In this free art lesson, you'll learn how to draw the head detail of a Gorilla step-by-step.

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To draw this Gorilla Portrait step by step, follow along with the video tutorial below and pause the video after each step to draw at your own pace. You may find it easier to follow the step-by-step drawings below the video. The new lines in each step are shown in red, so you'll know exactly what to draw next. You may want to open the video in a new tab and use both drawing methods. Take your time and draw at your own pace.

The Written step-by-step video tutorial:

For the first few steps, don't press down too hard with your pencil. Use light, smooth strokes to begin.

Step 1: Draw a big circle near the middle of the paper as a guide for the gorilla's head. First make four marks to determine the circle's height and width. Then connect the marks using curved lines. Sketch lightly at first so that it's easy to erase if you make a mistake. If you're struggling to draw the circle, just trace the outer rim of a circular object like a coin or a lid. For a more detailed guide on the different ways to draw a circle check out this tutorial: Four simple ways to draw a circle.

Step 2: Far down below the circle, make a small mark for the first part of the lower half of the head. Connect the mark to the circle using curved lines to create the guide for the gorilla's chin and jaw. The line on the left should be vertical for the side of the face, while the line on the right should be wide for the jaw.

Step 3: Near the middle of the circle, draw a curved, horizontal line for a construction guide to help you place the gorilla's facial features later. Above that, draw a shorter, curved, vertical line for another construction guide.

Step 4: Inside the head, on the lower half, draw a small circle as a guide to help you place the nose and mouth later. Use the four-marks method to draw this circle too. Make the shape a bit taller than it is wide. Pay attention to the size and placement of this circle in relation to the rest of the gorilla's head. On the right side of the head, draw a small, curved line as a guide for the ear.

Step 5: High above the first circle, make a small mark for the first part of the tall top part of the head. Connect the mark to the bottom part of the head using curved lines to form a shape similar to a giant oval. Draw this shape off to the right a bit. The line on the right should end on the side of the jaw.

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That's it for the guides! From this point on, press harder with your pencil for a more defined drawing.

Step 6: Inside the head, on the horizontal guide, lightly sketch two small ovals for the gorilla's eyes. Use the vertical line as a guide to help you determine the distance between the eyes. When you get the size and position of the eyes right, darken the shapes. Make the sides pointier for the corners of the eyes. The eye on the right should be a bit bigger. The shape of gorillas' eyes is similar to human eyes, so you can use a mirror and use your own eyes as reference. Draw a curved line over each eye for the crease on the eyelids. Draw a curved line under each eye for a wrinkle. The curved line at the top should be longer.

Step 7: Inside each eye, near the right, draw a couple of small lines for the irises. The gorilla's irises are supposed to be circles, but because of the eyelids, only the sides are visible. Inside each iris, off to the side, draw a tiny circle for highlights. In the middle of each iris, draw a dot for the pupils. The shapes inside the eye on the left should be a bit smaller than the eye on the right.

Step 8: Above the eyes, draw a series of short lines for the gorilla's thick brow. Don't draw these marks too high up; they should be close to the eyes. The markings don't have to look exactly like this. Just draw some lines above the eyes to indicate the brow. Between the eyes, draw a couple of short, curved lines for the bridge of the nose. Add a few more short lines in and around the bridge of the nose for wrinkles. Draw longer, curved lines below each eye for some bags under the eyes.

Step 9: Draw the nose inside the top half of the small circle. Lightly sketch a couple of short, curved lines for the nostrils. Follow the basic path of the circle to draw the outer edges of the gorilla's nose. Curve the lines at the top down so that the overall shape is a bit similar to a round letter M. Darken the curved lines in the middle to create the nostrils. Pay attention to the placement of the nostril in relation to the eyes. Draw a curved, broken line at the bottom to complete the shapes of the gorilla's nostrils. The shape of the nose should stay above the lower edge of the big initial circle.

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Step 10: Draw a long, wavy, horizontal line below the nose for the mouth. The mouth should stretch the width of the initial small circle. Curve the left side to connect to the nose. Curve the middle part up a bit. When you get the shape right, darken the line. Pay attention to the distance between the gorilla's nose and mouth. Use the initial shapes as guides. Draw a series of short strokes along the edge of the small initial circle for the hair on the chin. Draw a row of short lines under the mouth to emphasize the lower lip.

Step 11: Draw a series of short strokes along the left side of the ear guide for some hair. Darken the guide for the ear but make the shape a bit more angular. Part of the gorilla's ear should be hidden behind hair. Draw a few lines within the shape for the inner ear structure.

Step 12: Draw a series of strokes around the gorilla's eyes and nose for the hairline around the face. The slopes on the sides should slope inward toward the nose. Don't make the individual strokes too long, otherwise the hair will be too shaggy. Draw more short strokes high above the eyes for the hairline just above the thick brow. Use the initial circle and arc as guides to draw the hair around the lower half of the head. Draw a series of short strokes along the outer edges of the initial guides to draw the lower half of the head. Curve the path of the strokes on the left to make the shape of the fur wider. Dip the strokes along the bottom lower than the guide for the gorilla's beard-like hair. Follow the path of the guide on the right to finish the hair along the jaw. Don't draw the strokes too close together; leave some space between them.

Step 13: Use the tall arc at the top as a guide to draw the rest of the gorilla's head. Draw a series of short strokes along the basic path of the guide to create the shape of the head. When you get to the right side, draw the strokes so that they slope to the right to create part of the neck. Add more strokes along the right edge of the initial arc. Add some strokes in the shape of an arc above the first circle to emphasize the dome-like head.

Step 14: For a cleaner look, erase as much as you can of the initial guide lines. Don't worry about erasing all of the guides. It's okay to leave some behind. Re-draw any final sketch lines you may have accidentally erased.

Final Step: Add some shading to your gorilla drawing for extra detail. Use a medium value for the irises but don't overlap the highlight circles. Use a dark value to add shadows to the part of the face without hair. Shade lightly at first, and then gradually build up to darker values. Pick the direction of the light source when shading so that the shadows are consistent. Use a dark value in the nostrils. Vary the pressure on your pencil to get different degrees of tonal value. Use short strokes of a medium value to shade the rest of the gorilla's hairy head. For a more detailed guide on how to shade, check out this tutorial: How to shade.

For the top of the head, use strokes that generate outward from the brow. Curve the strokes on the sides so that the hair appears to face back. The strokes at the bottom should be more vertical. Use a smoother and lighter value across the rest of the gorilla's face. Continue shading the head gradually using darker values with every pass. As you shade the hair, separate each individual stroke a bit so that the white of the paper comes through. Shading like this can be very time-consuming, so be patient and take breaks.

Use a light value on the top parts of the gorilla's brow, nose and lips for highlights. It's a good idea to use reference as you draw for a more accurate depiction of a gorilla. The white part of gorillas' eyes is usually dark, so add dark value here too. Don't forget to pause the video after each step to draw at your own pace.

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