How to draw moon
How to draw moon
How to Draw the Moon
Learn how to draw a great looking Moon with easy, step-by-step drawing instructions, and video tutorial. You can now easily create a beautiful Moon drawing.
The moon is thought to be four and half billion years old, just younger than the earth itself. It may have formed from the collision of a planet-sized object with the earth.
It is a large moon compared to the earth, and it affects the tides and stabilizes the rotation of the earth on its axis.
Throughout history, the length of the month has been based either roughly or directly on the moon’s cycle of phases. T
he moon undergoes a 28-day cycle of «waxing» (appearing to grow larger) and «waning» (appearing to grow smaller).
Did you know? A minimum of four, and a maximum of eight, solar and lunar eclipses occur each year. The moon is involved in all of them.
During a solar eclipse, the moon passes between the earth and the sun, blocking light from our neighbor star; during a lunar eclipse, the earth passes between the sun and the moon, casting its shadow on our natural satellite.
Scroll down for a downloadable PDF of this tutorial.
The «space race» of the twentieth century marked the attempts of several nations to be the first to set foot on the moon. The first manned mission to the moon took place in 1969 and made famous the words, «One small step for man, and one giant leap for mankind.»
No humans have landed on the moon since 1972, and no countries have claimed land on the moon on their own.
Throughout history, images of the moon have featured prominently in art. This is little wonder, considering the moon’s universal visibility in the night sky.
The oldest of these may be a rock carving in Knowth, Ireland, thought to be around 5,000 years old. Many cultures deified the moon, assigning it as a god or goddess.
Would you like to draw a moonlit sky? Doing so is easier than ever with the help of this simple, step-by-step drawing tutorial. All you will need is a pencil, a sheet of paper, and an eraser.
You may also wish to use crayons, markers, colored pencils, or paints to shade your finished drawing.
In each step, you will find a detailed illustration as well as explanatory text. Pay close attention to the lines highlighted in blue, as these indicate new lines to be added.
If you liked this tutorial, see also the following drawing guides: Night Sky, Mars, and Sun.
Step-by-Step Instructions for Drawing the Moon
1. Begin by drawing a circle. This will outline the moon itself.
2. Draw a cloud passing in front of the moon. Begin the top of the cloud using short, connected curved lines.
3. Completely enclose the shape of the cloud, using short, connected curved lines to outline the bottom of the cloud.
4. Add another cloud beneath the moon. Again, use short, connected, curved lines to outline the cloud.
MORE DRAWING TUTORIALS:
How to Draw Saturn
How to Draw a Cartoon Star
5. Enclose the cloud using short, curved, connected lines to outline the bottom portion.
6. Erase the guide line of the moon’s circle from the overlapping cloud.
7. Add detail to the moon. Draw craters by enclosing irregular shapes of various sizes within the moon.
MORE DRAWING TUTORIALS:
How to Draw Space and Planets
How to Draw a Space Shuttle
8. Add additional detail to the moon’s surface. Draw dots, small circles, and irregular shapes to indicate craters.
Your drawing of the moon face is now ready.
9. Draw additional clouds above and below the moon using connected, curved lines of different sizes. Draw a star nearby.
Color Your Moon Drawing
10. Color your night sky complete with its moon. Why not combine your moon picture with some of our other drawing tutorials, such as a desert or a forest? Then, populate your scene with your favorite animals.
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How to Draw a Full Moon
How to draw a moon
Ever wonder why the moon looks red sometimes? You can thank our atmosphere for tha.
How to draw a moon
Ever wonder why the moon looks red sometimes? You can thank our atmosphere for that. It scatters blue light from space, so objects in space look redder than they are from Earth. When the moon is near the horizon, more of the blue light is scattered, and viola! Red Moon. I just thought it looked soooo cool… had to do a lesson with a big red full moon. It looks awesome on its own, and it can add a real bang in the background of any drawing- especially a Halloween witch or haunted house- check out our tutorials on them. Don’t be fooled into thinking that it’s really complicated to draw, a kid, teen or adult could do this. Just follow this tutorial step by step, play the animation slowly if you need too.
