If you can learn how to draw an elephant, you can learn how to draw any animal. You also get to learn unique skills such as textured skin and tusks.
Learning how to draw anything can teach you new skills, but elephants have so many unique features, that they are extra beneficial to learn to draw.
Tips For Drawing An Elephant
- Add wrinkles – elephants always have wrinkles. Drawing them adds depth and gives the elephant realism.
- Trunks aren’t straight – trunks always curve. So make sure the trunk you draw isn’t perfect.
- Each ear is the same size as the head – this is true for African elephants, but for Asian elephants, the ears are smaller.
- Some female elephants have tusks (and most males) – it’s rare for a male to be born without tusks, but what’s even more surprising is that some females also have tusks.
- Brown or hazel eyes – elephants rarely have black eyes. Their eyes are usually brown or hazel.
How To Draw An Elephant: 10 Easy Drawing Projects
You can always start from scratch and use your imagination when drawing an elephant. But for beginners, it’s better to follow a tutorial first.
1. How to Draw an Elephant Face
The face is the most important part of an elephant drawing. Learn to sketch one with Cartooning Club How to Draw.
2. How to Draw an African Elephant
African Elephants have large ears and can grow larger than Asian Elephants. Kayla Bruss has a cute tutorial video.
3. How to Draw an Asian Elephant
Asian Elephants have small ears and odd-shaped heads. Draw one with How2Draw Animals.
4. How to Draw an Elephant Cartoon
Cartoon elephants are cute and animated. Draw So Cute gives their elephant personality that you can copy.
5. How to Draw an Elephant Eye
You don’t have to use a lot of detail for cartoon elephant eyes. But if you want to learn how to draw realistic elephant eyes, Kathleen Wong Art is a good place to start.
6. How to Draw a Realistic Elephant
Realistic elephants aren’t easy to draw but you can draw one with a good tutorial. Art Online Tutorials has a great one.
7. How to Draw a Cute Elephant
Cute elephants are popular to draw. RaniDraws Dibujo even adds a heart to her elephant art tutorial video.
8. How to Draw an Elephant Silhouette
Elephant silhouettes are best drawn with paints and with a background. Paint Along With Skye has a beautiful tutorial.
9. How to Draw Dumbo the Elephant
Dumbo may be the cutest elephant. Learn to draw him with Cartooning Club How to Draw’s tutorial video.
10. How to Draw an Elephant From 311
A trick using 3-1-1 can help you when drawing an elephant, which can help with proportions and more. Learn how with MP Drawing Tutorial.
Step-By-Step How To Draw An Easy Elephant For Kids
Kids can draw elephants too. They just need simple instructions to get started.
Supplies
- Paper
- 2B pencils
- Eraser
Step 1: Draw an Oval
Draw an oval, but leave room for the legs, trunk, and tail. A good rule of thumb is to use no more than half of the paper.
Step 2: Draw the Head and Trunk
Draw the head coming from the body on the left. Then curve the trunk down before curling it at the end.
Step 3: Draw Legs
Draw two legs fully then two legs behind the ones you just drew. The left leg in the front and back should be visible and the others peeking out behind them.
Step 4: Draw Ears
The front (left) ear should be drawn in full while the other ear is peeking behind the head. After you draw the ear, erase the lines that are inside of it.
Step 5: Draw Tusks
Draw the left tusk (fully visible) then the right tusk peeking out. Make sure you draw some skin covering the base.
Step 6: Draw Details
The details include wrinkles on the legs and trunk, eyes, and tail. Include the toenails at this point too.
Step 7: Color It
You can color your elephant any color you want, but grey is the most common and realistic. Get really creative and make your rainbow.
Benefits Of Learning How To Draw An Elephant
- Learning Anatomy – learning the anatomy of an elephant is beneficial for kids. But even adults will learn things they never noticed before.
- Perfecting Shapes – for kids, the simple shapes they draw will help them with geometry skills.
- Textures – the skin texture of an elephant is unique but can be applied to other art.
- Hand Control – hand control improvement is a benefit to any type of art.
- Wrinkles – the wrinkles of an elephant help you learn how to create depth and perception.
How To Draw A Elephant FAQ
Is It Difficult To Draw An Elephant?
No. Drawing an elephant is not difficult if you have experience drawing other animals. But if you’re new to drawing, it will take some time to get right.
What Does An Elephant Symbolize In Art?
Elephants are as magical as dragons in Eastern cultures. They symbolize power, majesty, and integrity. White elephants are a sign of good fortune.
Why Would You Need To Know How To Draw An Elephant?
It’s rare that you would need to learn how to draw an elephant, but it’s possible. You may have a commission later in life or you may need to draw one for a class. But if things go well, you’ll draw one just because it’s fun.
Conclusion
If you can learn how to draw an elephant, you are well on your way to learning how to draw many more things.
But even if you don’t learn anything to help you with other art, drawing an elephant is fun. If you are a fan of elephants anyway, then you can even make art for your home.