drawing animal anatomy

Anatomy is a science that deals with the structures of bodies. The anatomy of an animal, its skeleton, and its muscle structure determines the shapes you see on the animal’s outside. Understanding some basics of anatomy can help you make sense of where to place the legs, head, and eyes so the animal looks more real when you draw.

Comparing the skeletal (bone) anatomy of a dog to a human shows similarities and differences. This helps you better see an animal’s anatomy in relation to one that’s more familiar (your own!).

Animals with a backbone, or spine, are called vertebrates and include pets like chickens, dogs, cats, and snakes. Animals without spines, such as spiders, are called invertebrates. The spine is important when drawing some animals because it helps you know where to place the animal’s arms and legs. A mammal’s limbs attach to its pelvis or shoulder that, in turn, connects to its spine. The head is at one end of the spine, and the tail is at the other. All these bones connect to create a stable structure and a place for the animal’s muscles to attach.

When you look at bones, you might notice they have unusual shapes. They have round ends where they rotate at the knee or shoulder, for example, and they have ridges and ends that protrude where tendons attach. The shapes of bones can influence an animal’s outer appearance. A dog’s skull has bumps on the top and around the eye you can see and feel. But some bones, like most of the spine, are buried inside layers of muscle. They, along with the muscles, work together to give the animal balance and the ability to move.

Animal skin, scales, fur, feathers, hair, and hard outer covering (the exoskeleton) have different textures and patterns of light and dark areas. When you draw an animal, you create the illusion of that texture with shading and lines. The animal’s fur or scale patterns change direction, and your lines and shading will, too. Such knowledge helps you make sense of unfamiliar details as you observe animals and photos of them.

Look to the feet, paws, and toes of an animal to discover how they move and live. Reptiles like the iguana and gecko have toes for climbing or moving over rough, uneven surfaces. Amphibians, like the frog, have webbed feet for moving through water. A bird has feet for grasping branches, while the sugar glider can grasp branches and climb with its front and rear legs.

You can see subtle signs of how an animal lives by considering how they breathe and eat. The nostrils of the turtle, for example, are high on its head to allow for breathing and swimming close to the water’s surface. The box turtle’s mouth has a sharp tip for tearing apart vegetation—or in the case of carnivorous turtles, for tearing meat. Now think about horses. Their nostrils are wide for taking in large amounts of air while they run. Their teeth include incisors for tearing up grass and molars for grinding grain.

Some reptiles and cats have vertical pupils that allow them to see colors better in bright sunlight. Horses’ pupils are horizontal, and humans’ are circular.

So when you think about what pet you’re going to draw, also consider their eyes, nose, mouth, bone and muscle structure, and these other anatomy basics. Details like these will make your drawing believable, and accurate structure will make it lively.