Please PAUSE the "How to Draw a Moose" 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 moose's body. The circles don't have to be perfect. They're just guides. The circle on the right should be smaller. The edges of the circles should touch slightly.
Step 2: Draw a smaller circle (about one-fourth the size of the first circle) on the upper left side as a guide for the moose's head. Don't place the circle up too high or the neck will end up being too long.
Step 3: Draw a U-shaped arc on the left side of the moose's head as a guide for the muzzle.
Step 4: Draw a series of curved lines on top of the moose's head as guides for the antlers. The longer the line is, the bigger the antlers will be. Draw more curved lines on top of the base line for the branches of the antlers. The lines should vary in size. The more lines you add, the more branches the antlers will have.
Step 5: Draw a series of lines that connect the major shapes to form the moose's body.
Step 6: Draw two long lines under the moose'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 7: Draw the eye on the top part of the circle. The shape of the moose's eye is similar to an oval. Shade the inside to create the iris and the pupil. Draw some lines around the eye for extra detail. Use quick, short strokes to indicate the fur around the eye.
Step 8: Draw the moose's nose inside the initial arc guide. The nose consists of a long, wavy line with the right side shaded in for the nostril.
Step 9: Draw the rest of the muzzle using the arc as a guide. Curve the lines more as you darken the top part of the arc. Curve the line under the moose's nose and extent it to the right side for the mouth. Draw a smaller line under it for the chin. Draw a few lines around the mouth for extra detail.
Step 10: Draw the moose's head using the circle as a guide. Darken the top part for the forehead and add some lines at the bottom for fur. Using quick, short strokes, draw a shape under the jaw for the moose's dewlap.
Step 11: Use the lines on the head as guides to draw the moose's antlers. Darken the bottom of the antlers and draw a curved line above the eye for the base. Follow the path of the smaller lines as you thicken up the shapes to create the branches. Drawing the antlers can be tricky, so pause the video as you follow along. You can make the branches longer as you follow the path of the guides to draw bigger antlers. Moose have palmate antlers, so connect the braches up top using curved lines instead of connecting the lines all the way down to the base. It's a good idea to use reference when drawing the antlers for greater accuracy.
Step 12: Draw the antler on the other side by using the first one as a guide. Most of the shape is hidden by the antler in the front, so only draw the visible ends peeking from behind.
Step 13: Draw the moose's ear in between the antlers using a few curved lines.
Step 14: Using the line as a guide, draw the moose's front legs. Lightly sketch the shape of the leg as you follow the path of the line. When you get the structure right, darken the lines. Moose's legs are long and skinny. The legs should be thicker on top and thinner at the bottom. Draw the split hoof at the bottom. Draw the leg on the other side using the same technique. Use the first leg as a template to draw the leg on the other side.
Step 15: Now use the other line as a guide to draw the moose's hind legs. Sketch lightly at first as you follow the guide line to get the shape of the first leg right. Darken the hind leg once you get the structure right. Notice how the hind leg bends at the joint in the middle. The top of the hind leg should be thicker than the top of the front leg. Don't forget the hoof on the bottom! Now draw the leg on the other side the same way. Make the leg thicker on top, bend it at the joint and add the hoof at the bottom.
Step 16: Draw the rest of the moose's body by using the remaining lines as guides. Add a small curve on the top part of the body for the hump. The lines on the top right side should overlap a bit to form the tail.
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 them. It's okay to leave some behind. Also re-draw any final sketch lines that you may have accidentally erased.
Final Step (optional): Add some shading to your moose 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.
Draw a cast shadow underneath. This helps ground the moose so it doesn't appear to be floating.
You can add more value throughout your moose drawing for extra detail. It's always a good idea to use reference for accuracy, and remember to PAUSE the video any time you need help.
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