Please PAUSE the "How to Draw an Okapi" 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 okapi's body. The circles don't have to be perfect. They're just guides. The edges of the circles should touch. The circle on the left should be a bit smaller than the one on the right.
Step 2: Draw a smaller circle on the top right side of the okapi's body as a guide for the head. This circle should be about one-fourth the size of the first one.
Step 3: Draw two intersecting lines inside the okapi's head to help you place the facial features later on.
Step 4: Draw an arc on the lower right side of the okapi's head as a guide for the muzzle.
Step 5: Draw a couple of smaller arcs similar to the letter M on top of the head for the okapi's ears.
Step 6: Draw a series of curved lines that connect the major shapes to form the okapi's body. Okapis are related to giraffes and have a long neck as well.
Step 7: Draw two lines under the okapi's body (one below each circle) as guides for the legs.
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 okapi's eye inside the head using the lines as guide for placement. The shape of the eye should be similar to a football. Darken the edges for the eyelashes. Draw a tiny circle inside the eye to represent glare and a bigger dot in the middle for the pupil. Shade the inside of the eye by using a value that's lighter than the pupil. Don't shade the tiny circle. Draw a few lines around the okapi's eye for the wrinkles and folds of skin.
Step 9: Draw the okapi's nose as an oval at the tip of the arc. Shade the inside.
Step 10: Use the arc as a guide to draw the okapi's muzzle. Follow the basic path of the arc to create the muzzle. Add a line under the nose for the mouth. Draw a series of short lines under the mouth for the chin and the bottom part of the muzzle.
Step 11: Use the arcs on the head as guides to draw the ears. Follow the path of the arcs as you darken the lines and make the okapi's ears pointier. Add some lines inside for the fur.
Step 12: Draw the rest of the okapi's head using the remaining lines and shapes as guides. Add a couple of bumps on the head for the ossicones. Draw the okapi's jaw at the bottom as a long, curved line.
Step 13: Using the line on the right side as a guide, draw the okapi's front legs. Lightly sketch the shape of the first leg as you follow the basic path of the line. When you get the structure right, darken the lines. Add a few bumps along the way for the muscles and joints. Draw the front leg on the other side by using the first leg as a template.
Step 14: Use the line on the left side as a guide to draw the okapi's hind legs using the same technique. Start sketching lightly as you follow the path of the guide and only darken when you have the structure right. Bend the leg at the joints and add the hoof at the bottom. The top should be thicker than the top of the front leg. Draw the hind leg on the other side by using the previous leg as a template.
Step 15: Darken the remaining lines to create the rest of the okapi's body and tail. Draw the tail on the left side of the body using a series of long lines.
Step 16 (optional): For a cleaner look, erase as much of you can of the original 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 okapi 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 worry too much about the shading if you're going to add more value to your drawing later.
Add a cast shadow underneath. This helps ground the okapi so it doesn't appear to be floating.
You can add more value throughout your okapi drawing for extra detail. Leave a few thin sections on the head unshaded for the veins on the face. The front part of the okapi's muzzle is generally darker, while the rest of the head is lighter. The rest of the body, not including the legs, is a solid dark value all over. Try to add the value evenly across the body for a smooth coat and avoid a rough, gritty texture. Vary the pressure on your pencil to get different degrees of tonal value. Add a slightly darker value at the bottom for the value and a lighter value at the top for the coat's shine.
Okapis have stripes on their legs. Draw them by alternating between a dark and light value. Okapis have unique stripes on their legs, so don't worry too much about making them perfect. Just add different-sized bands down the legs. The stripes on their hind legs reach higher than the front legs, so draw them all the way up to the butt. Make the ends of the stripes on the top pointy. The stripes lower on the leg are mainly different-sized bands. It's always a good idea to use reference when drawing. Don't forget to pause the "How to Draw an Okapi" video at your own pace.
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