Easy Animal Doodles: Step-by-Step Tutorials & Tips

Published on 11 July 2023 8 min read

Doodling is a fun, relaxing way to express your creativity. And what's more adorable than doodling your favorite animals? Whether you're a beginner or a seasoned sketch artist, this guide on easy animal doodles will help you create charming sketches in no time. We'll guide you through the entire process, from selecting your tools to sharing your masterpieces. So, get ready to dive into the delightful world of animal doodling!

1. Get Your Tools Ready

Before we start our journey into creating easy animal doodles, let's make sure you have the right tools handy. It's just like baking—you wouldn't start without checking if you have all the ingredients, right? And don't worry, you won't need anything fancy or expensive. Here are the basics:

Pencil: A good old No. 2 pencil is perfect for sketching the initial outline. It's easy to erase if you make a mistake, and you probably have one lying around.
Eraser: Because no one is perfect, and that's okay! A good eraser will help you clean up any unwanted lines or smudges.
Fine-tip pen: Once you're happy with your sketch, a fine-tip pen is great for going over the final design. It gives your doodle a clean, finished look.
Colored pencils or markers: Adding color brings your animal doodles to life. You can use whatever you have on hand, but remember, quality matters. Crayola colored pencils or Sharpie markers are some favorites among doodlers.
Paper: Any paper will do, but a sketchbook is a nice investment if you plan on doing a lot of doodling.

Now that you're all set with your tools, you're one step closer to creating your own easy animal doodles. Remember, the goal here is to have fun and let your creativity flow, so don't stress about having high-end supplies. So, are you ready to doodle?

2. Choose Your Animal

Choosing which animal to doodle can be as fun as the doodling process itself. If you're a dog lover, why not sketch your favorite breed? If you're into exotic animals, how about a charming chameleon or a proud peacock? The world of animals offers a plethora of options.

However, if this is your first venture into the realm of easy animal doodles, you might want to start with something simple: a cat or a bunny, perhaps? They have basic shapes that are easy to draw, making them perfect doodle subjects for beginners.

Remember, it's not about creating a perfectly realistic drawing—it's about having fun and creating your version of the animal. Your doodle, your rules, right? So, have you decided which animal you'd like to doodle?

3. Break Down the Shapes

Once you've chosen your animal, the next step in creating easy animal doodles is breaking down its form into simple shapes. This step is crucial in mastering the art of animal doodling. Let's say you chose a bunny. What shapes can you see? Probably a circle for the head, an oval for the body, and long rectangles for the ears, right?

Breaking down complex forms into basic shapes helps to simplify the drawing process. It's like having a roadmap to guide you through the journey of sketching. It takes the guesswork out of the equation and makes the task much more manageable.

So, pick up your pencil and start observing your chosen animal. Try to visualize its form as a combination of common shapes like circles, ovals, rectangles, and triangles. It's like playing a fun game of shape recognition with your doodle subjects! How many shapes can you see in your chosen animal?

4. Sketch the Outline

Alright, you've got your shapes sorted out. Now the fun part begins – sketching the outline. This is where your easy animal doodles start to take shape (pun intended!). Starting with the largest shapes, lightly draw the outline of your animal. Let's continue with our bunny example: begin with the circle for the head and the oval for the body.

Here's a tip: don't press too hard with your pencil. You want to create light lines that you can easily erase or adjust without leaving marks on the paper. You'll thank yourself later when you're refining your doodle.

Next, move on to the smaller shapes. Add in those long, rectangular ears and any other smaller shapes you've identified. Remember, this is just a rough sketch. It doesn't have to be perfect. The goal is to get the basic form of your animal onto the paper.

So, are you ready to sketch? Grab your pencil and let's bring your easy animal doodle to life!

5. Fill in the Details

With the outline in place, your easy animal doodle is starting to come alive. But, it’s time to turn up the charm with some details. This is the stage where your animal doodle gets its unique personality. Are you doodling a sleepy sloth or a cheerful bunny? The details will tell!

Start by adding the facial features – the eyes, nose, and mouth. But remember, keep it simple. For instance, for our bunny's eyes, you might just want to draw two dots or small circles. A simple line can serve as the mouth. For the nose, a small triangle should suffice.

After the face, move on to the body. Add fluffy fur to your bunny, or maybe some stripes if you're doodling a tiger. Don't forget to detail the paws or claws. But remember: we're aiming for easy animal doodles, not a photorealistic drawing. Keep your details simple and stylized.

One last thing—don't forget to erase any unnecessary lines from your initial outline. There you have it! Your doodle is starting to look a lot more like a bunny, isn't it?

Now, go ahead and add some details to your animal doodle. Remember, the details are what give your doodle its character, so have fun with it!

