In this free art lesson, you'll learn how to draw a Snowshoe Hare step-by-step.

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All of the tutorials on How2DrawAnimals.com are good drawing tutorials for beginners and experienced artists alike. The online tutorials are easy to follow; they teach you the how to draw basics while showing you how to draw animals step by step. Each animal has a video drawing tutorial option, as well as step-by-step photos and written text to follow.

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To draw this Snowshoe Hare 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.

Below you can watch a Narrated 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 so that it's easy to erase if you make a mistake.

Step 1: Start by drawing circle as a guide for the snowshoe hare's head. To draw the circle, first make four marks to determine its height and width. Then connect the marks using curved lines. If you're struggling to draw the circle, just trace the outer rim of a circular object like a coin or a bottle cap. 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: Inside the head, draw a diagonal line as a construction guide to help you place the hare's facial features later on. On the lower, right side of the head, draw an angled line as a guide for the muzzle. Pay attention to the size of the muzzle in relation to the head. The right side of the muzzle should be flat.

Step 3: On top of the head, draw two tall arcs as guides for the rabbit's ears. The ear on the left should partially block the ear on the right. The ears should be pretty big in relation to the head.

Step 4: Under the head, slightly to the left side, draw a bigger circle as a guide for the top part of the snowshoe hare's body. Use the four marks method to draw this circle too. This circle should be about twice the size of the head circle. On the lower, left side, draw another circle as a guide for the bottom half of the body. The size of this circle should be between the size of the head circle and the top body circle.

Step 5: Connect the circles using curved lines to complete the guide for the hare's body. The lines at the top should be short to create the guide for the neck. The lines at the bottom should be longer and more curved.

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Step 6: Under the top body circle, draw two diagonal lines as guides for the rabbit's front legs. Bend the bottom tips of the lines to indicate where the feet will be. Under the circle on the left, draw a longer, angled line as a guide for the folded hind leg.

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

Step 7: Inside the head, lightly sketch a small circle for the snowshoe hare's eye. Place the eye on top of the horizontal construction guide. When you get the size and position of the eye right, darken the lines. Inside the eye, off to the side draw a tiny circle for a highlight. In the middle of the eye, draw a slightly bigger circle and shade it in for the pupil. Don't overlap the tiny highlight circle as you shade in the pupil. Add a few small, curved lines around the eye for a bit of the bare skin and corners of the eyes.

Step 8: Inside the muzzle, near the top, draw small V-shaped line for the rabbit's nose. Draw a thicker line on the left side for the nostril. Add another V-shaped line at the top for the rest of the nose. Under the nose, draw a line that curves to the left for the mouth. Use a series of short strokes as you draw the mouth for a furry texture. Draw a shorter line on the right side for the rest of the mouth.

Step 9: Darken the arc on the top, left side to create the hare's first ear. Use short strokes as you darken the guide for a furry texture. Extend the bottom part of the ear farther inside the head. Inside the ear, draw a long, thin shape for the furry ear opening. Darken the arc on the right side for the other ear. This ear is facing the opposite direction so don't draw the ear opening.

Step 10: Darken the outer edges of the initial guide lines to create the shape of the snowshoe hare's head. Use short strokes as you darken the guides to create a furry texture. Break up the line at the bottom where the head connects to the body. On the left side of the muzzle, draw a few rows of dots for the base of the whiskers.

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Step 11: Use the sloping line under the body (the one in the middle) as a guide to draw the hare's first leg. Draw the shape of the leg around the guide line. The top of the leg should be wide and the bottom thin. Curve the bottom part shape to the right to create the foot. Inside the foot, draw a couple of short, curved lines to separate the toes. Sketch lightly at first and only darken the lines when you get the shape right.

Step 12: Use the line on the right as a guide to draw the rabbit's other front leg the same way. Draw the shape of the leg around the guide line. Curve the bottom part of the shape to the right to create the foot. Inside the foot, draw a short curved line for the toes.

Step 13: Use the long, angled line on the left as a guide to draw the snowshoe hare's hind leg. Lightly sketch the shape of the leg around the guide line. The foot should be very big and wide, hence the name snowshoe hare. The line for the top part of the folded leg should curve deep inside the body. When you get the shape of the leg right, darken the lines. On the tip of the foot, draw a couple of curved lines to separate the big toes.

Step 14: Darken the outer edges of the initial guides to create the shape of the hare's body. Use short strokes along the bottom for the longer fur. The top of the body should be made up of a long continuous line. Don't overlap the shapes of the legs that are on this side of the body. Under the body, between the front leg and the hind leg, draw a curved line for the visible section of the hind leg that's on the other side of the body.

Step 15: 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: Shade your drawing for extra detail. Snowshoe hares are mainly white, so just add a light value throughout the body for some shadows. As you shade the body, use strokes that go in the general direction of the fur. Pick a light source as you shade so that the shadows are consistent. Here the light source is coming from the top, so most of the shadows are on the underside of the shapes. As you shade, separate each stroke a bit so that the white of the paper comes through and creates a more furry texture. It's a good idea to use reference as you shade for a more accurate depiction of a snowshoe hare. Add a shadow at the bottom using a medium value. This grounds the hare so that it doesn't appear to be floating. Shading can be time-consuming, so be patient and take breaks. For a more detailed guide on how to shade, check out this tutorial: How to shade.

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