Focus on sections of the animal by thinking in shapes.

Drawing an animal or another object may not be as difficult as you may think. Let’s give it a try!

Sister Ruth Johnson draws pictures of alpacas for framing, post cards, gift cards and greeting cards. She has had a lot of practice, so her drawings provide wonderful images of the many alpacas at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods.

But she has a lot of ideas about how to draw an alpaca so that you can get started doing your own artwork.

Sister Ruth says:

Step No. 1

Don’t focus on trying to draw the whole animal (or other object) all at once. You might be overwhelmed. Instead, focus on sections of the animal (or object) by thinking in shapes: circle, square, rectangle, triangle, oval or just straight or curved lines. 

Step No. 2

Practice drawing basic shapes. Then, while you are thinking about the animal (or object) begin transferring those shapes (or forms) to your drawing paper. See Sister Ruth’s examples.

Step No. 3

Now that you have all the shapes in their proper positions, erase all of the overlapping lines to create a clear picture. Something doesn’t look right? Don’t worry, just erase that part, think about changing the shape just a little, and then redraw that shape where you need it.

Step No. 4

Let’s concentrate on drawing an alpaca for a little while. It might be helpful to use graph paper for some of your practice drawings. Soon you will be able to draw your own alpaca or another object with confidence. Remember, use the shapes for all body parts, including facial features, toes and ears. (For alpacas to practice with, print out the coloring pages at the end of this page!)

Step No. 5

Now that you have a basic line drawing of an alpaca (or other creature), you might want to color it by adding various shadings and blending multiple colors. If you chose to draw an alpaca, you might now want to try adding the fiber. Remember, the fiber (or fur) is based on shapes and lines, but in smaller proportion to the larger body parts.

WoodsUp Extra!

Alpaca coloring pages (printable): Download file