Step 1
One big circle… in case you were wondering- that’s for the moon.
Step 2
Now this is the part that LOOKS complicated, but trust me it’s not. What I’ve done here is airbrushed different transparent shades, starting with a pale orange for a base. Over this I’ve airbrushed a darker orange, a reddish orange and a lighter yellow for highlights.
Step 3
After that I’ve airbrushed the background black. This next part you can improvise on easily. I’ve done the silhouette with transparent black pencil and with a thinner pencil put in details. I’ve done a tree line, but you could do a spooky castle or a lone hero… let you imagination run wild! Enjoy!
How to Draw a Mystic Moon Illustration in Procreate on iPad
The moon has always attracted people, not only from a scientific point of view as an astronomical object, but also because it is believed to have some magical aspects which influence our lives. It can even be frightening and sometimes creepy!
If you’ve ever heard of selenophobia, you probably know what I mean. Selenophobia (from the Greek word seleno, meaning «moon»), also known as lunaphobia (from the Latin word luna, meaning «moon») is the fear of the moon. Like many other phobias, selenophobia originates from painful experiences during childhood.
You may believe it or not, but as for now, let’s get some inspiration from this side of the moon’s nature and draw a mysterious illustration in Procreate. We’ll start with a very rough sketch, discovering all the basic features of this drawing application, and gradually moving to building shapes, colouring them, and adding textures up to the end result. Interested?
Oh, and by the way, you can get the Mystic Moon source file together with other file formats on Envato Elements. This file will allow you to see how everything was made and organised by going through the layers. You will also get a layered Adobe Photoshop file which is convenient to use for your personal or commercial work.
1. How to Draw a Moon in Procreate
Step 1
I’m using an iPad Pro and an Apple Pencil to create illustrations in Procreate. However, Procreate also supports other models of iPads (with iOS 10.0 and newer) which work with other styluses listed in Actions > Devices. The Apple Pencil itself is not on the list, though all its functions are fully supported by the app as well. While choosing your device or stylus, please keep in mind that Apple Pencil works only with iPad Pro, so always check the full information and compatibility of devices and apps before purchasing.
Step 2
Open the application, and let’s create a New Canvas by clicking the Create (+) icon in the top right corner. From there we can either select one of the canvases from the list or create a custom one. The number of layers in our file depends on its size. The higher the dimensions, the fewer layers you’ll be able to create.
Let’s make a 3500 x 3500 px canvas that will allow us to make up to 12 layers, which is more than enough for this project.
Step 3
I usually start my illustration with a rough sketch. Let’s open the Brushes tab and select an HB Pencil brush from the Sketching set.
We already have one empty layer by default, so I just pick the brush and start doodling. I can control the Size and Opacity of my brush by moving the two vertical sliders on the left side of the screen.
Step 4
Once I’m happy with the overall idea of my future illustration, I open the Layers panel and tap the layer to reveal a menu. Tap Rename and change the layer name to “Sketch”.
Step 5
Here is what I ended up with. It is pretty simple yet detailed, which will help me to focus on shapes and colours.
Step 6
As you may have noticed, we already have a “Background colour” layer in the Layers panel by default. It allows us to change the colour of the canvas by tapping and selecting the desired colour on the colour wheel. Let’s pick a nice tint of dark blue for the night sky.
Step 7
Now let’s tap the “+” icon in the top right corner of the Layers panel to make a New Layer. Then open the Brushes panel and pick the Ink Bleed brush in the Inking set.
Step 8
If we swipe to the left through all the brush sets, we can tap the “+” icon and create a New Set. Then we can drag and drop any existing brushes in this set for quick access.
Apart from that, we can edit the settings of any brush by tapping it. Let’s tap the Ink Bleed brush and edit the Stroke > Streamline parameter by setting it to 5%. This function allows us to smooth the line while drawing, which gives higher control over the strokes.
