How to Draw a Gorilla (Agressive Stance)
Please PAUSE the "How to Draw a Gorilla" 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 half- circle near the top of the page as a guide for the top half of the gorilla's head. To create the half- circle, first draw a short, horizontal line with a slight bend, then draw a wide arc on top of it. Sketch lightly at first so that it's easy to erase if you make a mistake. But the half-circle doesn't have to be perfect. It's just a guide.
Step 2: Draw an arc similar to the letter U under the half- circle as a guide for the gorilla's lower jaw. The bottom edge of the arc should lean toward the right more than the left. The gorilla is going to have his mouth open, so don't draw the arc too short.
Step 3: Draw two curved intersecting lines (one vertical and one horizontal) inside the head. These are construction lines that will help you place the gorilla's facial features later on.
Step 4: Draw another curved line to the left of the half-circle as a guide for the rest of the head. Gorillas have very tall, domed heads. This guide will add the extra height needed for the head.
Step 5: Draw a big circle under the head as a guide for the gorilla's body. First draw four small marks for the height and width of the circle, then connect the marks using curved lines. Gorillas are big, so the circle should be about four times the size of the head. The top right edge of the circle should graze the guides for the head. You can make this circle bigger for an even bigger gorilla.
Step 6: Draw two long, curved intersecting lines inside the big circle to help with the placement of the gorilla's hands later. The vertical line should be close to the right edge of the circle, while the horizontal line should be close to the top.
Step 7: Draw two small circles within the body as guides for the gorilla's hands. Use the lines as guides for placement. The first circle should be on the top left part of the circle, touching the horizontal line. The second circle should be outside of the right edge of the big circle.
Step 8: Draw a long, narrow arc on the outer edges of each of the small circles as guides for the gorilla's forearms. Sketch lightly at first, then darken the lines when you get the shapes of the arcs right. The arc on the right should be slightly smaller because of the perspective.
Step 9: Draw a curved line that connects from each forearm to the head to form the guides for the gorilla's shoulders. The line on the right side should be smaller than the one on the left because of the perspective.
Step 10: Draw two big U-shaped arcs under the body as guides for the top part of the legs. Tilt the arcs outward slightly to give them more of a diagonal orientation. Gorillas have short legs compared to their big bodies, so don't draw the arcs too long.
Step 11: Under each leg, draw a smaller U-shaped arc as guides for the gorilla's feet. Pay attention to the size of these arcs in relation to the arcs above them.
That's it for the initial sketch! From this point on, press harder with your pencil to get a more defined sketch.
Step 12: Lightly sketch two small ovals inside the gorilla's head for the eyes. Use the construction lines to help with placement. Draw a dark curved line above the eye on the left for the heavy brow. Darken the edge of the eye too but make the sides pointier. Add a dark line over and below the eye on the right. Darken the eye itself too. Draw a few small curved lines between the eyes to emphasize the furrowed brow.
Inside each eye, draw a small circle for the irises. Darken the section of the eyes outside of the irises. Shade the irises too but leave a tiny circle blank to indicate glare. As you shade the irises, use a value that's lighter than the section outside of the irises. Add a few more lines above the eyes to further emphasize the furrowed brow.
Step 13: Draw the nose between the horizontal construction line and the lower edge of the half-circle. The shape of the nose should be similar to the letter m. Notice how wide the gorilla's nose is compared to the eyes. Sketch lightly at first and darken only when you get the shape right. Inside the nose, draw two small slits for the nostrils. The slit on the right should be smaller because of perspective.
Step 14: Draw a long, curved line under the nose for the open mouth. The line starts under the nose and is shaped similar to the letter C. The line should be long because the gorilla's mouth will be wide open. Don't draw the right edge of the mouth yet.
Step 15: Draw the gorilla's top row of teeth near the top edge of the mouth. First draw the long canine on the left as a triangle-like shape. Now add the four smaller teeth to the right. These are curved at the top and flat at the bottom. Draw the other triangle-like canine on the right side. Draw a small, thin shape to the left of the right canine to represent the molars in the back.
Step 16: Draw the bottom row of teeth near the bottom edge of the open mouth. First draw the triangle-like canine on the left. Then add the four smaller teeth to the right of it. Add another small triangle-like shape on the right side for the gorilla's other canine. Draw a couple of round shapes above each canine for the molars in the back of the mouth.
Step 17: Draw a series of lines on the right side to close up the shape of the gorilla's mouth. The outermost line should go from canine to canine. Then add a few more lines for the folded skin.
