Drawing Animals in Motion

One of my favorite classes I taught at both Ringling College of Art and Design and Rocky Mountain College of Art + Design was Animal Anatomy. We would take field trips to Jungle Gardens and the Big Cat Habitat in Sarasota, and later to the Denver Zoo. It is such a privilege to see wild animals in person, and sketching them as they move is a whole different beast compared to drawing from a photo.

One thing I came to appreciate over the years is how helpful it is to really study an animal’s anatomy before trying to capture it on the move. But just as important is learning how to loosen up and draw quickly.

I actually learned a lot from my animation students and the animation professors I worked alongside. My own training was much more rooted in illustration, where the focus was often on proportion, light and shadow, and detail. Those things absolutely matter, but when an animal is moving, you do not have time to fuss over every contour.

Trips to the zoo gave me the chance to slow down and study structure, proportions, movement, and behavior. That kind of observation builds a visual vocabulary you can carry with you later, when you are sketching outdoors and the animal definitely has no intention of holding still for you.

In this video, I share what I mean by learning to “think like an animator.” The secret to drawing animals quickly is knowing when loose gesture marks are enough to capture movement and form, and when it is worth slowing down for a more specific contour. Learning to move between those two ways of drawing can make sketching animals from life feel much more natural and a lot more fun.

Enjoy the video, and if you want a little extra practice, be sure to check out my Animal Gesture Practice Sheets in the Free Resources section.