Drawing a Wolf’s Portrait is easier than you think, if you follow a simple Grid. (A Framework or Pattern of Criss-Crossed, Parallel, or Diagonal Lines that can be used as Guidelines for the Placement of Drawn Objects.) To draw the Wolf Portrait you will need a pencil (2B,HB, or F), plastic eraser, kneaded eraser, black charcoal, white charcoal, stumps, tissues, pencil sharpener, a blue and a fuchsia woodless pencil.
Step 1- Draw an upside down, wide cone shape.
Step 2- Draw a half circle on top.
Step 3- Draw a Horizontal Line centered where the Cone and Half Circle meet. In the center, draw a Vertical Line. *Stop prior to reaching the bottom. Divide the horizontal line in thirds. Draw Vertical Lines down from each of the outside 3rd marks and curve outward making a beaker shape.
Step 4- Begin drawing the Eyes. First make sure the curves start and stop at the same place. Draw the top of the Wolf’s Eye using a slight curve. *Look at the curved triangle shapes the negative space makes. If the shapes match, procede to the next step.
Step 5- Draw the bottom of the Wolf’s Eye. *Notice the shape is more rounded than the top. Hold up and make sure the Eyes match.
Step 6- Draw the Pupil. *The shape is circular, not oval. Next, draw the Ears. Begin by measuring the space between the Ears on the top of the head and where the Ears end on the side. Draw 2 large Ears for the Wolf. *Make sure the Ears are not pointed.
Step 7- Draw a rounded “W” Shape beginning and ending where the 2 lines of the Grid meet on both sides. Curve downward leaving space at the bottom of the cone shape you originally drew.
Step 8- Draw a “Heart Shape” beginning at the tip of the W shape. This will be the Nose.
Step 9- Bring the vertical line down a little bit to find the top center of the Nose. Draw a very rounded “Heart Shape” beginning at the top and curving inward joining the first “Heart Shape” at the bottom.
Step 10- Erase all “Grid” Guide Lines except the bridge of the Nose.
Step 11- Draw in lightly, the direction the fur makes around the Wolf’s Face. Notice the fur on the top of the head crosses over in Zig Zags. *The fur is created by Hatching and Zig Zags. Shape the inner Ears with fur including the curved line at the base of the Ears. The bridge of the Nose is formed by downward diagonal Hatching. The outline of the face has downward diagonal Zig Zags and made fuller by layers overlapping eachother. The fur arches diagonally around the eyes using Hatching in a circular pattern. The outside edge of the Wolf’s head now begins at the ears and flows downward. The chin is formed by fur in a triangular pattern and the neck has overlapping hatching and downward zig zag patterns. A hint of the body is seen on the right side.
Step 12- Using charcoal, color in the pupils dark. Make sure you don’t color over the reflection in the pupil. Next, trace the outline of the Wolf’s Eyes. Notice the lines are very thick, like eyeliner, and the tear ducts are colored in rounded, following the shape of the eyeball. In the next picture, the Iris of the Wolf’s Eyes look like spokes on a wheel going around the Pupils. Begin the lines (spokes) at the base of the eyeliner and toward the pupil, stopping just before you reach the Pupil. Soften the lines using a Stump, cleaning between each stroke. Pop out highlights using your kneaded eraser formed by pinching the end and lightly stamping, not rubbing, to highlight the Iris. The last picture shows how the Wolf’s Eyes should look after all the steps are completed.
Step 13- 1. Color in the Nostrils with charcoal. 2. Outline the top line of the Nose and curve inwards towards the Nostrils. 3. Trace the center line starting from the top and going down. Trace over the lines you drew curving upwards and stop just before you reach the Nostrils. Curve the lines inward, underneath the Nostril and inside the middle of the Nose ending right next to the line where you began. 4. Shade, not color, the Nose. Be careful not to make the Nose solid black. Notice the highlights around the Nostrils. 5. Carefully use a clean stump to soften the values and a kneaded eraser to lighten any values.
Step 14- Trace the mouth. Begin at the Nose making a short straight line then curve tracing the line you originally drew. Next, darken the area located in the center of the Mouth and make a small triangle. The Chin was formed by the Value sketched when working on the fur in Step 11. Lightly outline, shade and use a Stump to adjust the Values. Use Stippling to imply where the whiskers go.
Step 15- Sketch, not color the fur using the previous Hatching and Zig Zags as a guide to add more layers to the Wolf’s fur. Darkness in areas are created by overlapping strokes to the desired Value. Use the top 3 examples as a guide. In the first picture more fur is added to the forhead of the Wolf and down the bridge of the Nose. Areas around the Face are also darkened using either the Hatching or Zig Zag pattern. The next picture focuses on the shadows. The last picture displays the softening, adjusting Values, and highlights added using a stump, kneaded eraser and white charcoal. Remember to keep holding up your picture to check if any adjustments are needed. Lastly, this is a Portrait of a White Wolf so make sure you take the following advise. “Less is Best!”
Step 16- When the Wolf is finished, prior to completing the project, add additional highlights using white charcoal. Lastly, sharpen a blue woodless colored pencil over the background. Lightly brush any color that lands directly on the Wolf. Apply a tissue using a circular stroke to lay in the color leaving space for another color. Repeat step using a woodless fuchsia colored pencil. Make sure the color goes right up to the Wolf to avoid a “white halo” effect. When adding color, it is important that the color primarily remains separate and pure. Only mix colors in preplanned areas. Step back and make any adjustments before signing your name.