UPDATE! October 1st, 2023: This version of the website will no longer receive updates. Please transition to the new website for the best experience. Access V3 Now >>

How to Draw Animals

Glenn Vilppu is an internationally renowned draftsman, painter, and instructor. In this course, students will learn to draw animals. Glenn’s approach to this subject is similar to his approach to figure drawing–start with the gesture, then construct and use light to describe form and accentuate movement. Instead of copying what you see, you will learn the skills necessary to draw animals from imagination. Glenn will start with Comparative Anatomy between humans and animals, and then break down specifics of animal anatomy. Specifics such as knowing what an animal eats and its place in the food chain can be discovered by analyzing its anatomy and structure. By taking this structural point of view, you will be able to draw any animal from your imagination. This is beneficial to all artists, whether their interest is in Fine Art, Animation, Comics or other fields.

8 Lessons 21h 48m 55s of videos

Level 1

In this unique video lesson world renowned artist Glenn Vilppu will teach you a clear, step-by-step approach to draw any animal. You will learn about the large anatomical differences among animals and how drawing animals relates to drawing the figure with a few differences, as well as how to break down the structure of animals. […]

Level 2

In the fifth part of Glenn Vilppu’s Animal Drawing series, he focuses on elephants. The sheer size of these gentle giants requires a different skeletal structure than the other animals you’ve learned about. Elephants are known to have a high degree of intelligence and a pleasant social demeanor, which make for excellent drawing opportunities. The […]
In the final lesson of Glenn Vilppu’s Animal Drawing series, he focuses on our feathered brethren– birds. Their compact resting positions, their elongated gestures during flight, and their wonderful textures offer excellent drawing opportunities. The many different kinds of winged animals share a similar inner structure, but their outer cloak of feathers hides much of […]

Level 3

Join the NMA production team as they go on-location to capture the magnificent Glenn Vilppu drawing his horses, dogs, goats, sheep, llamas, and chickens at his California ranch! He begins by lecturing on the fundamental structural differences between species. Conceptualizing an animals anatomy will aid you in understanding their behaviors– this is important because you’re […]