Please PAUSE the "How to Draw a Gorilla" 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 gorilla's body. The circles don't have to be perfect. They're just guides. The circle on the right should be a bit bigger than the one on the left and should be placed slightly lower.
Step 2: Draw an oval on the upper left side as a guide for the gorilla's head. The oval should be as tall as the first circle but narrower.
Step 3: Draw two intersecting lines inside the head to help you place the gorilla's facial features later on. Bend the lines to contour to the shape of the oval.
Step 4: Draw four lines underneath as guides for the gorilla's arms and legs. One line should be under the gorilla's head, the other under the first circle and the last two lines under the circle on the right side.
Step 5: Draw a series of curved lines that connect the major shapes to form the gorilla's body. The line at the bottom should curve even more for the gorilla's big belly.
That's it for the initial sketch! From this point on, press harder with your pencil to get a more defined sketch.
Step 6: Draw the gorilla's eyes inside the head using the lines as guides for placement. The shapes for the eyes are similar to little footballs. Inside each eye, draw a small circle and shade it in for the irises. You can leave a tiny circle unshaded to represent glare or reflection. Draw a few small lines around the eyes to indicate the wrinkles. Above each eye, draw a line to indicate the thick brow and add more small lines for extra detail.
Step 7: Draw the gorilla's nose under the eyes. Use the lines as guides for placement. Draw two small arcs for the nostrils and shade in the space under them. Draw a curved line on the left and right side of the gorilla's nostrils for structure.
Step 8: Draw the gorilla's mouth under the nose. The mouth itself consists of a wavy line. Draw a broken line under it for the bottom lip and another curved line under that for the chin.
Step 9: Draw the ear on the right side. It's basically a curved line with quick, short strokes on the left for the hair.
Step 10: Use the oval as a guide to draw the rest of the gorilla's head. Draw a bump above the left eye for the big brow. Make the top of the gorilla's head taller and use quick, short strokes to indicate hair. Draw the rest of the head using quick, short strokes to indicate the thick hair.
Step 11: Draw more lines inside the gorilla's face for extra detail. Draw a couple of lines on the forehead to finish the thick brow and add more quick, short pencil strokes inside the gorilla's face for the hairline. Draw a few more wrinkles and folds of skin around the gorilla's eyes and nose.
Step 12: Using the lines as guides, draw the gorilla's arms and hands. Draw lightly at first to get the structure right. When you're happy with what you have, go ahead and darken it. Gorillas are very strong, so draw a few bumps along the arm to indicate the muscle structure. Make the shoulder big and round. The middle of the arm, and the bottom is thick again. Use quick, short pencil strokes as you darken the shape to represent hair. Gorillas walk on their knuckles. Draw a few curved lines at the bottom for the folded fingers. Draw the gorilla's arm on the other side the same way. First draw a light sketch for the basic structure, then darken it using quick, short pencil strokes. Make the gorilla's forearm thicker. The top of the arm and the bottom should be thinner. Draw the hand at the bottom. Only the index finger and thumb are visible because of the angle.
Step 13: Now use the other lines as guides to draw the gorilla's legs. Remember to draw lightly at first. Darken the lines once you get the structure right. Bend the leg slightly near the middle and add a small line to indicate where the knee is. Draw the five toes at the bottom using a few curved lines. Draw the leg on the other side using the same technique.
Step 14: Draw the rest of the gorilla's body by using the remaining lines as guides. Draw a few more bumps along the way for a more organic and less rigid feel.
Step 15 (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 gorilla 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. Add a cast shadow underneath the gorilla. This helps ground the gorilla so it doesn't appear to be floating.
You can add more value throughout your gorilla drawing for extra detail. Leave the back unshaded to make the gorilla a silverback. it's a good idea to use reference to be as accurate as possible. You can pause the video to use this drawing as reference or at any time you need help along the way.
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