How to Draw a Walrus
Please PAUSE the "How to Draw a Walrus" video after each step to draw at your own pace.
For the first few steps, don't press down too hard with your pencil. Use light, smooth strokes to begin.
Step 1: Draw two circles as guides for the walrus's body. The circles don't have to be perfect. They're just guides. Walruses are big and top-heavy, so make the first circle really big but leave enough room on the sides for the rest of the body. The circle on the left should be about half the size of the first and should be placed lower. The edges of the circles should touch.
Step 2: Draw another circle on the top right side as a guide for the head. This circle should be even smaller than the second one. The edges of the circles should touch.
Step 3: Draw two intersecting lines inside the head to help you draw the walrus's facial features later on. Curve the lines so that they contour to the shape of the circle.
Step 4: Draw two circles on the lower half of the head as a guide for the walrus's muzzle. These circles should be small and should be placed on either side of the vertical guide line.
Step 5: Draw two long lines under each of the walrus's muzzle circles as guides for the tusks.
Step 6: Draw a series of lines that connect the major shapes to form the rest of the body. Walruses are big, so curve the lines as you connect the shapes. Draw a big arc on the left side for the back portion of the walrus's body.
Step 7: Draw three angled lines under the body as guides for the front and hind flippers.
That's it for the initial sketch! From this point on, press harder with your pencil to get a more defined sketch.
Step 8: Draw the walrus's eyes inside the head using the lines as guides for placement. The shape of the eyes is similar to little footballs. Shade the inside of the eyes. The eyes should be very small and spaced far apart from each other. Draw a few lines around the eyes for the wrinkled skin above and below them. Draw the nose where the two guide lines intersect. The nostrils are similar to curved triangles. Add a few lines between them for the nose's structure.
Step 10: Use the two small circles as guides to draw the walrus's muzzle. Follow the basic path of the circles as you darken the muzzle and make it one shape. The bottom sides of the muzzle should come lower than the middle section.
Step 11: Use the initial lines as guides to draw the long tusks. Follow the path of the guide lines but make the tusks thicker at the top and pointy at the bottom. Walruses' tusks vary in length, so you can draw yours as big or as small as you'd like.
Step 12: Use the bottom part of the main circle as a guide to draw the chin between the tusks.
Step 13: Use the original circle as a guide to draw the rest of the head. Draw a few lines in between the eyes for the front part of the walrus's head. The top part of the head is a few curved lines slightly to the left of the main circle. Add a few more lines within the shape of the head for the wrinkly skin.
Step 14: Draw the whiskers within the shape of the walrus's muzzle. Use quick, short strokes as you cover the entire muzzle with the stiff bristles. Add a few dots too for the base of the whiskers.
Step 15: Use the angled lines under the body as guides to draw the walrus's flippers. Follow the path of the guide but make the shape of the flipper wider. Add a few curved lines for the overlapping skin. The shape of the front flipper on the other side is a lot simpler because it's facing away. The hind flipper is just a curved line with smaller lines at the tip for the toes. The hind flipper on the other side is hiding behind the body.
Step 16: Use the remaining lines as guides to draw the rest of the walrus's body. Follow the path of the initial guides as you darken the lines and form the walrus' body. Add a few extra lines around the front flipper for the loose skin above it.
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 (optional): Add some shading to your walrus 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. Add the value lightly at first, then gradually build up to the level of darkness that you want. Vary the pressure on your pencil to get different degrees of tonal value. Shading can be very time-consuming, so be patient and take breaks. You can shade different sections of the body at a time to make the process less overwhelming.
Add a cast shadow underneath. This helps ground the walrus so it doesn't appear to be floating.
You can add more value throughout your walrus drawing for more detail. Walruses don't have any pattern on their skins, so just add a single value to the entire body. Walruses also have pretty rough and wrinkly skin, so don't worry about shading too smoothly. It's always a good idea to use reference for a more accurate drawing. Remember to pause the "How to Draw a Walrus" video after each step to draw at your own pace.
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