom, right side of the foot for the nails.

Now draw the elephant's front leg on the other side of the body by using the angled line on the right as a guide. Follow the basic path of the angled line as you lightly sketch the shape of the leg. When you get the shape of the leg right, darken the lines. Draw the arcs at the bottom for the nails and add a few lines where the leg bends for the skin's creases.

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Step 15: Use the lines on the left side as guides to draw the hind legs the same way as the front legs. First lightly sketch the shape of the leg as you follow the basic path of the guide. Then when you get the shape of the leg right, darken the lines. Draw a few arcs on the elephant's feet for the nails. The nails wrap around the feet, so don't draw all of them. Make the top part of the leg thicker than the bottom. Add a few lines at the top for wrinkles.

Use the diagonal line as a guide to draw the hind leg on the other side of the body. Remember to sketch lightly at first and only darken the lines when you get the shape of the leg right. The elephant is stepping forward, so keep the leg at a diagonal orientation.

 

Step 16: Use the remaining lines and shapes as guides to draw the rest of the body. Simply darken the outer edges of the initial guides to create the shape of the body. Asian elephants' backs are dome-like at the top, while African elephants' backs dip near the middle. Use the line on the left as a guide to draw the elephant's tail. Add a few quick, short strokes at the tip for the hair.

 

Step 17 (optional): 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 that you may have accidentally erased.

 

Final Step: Add some shading to your elephant 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. Elephants have rough, wrinkly skin, so don't worry too much about shading smoothly. Continue adding the value until the entire body has the appropriate shadows.

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

You can add even more value throughout your drawing for extra detail. Asian elephants are basically gray, so you can add a medium value to the entire body. You can make the shadows even darker as you add the medium value to the body. You can use a lighter value on certain sections, like the top of the head and back, to emphasize the overall shape. It's always a good idea to use reference as you draw. Adding the value can be very time- consuming, so be patient and take breaks. Continue shading until the entire body is covered in value.

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