How to Draw Animals using the Gesture Drawing Technique

How to Draw Animals when they won't stay still? By making Gesture Drawings of course!

One nice thing about Gesture Drawing is that, when done right, you can stop at any moment and still be left with a completed drawing. How is this?

There are different types of gesture drawings: Quick and Sustained. Sustained Gestures require a bit more time to create, but still have the essential energy of a gesture drawing. There are also different types of marks you can make: Scribble, Line, and Mass. Scribble and line gestures can be made with any pointy drawing object such as a pencil, pen, marker or the tip of a charcoal pencil. Mass Gestures can be made with the broad side of a charcoal stick by holding it lengthwise against the paper.

Take a look at the drawings below, these were done in a matter of seconds - less than 15 seconds actually! When drawing animals or pets you might not get the chance to draw slowly, or pay attention to detail. What you can do however is simply draw the essence of what you see!

If you catch your pet sleeping you'll have a bit more time to draw. A gesture drawing that takes longer to make is called a Sustained Gesture. Some instructors might not consider a drawing a Sustained Gesture unless it took 5 minutes or longer to create. The drawings below took closer to 60 seconds.

It will be up to you to stop your drawing when you feel ready and are happy with what you have. Gestures are not about drawing perfect details, but more about capturing an essential quality. Loosening up and drawing quickly is crucial to creating successful gestures!

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