Please PAUSE the "How to Draw a Gazelle" 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 gazelle's body. The circles don't have to be perfect. They're just guides. Instead, pay attention to the space between the circles. If they're too far apart, the gazelle will be too long.
Step 2: Draw a smaller circle on the upper right side as a guide for the gazelle's head. Don't place the circle too high up, otherwise your gazelle will end up being a giraffe!
Step 3: Draw two intersecting lines inside the gazelle's head to help you place the facial features later on.
Step 4: Draw a U-shaped arc on the lower right side of the head as a guide for the gazelle's muzzle.
Step 5: Draw a small triangle-like shape on the top left side of the gazelle's head as a guide for the ear.
Step 6: Draw a long wavy line right on top of the head as a guide for the gazelle's horns.
Step 7: Draw four lines under the body (two below each circle) as guides for the gazelle's legs. The front legs form a tall triangle-like shape. The legs in the back angle slightly near the middle.
Step 8: Draw a series of curved lines that connect the major shapes to form the gazelle's body.
That's it for the initial sketch! From this point on, press harder with your pencil to get a more defined sketch.
Step 9: Draw the eye inside the gazelle's head using the lines as guides for placement. The shape of the eye is similar to a football. Shade the inside of the eye except for a tiny circle to represent glare. Add a few lines around the gazelle's eye for extra detail. Use quick, short strokes when adding the lines for a furry texture.
Step 10: Use the initial arc as a guide to draw the gazelle's muzzle. First re-shape the arc by giving it a few more bumps as you darken it. Then add a thick curved line at the top for the gazelle's nose. Draw a line below the nose that extens to the left to create the mouth. Use quick, short strokes when drawing the mouth.
Step 11: Use the initial line as a guide to draw the horn. Lightly sketch out the shape of the gazelle's horn by making the shape of the guide line thicker. Once you have the pointy shape of the horn, go over it using darker strokes. Add a bumpy texture to the horns as you follow the light sketch.
Step 12: Add the horn on the other side the same way. Lightly sketch the shape of the horn using the first one as a template. Then darken the shape and add the bumpy texture as you go along.
Step 13: Draw lines inside the gazelle's horns for the ridges. The lines become more frequent near the bottom.
Step 14: Use the initial shape on the gazelle's head to draw the ear. The base of the ear should be inside the head. Draw a few lines within the ear for the fur. Draw the ear on the other side, but draw it facing the other side.
Step 15: Draw the rest of the gazelle's head using the shapes as guides. Use quick, short strokes when adding the jaw line at the bottom.
Step 16: Using the lines as guides, draw the gazelle's front legs. Draw lightly at first to get the structure right. When you're happy with what you have, go ahead and darken it. The legs are very skinny, but they're a bit thicker at the base. Draw the small square-like hoof at the bottom and draw a line inside of it that splits it in two. Use the line next to it to draw the front leg on the other side. Sketch out the leg lightly at first and add the hoof at the bottom.
Step 17: Now use the other lines as guides to draw the gazelle's hind legs. Remember to sketch lightly at first as you follow the guide line. Darken the line only when you have the structure right. The base of the hind leg is a lot thicker than the front leg. The hind leg also bends forward at the joint. Add the split hoof at the bottom as you darken the leg. Draw the hind leg on the other side using the same technique. Be sure to bend the leg forward at the joint and add the split hoof at the bottom.
Step 18: Draw the rest of the gazelle's body by using the lines as guides. Add a few bumps and curves along the way for a more organic feeling. Draw the gazelle's tail on the left side by using quick, short strokes to represent fur.
Step 19 (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 gazelle 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. This helps ground the gazelle so it doesn't appear to be floating.
You can add more value throughout your drawing for extra detail. Add the distinctive black stripe on the side to make this a Thompson's gazelle. You can give the coat a single value for a Rhim gazelle. It's a good idea to use reference to be as accurate as possible when drawing the coat pattern. Pause the video to use this drawing for reference and at any other time you need help.
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