Step 18: Add a few more curved lines within the mouth for extra detail . Draw an extra line on the left side and a big curved line in the middle for the gorilla's tongue. Add a few more lines above the tongue for the roof of the mouth and some below the tongue too.
Step 19: Draw the hairline on the face using a series of quick, short strokes. Start the hairline at the top, above the eyes. Then draw it downward toward the sides of the mouth. The shape should be wider at the top around the eyes and narrower at the bottom arround the mouth. Draw the gorilla's chin at the bottom by following the path of the initial arc. Use shorter strokes as you draw the chin. Follow the basic path of the arc and use quick, short strokes to create the jaw line.
Step 20: Draw a small curved line near the left edge of the initial half-circle for the ear. Only draw the top half of the gorilla's ear. The lower half is behind the hair. Add some lines within the shape for detail. Draw a few more long curved lines around the nose to emphasize the wrinkled skin.
Step 21: Use the inital lines and shapes as guides to draw the rest of the gorilla's head. Follow the outer edge of the guides and use quick, short strokes to create the furry shape of the head. Draw the top of the head by following the initial dome guide using quick, short strokes. Add a few strokes within the shape of the head for extra detail on the fur.
Step 22: Use the initial shapes and lines as guides to draw the arm on the left side. Use quick, short strokes as you follow the outer edge of the guides to create the gorilla's furry arm. The strokes represent the fur. The longer the strokes are, the shaggier the fur will be. Follow the path of the initial circle to create the hair on the top part of the hand.
Draw a short, thin arc on the top of the hand for the gorilla's thumb. Now lightly sketch four longer, thinner arcs on the right side of the hand for the fingers. The two fingers at the top should be longer than the two at the bottom. When you get the size and shape right, darken the lines. Add a few small lines within the shape of the fingers for the skin creases on the joints.
Step 23: Use the lines and shapes on the right side as guides to draw the second arm the same way as the first. Follow the outer edge of the guides as you draw a series of quick, short strokes to create the hairy arm. Draw the thumb on the top of the hand as a small, short arc. Draw the gorilla's four fingers as longer, thinner arcs on the left edge of the hand. Sketch the fingers lightly at first and only darken them when you get the shapes right. Add some lines within them for the skin creases.
Step 24: Use the big circle as a guide to draw the gorilla's body. Draw a series of quick, short strokes along the right and lower edge of the body to create the furry torso. Use the construction lines as guides to draw the chest. The chest consists of a few curved lines. Draw a couple of lines under the chest for the top of the rib cage. Lightly add some quick, short strokes on the belly. Draw some strokes on the left side to finish the shape of the body.
Step 25: Use the initial arcs on the lower, left side of the body as guides to draw the gorilla's first leg. Use quick, short strokes as you follow the outer edge of the guides to draw the short leg. Lightly sketch the toes as long, thin, slightly curved arcs at the edge of the foot. The feet and toes look very similar to hands and fingers. Don't forget to add the "thumb" on the right side. Pay attention to the different sizes of the toes. When you get the shapes right, darken the lines.
Step 26: Use the initial arcs as guides to draw the leg on the right the same way. Use quick, short strokes as you follow the outer edge of the guides to create the shape of the furry leg. Draw the gorilla's toes at the bottom, starting with the "thumb" near the lower edge of the foot. Draw the remaining four toes as short, curved arcs on the right side of the foot.
Step 27: 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 gorilla drawing to give it more detail, dimension and volume. As you add the value, use strokes that go in the general direction of the fur. Separate each individual stroke a bit so that the white of the paper comes through and creates a furry- looking texture.
Use a dark value inside the gorilla's mouth and a lighter value for the tongue and on the face. Leave the teeth without value. Vary the pressure on your pencil to get different degrees of tonal value. Use shorter strokes for the fur on the head and longer strokes for the fur on the body. Don't worry about shading the fur too smoothly. The rough value gives the coat a furry texture. Instead focus on adding the strokes in the basic direction that the fur should go. The strokes on the arms have a diagonal orientation that gradually turns more horizontal near the hands. The chest and the top of the belly have less fur, so this section should be a bit smoother and the value lighter.
Adding the value can be very time-consuming, so be patient and take breaks. You can add the value to different sections of the gorilla's body at a time to break up the shading process. Use lighter, smoother strokes near the top half of the belly and darker, rougher, longer strokes near the bottom. The strokes at the bottom of the belly and on the legs should have a somewhat vertical orientation. Continue adding the value until the gorilla's entire body is covered in fur. The feet have less fur, so add a smoother value there. Don't forget to pause the video after each step to draw at your own pace.
Add a cast shadow underneath. This helps ground the gorilla so it doesn't appear to be floating.
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