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How To Draw A Picture of A Giraffe

Updated on August 19, 2016
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Sweetiepie is an artist and a blogger. See more of her artwork by visiting the website listed on her profile page.

Drawing a picture of a giraffe is a creative way to create African safari animal art for the walls of a home. If you love to draw pictures of animals, I highly suggest trying your hand at sketching a giraffe. Look for creative commons photos you can use as reference photographs for your sketch, or perhaps you will get lucky like I did and find some old safari pictures someone was just going to throw away. In the stash of African animals from a safari that someone was simply going to toss, I have literally found hundreds of beautiful images. For my giraffe sketch I decided to focus on only one of the giraffes, and I only included a few branches around my creature. Take a look at the pictures below to see how my giraffe sketch came to life. If you really enjoy drawing giraffes, you might even consider making your own giraffe cartoon strip and uploading it as a video to YouTube.

Framed picture of my giraffe drawing.  I am going to hang this vibrant illustration on my wall.
Framed picture of my giraffe drawing. I am going to hang this vibrant illustration on my wall. | Source

Giraffes happen to be one of my favorite African animals, so I thought drawing a picture of one would be the perfect way to have a piece of art that I an enjoy every day.

This picture of giraffes is from a stash of safari pictures I rescued from being condemned to a basement.  I have used several of these as reference photographs for my drawings.
This picture of giraffes is from a stash of safari pictures I rescued from being condemned to a basement. I have used several of these as reference photographs for my drawings.
Here is the preliminary sketch of made of the solitary giraffe.
Here is the preliminary sketch of made of the solitary giraffe. | Source
Here I am beginning to add the spots to my giraffe.
Here I am beginning to add the spots to my giraffe. | Source

Before I begin a sketch I always like to have a reference photograph in mind.  For the giraffe sketch I am using one of the pictures from a stash of African safari pictures that were simply going to be stored in a basement of perpetuity.  I happily rescued the collection of African animal photos to use as reference for my art projects, and you can see the pop-up card for which I drew a picture of two African lions awhile back.

Here I have finally finished sketching the details around the giraffe.
Here I have finally finished sketching the details around the giraffe. | Source

As I sketched in the details of the giraffe I decided to only put a few edible branches near his head.  My interpretation of this drawing is that my giraffe has ate the top leaves, and now he is working on the lower branches.

Coloring The Giraffe

I began coloring in the giraffe by first adding the light yellow portions to his neck and head.  Next, I used a vibrant cerulean colored pencil to fill in the sky around the giraffe.

Here I began filling in the light yellow portions of the giraffes head and neck.
Here I began filling in the light yellow portions of the giraffes head and neck. | Source
I began to use the cerulean blue colored pencil to carefully color around the giraffe.
I began to use the cerulean blue colored pencil to carefully color around the giraffe. | Source
After taking some time the sky portion of my giraffe picture is completely colored in.  I like to take my time with drawing and art work, and there is no rush for me!
After taking some time the sky portion of my giraffe picture is completely colored in. I like to take my time with drawing and art work, and there is no rush for me! | Source

As I colored in the background behind the giraffe, I became quite excited because I knew my art project was coming to a completion.

I have begun to shade in the brown spots of the giraffe here.
I have begun to shade in the brown spots of the giraffe here. | Source
Here I have begun to add color to the leaves the giraffe might be tempted to eat.  In my illustration I kept the upper branches bare, as if to imply he may have already ate those leaves.
Here I have begun to add color to the leaves the giraffe might be tempted to eat. In my illustration I kept the upper branches bare, as if to imply he may have already ate those leaves. | Source
Here I am continuing to color in the giraffe.
Here I am continuing to color in the giraffe. | Source
Another picture in the process of drawing a giraffe step by step.
Another picture in the process of drawing a giraffe step by step. | Source
Adding more color and detail to my giraffe.
Adding more color and detail to my giraffe. | Source
Here the giraffe is almost completed shaded in.
Here the giraffe is almost completed shaded in. | Source

When I am finished drawing I always like to scan my art work, so I can pick up details that cannot always been seen with a photograph.  I quite like how the colored pencils created such a rich illustration for the walls of my home.  You can learn how to draw animals by checking out drawing books from the library, or you can even order books on how to draw animals from Amazon.

This is the scanned version of my giraffe sketch.
This is the scanned version of my giraffe sketch. | Source

I created a video of the completed giraffe sketch, which illustrates how vibrant the drawing appears. Now I can frame my picture and enjoy looking at my giraffe each day. Framing your art work is also a creative and frugal way to make gifts for family and friends.

Also, I turned my giraffe illustration into a shirt I now love to wear, which shows how art can have more than one purpose. It can be used to create a unique wardrobe as well.

Wearing the giraffe shirt, which features a reprint of my drawing.
Wearing the giraffe shirt, which features a reprint of my drawing.
Standing near the tree wearing the giraffe shirt.
Standing near the tree wearing the giraffe shirt.
Holding on to a tree while posing in the giraffe shirt.
Holding on to a tree while posing in the giraffe shirt.
Another picture of me wearing the giraffe shirt.
Another picture of me wearing the giraffe shirt.
Art can decorate shirts. I used a print on demand shirt to turn my giraffe art into a wearable shirt.
Art can decorate shirts. I used a print on demand shirt to turn my giraffe art into a wearable shirt.
working

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