6. Add Depth with Shading

Even though our doodles are simple, we can still give them a little bit of depth. And how do we do that? By adding some shading! Shading is a great way to make your easy animal doodles pop off the page. Let's go through it step-by-step.

First, decide where your light source is. This will help you figure out where the shadows should go. If the light is coming from the right, then the left side of your doodle will be darker.

Now, take your pencil and lightly shade the areas where the shadows would be. For our bunny, this might be under the ears, under the belly, and on the left side of the body. But remember, we're not trying to create a masterpiece here. We're just trying to give our doodle a bit more depth. So, don't worry about getting it perfect.

And there you have it! You've just added depth to your doodle. Doesn't it look more 3D now? Not bad for a simple doodle, right?

So, why not give it a try? Grab your pencil and start shading. You might be surprised at how much life it brings to your easy animal doodles.

7. Give Life with Colors

Alright, you've got your doodle sketched and shaded. What's next? It's time to add some color to your easy animal doodles, of course! Color can make your doodles more vibrant, more lively and more fun. Let's dive right in!

First up, you'll need to pick your colors. Are you doodling a brown bear or a pink flamingo? Grab those colored pencils, markers, or whatever you have on hand, and let's get coloring!

Start by lightly coloring in your doodle, making sure to stay within the lines. You can always add more color later, so it's best to start off light. Then, just like with shading, consider where your light source is coming from. The side of your doodle that's opposite the light source should be a bit darker. To achieve this, just go over that area a few more times with your colored pencil or marker.

And voila! Your easy animal doodles are now bursting with color. They look more lively and vibrant, don't they? And remember, there's no right or wrong way to color your doodles. So, feel free to get creative and experiment with different colors. Who says a bunny can't be purple, right?

Coloring your doodles is not only fun, but it's also a great way to express your creativity. So, get those colors out and let your imagination run wild!

8. Practice Makes Perfect

Now that you've learned the basics of how to create easy animal doodles, the next step is to practice, practice, and practice some more. Just like with anything new, the more you do it, the better you'll get at it. And remember, the aim here is not to create a perfect masterpiece. It's just about having fun and letting your creativity flow.

So, where do you start? It's easy. Grab a piece of paper and your favorite pencil or pen, and start doodling away. You can choose to doodle the same animal over and over again, or you can try your hand at doodling different animals. The choice is completely up to you.

As you practice, you'll notice that your doodles will start to look better and better. You'll become more comfortable with the process, and you'll develop your own unique doodling style. And that's the beauty of doodling — it's a personal expression of your creativity.

So, are you ready to start practicing? Remember, every artist was once an amateur, so don't be too hard on yourself. All you need is a bit of patience, a lot of practice, and of course, a whole lot of fun!

9. Explore Different Styles

Once you've gotten the hang of creating easy animal doodles, why not take it to the next level? Just like there are different kinds of animals, there are also different styles of doodling. Exploring these different styles is a great way to keep your doodling practice fresh and exciting.

For instance, you could try out a more realistic style, where you try to capture the animal's features as accurately as possible. Or, you could go in the opposite direction and try a more cartoonish style. This style is all about exaggeration and humor, and it's a lot of fun to experiment with.

There's also the option to try out a more abstract style. This involves breaking down the animal into simple shapes and lines. It can be quite challenging, but it's a great way to really flex your creative muscles.

Of course, these are just a few examples. The world of doodling is wide and varied, and there's no limit to the styles you can explore. So why not give it a go? You might just discover a new style that you absolutely love!

When you complete your easy animal doodles, you should feel proud of what you've done. But, why stop there? Why not share your creations with others? Sharing your artwork is a fantastic way to inspire others, get feedback, and even make new friends.

You're probably wondering, where should you share your animal doodles? You can start by showing them to your family and friends. They're likely to give you their honest opinion, and it's always nice to get a pat on the back from the people you love.

Another great place to share your work is at school. Teachers and classmates can offer constructive feedback, and hey, you might even inspire someone else to start doodling!

If you're feeling particularly brave, you could even share your easy animal doodles online. There are numerous platforms like Instagram or Pinterest where artists share their work. Who knows? Your doodles might catch the eye of a potential client, or you might get spotted by a talent scout from a major animation studio!

Remember, art is meant to be shared. So don't be shy — let the world see your amazing easy animal doodles!

If you enjoyed learning about easy animal doodles and want to dive deeper into the world of animal art, check out 'Basic Animal Anatomy for Artists' workshop by Viktoria. This workshop will expand your knowledge and skills in drawing animals, teaching you the fundamentals of animal anatomy to help you create even more realistic and captivating artwork.