How to Draw a Sheep – Create your own Lamb Sketch

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Sheep rank amongst the most well known of all farm animals. Their unique characteristics such as their woolly coats and black faces make them ideal drawing subjects. In this easy-to-follow tutorial on how to draw a sheep, we will go through all the necessary steps to end up with the perfect sheep drawing. So get your materials together and find a suitable surface to get started with our lamb drawing tutorial.

A Step-by-Step Tutorial on How to Draw a Lamb

As with all of our previous animal drawing tutorials, our aim is to give you the easiest steps to follow to create your own realistic-looking lamb sketch. By simply following us as we explain each step, you can learn some new techniques that will help you create the perfect lamb sketch. We will start with a few basic construction lines and then start adding details like the sheep’s woolly coat and facial features. Here is a quick graphic rundown of the steps that we will be following today:

If you have followed one of the tutorials before then you will know that any medium can be used to create your lamb drawing. No matter whether you prefer more traditional mediums like watercolor, or you enjoy working on modern tablet devices, this tutorial can be followed in either case. Now that we have got the introductions out of the way, let us get stuck in!

Step 1: Sketching the Construction Lines

The first step in any drawing is to first lay out your construction lines which will help to create the animal’s basic shape. By laying out these lines and shapes first, we save ourselves the trouble of having to make corrections later. For this step, we are going to add a large oval for the sheep’s body. Sheep aren’t too stretched out, so you can keep the oval on the round side. The most important thing to keep in mind at this stage is that the oval is nicely centered on the canvas that you are using. We want to make sure that there is space left on the canvas for all the other parts that still need to be added.

Step 2: Sketching the Chest

As with most animals, you will notice that a sheep’s head does not just extend directly from the body, and some sheep have longer necks than others do. The chest and neck areas of sheep are rather large, so our construction lines need to accommodate these features. We will once again use an oval for this step, but this one will be a bit more elongated in shape and smaller in size than the one we used for the body. This oval must overlap with the front end of the other one. It should be positioned leaning slightly forward towards the right of the page, and the highest point of this oval should extend slightly beyond the height of the other body.

Step 3: Drawing the Lamb’s Head

The body and chest area are now complete and it is time to add the head shape for our lamb drawing. We will once again be using an oval, but yet again smaller than the other two we have already created. This one we will position at the top of the chest construction shape. As opposed to the previous oval, this one will be slanted in the other direction.

Step 4: Drawing Ears on Our Sheep

In this step we are going to create some ears for the sheep, this is still the construction phase, so the shapes are still going to be very simple. On both sides of the head oval, add two flatter oval shapes that extend outwards. This is still the sketching part, so do not be concerned about precise details, but make sure to look at the reference image to get some idea of the basic shape and difference in sizes. You will notice from our example diagram that the ear on the left is shorter and rounder than the other one. This is to help achieve the right perspective of the sheep.

Step 5: Adding the Front Legs of the Lamb

All our steps up until this point have involved the use of ovals. In order to create the front legs of the sheep, we are now going to have to draw slightly more freehand to get the right shape. Start just underneath the center point of the right side of the oval we created for the chest. Now like the example below, take the line down to create the thigh.

Once this line is on the same level as the underside of the chest oval, take a round turn to the left and then continue taking the line downward in order to make the upper section of the leg. For the other leg, create a shape that looks like a ‘U’ that extends down from the chest and connects with the underside of the body. The last part of this step is to create some hooves by drawing elongated lines that extend from the bottom of the thighs. These should have little bumps at the back and slits down the front for added realism to your lamb sketch.

Step 6: Creating the Rump Shape

At this stage, you should start seeing the sheep starting to pop out of the construction lines. Now it is time to draw the back part of the sheep. The rump of a sheep is quite square in shape. Starting at the back, draw a line outwards towards the back of the canvas from the top part of the body. Then curve the line downwards before curving slightly out again and then curving back into the body at the bottom of the oval.

Step 7: Adding the Back Legs

For this part of our lamb sketch we need to create the back leg outline. Starting at the left bottom part of the rump, we are first going to create our back foot by drawing a line going down. Create a shape similar to the front one, but the heel can be a bit more pointed. Now around the middle of the rump, at the bottom, we are going to add the second foot. This hoof should be angled toward the right of the canvas. To get the most realistic appearance for your sheep, make sure the back legs come directly out from the bottom of the rump and do not overlap it, as they were covered by wool. Also make sure that the leg furthest to the back is angled out towards the left of the canvas, with both hooves facing forward.

Step 8: Outlining Your Lamb Drawing

So far we have only done the construction layer of our drawing. Now all those construction lines will come into play as we add the outline to our lamb sketch. We will start the outlining process with the head. The oval is not the final shape for our drawing, and the sides need to curve in slightly, with the nose area squared off. The ear closest to us can be outlined without drawing a line to separate it from the body. The right ear can be outlined too, but we do want to add a line that shows that the head is in front of the ear. Now add the facial features such as the mouth by using a small squiggly line, nostrils, and eyes that are positioned close to the ears.

To create the look of a sheep’s woolly coat, continue outlining the rest of the body with wavy lines adding thicker patches where necessary to help make it look more realistic. The lines that we created during the construction phase can be followed closely, just make sure to make the hair on the body appear thicker and fluffier than the legs. Add a line to separate the hooves from the rest of the legs. Once you feel that your outline looks as you would like it, then you can take your eraser and remove the remaining lines used for the construction of this how to draw a sheep tutorial.

Step 9: Adding Texture For Realism

This step is easy, it just might take some time to complete. To create the texture of wool, fill the body of your lamb sketch with little wavy lines. Do not let the lines overlap though, and make sure that you do not add as much texture to areas such as the legs, head and ears. You can use the curve of the outlines to help guide you on which directions your lines should flow. Make sure that they flow down the neck and chest and down from the back.

Step 10: Applying the First Color Layer

To help create a realistic looking drawing, we need to apply the colors in layers. Sheep are generally white in color, but we need to create a sense of depth, so we will start with a neutral light beige color as our base layer. You can cover the entire body area except for the legs and the head, as those will be painted black later.

Step 11: Blending the Colors

Now we will create patches in the sheep’s coat by applying some shades using light brown and black. Start by adding some light brown patches around the body. Now you can darken them a bit by adding a bit of black to those patches. Do not blend the colors too much, it is better to dab the paint on. Make sure to add the darker shades to the bottom of the lamb, as well as under the head and along the chest. This will help to create a sense of depth and perspective to your drawing.

Step 12: Adding Color to the Rest of the Body

We will now apply color to the legs and head using a dark gray shade. Use a lighter shade of gray for the hooves.

Step 13: Layering the Highlights of the Lamb Drawing

To help create a sense of texture and depth, it is always important to use highlights and shadows. For the following step we are going to need a blue-green color, as well as peach, tan, and white. Start by putting a bit of white onto the eyes of the sheep, in order to create the sense of light glistening on its surface. We will now shape the contours of the head by using the tan color. Wherever you can imagine sunlight falling on the body, you can add some highlights. Also add highlights to features such as the nostrils, mouth and ears. The peach shade can be used to highlight the lighter areas. Now finally, use the blue-green color for further shading of the legs and face areas.

Step 14: Adding the Final Touches

Although you do not have to do this last step, it will make your drawing look even more realistic. We are going to remove the outline of the drawing by using one of two possible methods. This can be achieved rather easily if you are using a software program and a tablet. However, if you have done this drawing with paint, then you can use a tan color and retrace the outline, thereby removing them. The final thing you can do if you wish, is to trace the outlines of the fur throughout the sheep’s body.

Well done! You have managed to complete this how to draw a lamb tutorial! You have learned all the necessary steps to make your realistic looking lamb sketch. If you have followed this how to draw a sheep tutorial and are happy with the results, check out some more of our tutorials!

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Drawing a Sheep Hard to Learn?

Any drawing can seem daunting if you just see the finished product. If you break it down into smaller steps, it becomes easier. Just follow this tutorial on how to draw a lamb, and you will be on your way!

How Do People Achieve Realistic Looking Results?

The most important elements to consider when trying to create a realistic drawing are covered in the tutorial. If it had to be summarized, then the best way to make a realistic drawing is to use shadows and highlights. It is also essential to make sure your angles and proportions are correct. Once you have applied these basic steps then your finished product will look more realistic. If you are unsure then the best thing to do is follow this easy tutorial on how to draw a sheep.

Izzy Benloulou( Digital Artist and Content Creator )

Israel Benloulou aka IzzyBll is a digital artist and content creator from Israel, currently living in South Africa. Originally, he started his career in videography but later shifted his focus to digital graphic art. He specializes in using digital drawing software like Photoshop and Procreate. Drawing and photo editing have always come naturally to Izzy, and he now has 5 years of experience in the industry, working on commissions for various renowned brands such as Audi. Izzy creates drawing tutorials on his drawing tablet and produces related content for Craft Art since 2021.

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