Then go to General > Size Limits and make sure that the Max slider is set to maximum.
Step 9
Now we can pick the pale yellow colour on the colour wheel (top right corner) and draw the outline of the moon, using our sketch as a reference. We can also pinch the canvas with two fingers, zoom it, and rotate for our convenience.
I also move the Size and Opacity sliders all the way up to make the line thick and solid.
Step 10
Once we’ve created a closed path, we can either scribble inside to fill it with colour or we can tap and hold the colour circle in the top right corner and drag and drop it right onto our shape.
Step 11
Let’s open the Layers panel and tap the N letter on the Sketch layer. From here, we can switch between the Blending Modes and change the Opacity of the layer. Set the Opacity to 45%, making the sketch semi-transparent.
Step 12
When using a textured brush, you may notice some empty spots or strokes after filling the shape. Use the Ink Bleed brush to paint inside the shape, eliminating the blank spaces.
Step 13
Now let’s Alpha Lock our moon layer by swiping to the right with two fingers. You will see the layer thumbnail background become checkered. Once you’ve Alpha Locked the layer, you’ll be painting inside the shape, without crossing its edges, which is very convenient for adding shadows, highlights, and textures.
Step 14
Now let’s add some texture to our moon. First of all, let’s select a darker colour. If you already have another colour selected, tap the square that’s located between the Size and Opacity sliders, and move the magnifying circle on top of the moon to pick its pale yellow colour.
Open the colour wheel and select a darker colour.
If you want to change the options of the colour picker, you can go to Actions > Advanced gesture control and switch between the settings of the Eyedropper.
Step 15
Let’s go to Brushes > Sketching and pick the Bonobo Chalk brush. Lower the Opacity and start painting over the moon, adding texture.
Step 16
Now lower the Size and draw along the edges of the moon to make it more three-dimensional.
Step 17
Now let’s create a New Layer, pick an orange colour, and choose the HB Pencil brush. Start scribbling over the darker areas, adding a realistic pencil texture. Make short parallel hatches, the same way as you do it on paper.
Step 18
Continue adding pencil strokes along the edges. Then pick a light-yellow colour and fill the center of the crescent as well.
Here you can see the layers that we’re using in this step.
Step 19
Let’s make a New Layer and take the Ink Bleed brush. Use a dark-orange colour to add short strokes for a cartoon effect.
Lower the Opacity of the layer to 60%, making the strokes semi-transparent.
Step 20
Now that our moon is finished, let’s Group all of its layers together. Select the top layer and swipe to the right all the layers beneath it with one finger. You will see a light-blue selection and a three-strokes icon appear in the top right corner of the Layers panel. Tap the icon to create a Layer Group. Now we can rename it and fold by tapping the arrow icon.
2. How to Draw a Star
Step 1
Let’s unlock the alpha on the Moon layer by swiping it to the right again with two fingers. You will see a solid background on the layer thumbnail, meaning that now you can paint anywhere on this layer.
Let’s use the Ink Bleed brush again to draw a star that we have on our sketch layer.
Step 2
I want to move the star a bit as I don’t like its current position. It looked fine on the sketch, but now the composition is quite unbalanced, so let’s see how we can center its top point with the top tip of the crescent.
Let’s tap the Freehand Selection in the top panel and make sure that Freehand option is selected in the bottom panel. Now we can draw a circle around our star, creating a selected area.
Step 3
After the selection is created, tap Transform and select Freeform in the panel below. Now that our selection around the star has changed to a square, we can move it around without affecting any other elements on the same layer.
Step 4
Use the Bonobo Chalk brush and switch to lighter and darker yellow colours, adding that texture touch to the star and making it more three-dimensional.
Step 5
Both main elements of our composition are ready, so let’s make them pop out of the background a bit more.
Create a New Layer right above the Background colour layer. You can reorder the layers by simply tapping and holding a layer and then dragging and dropping it to the desired position in the Layers panel.
Use the Bonobo Chalk brush and a dark blue colour (slightly lighter than the background) to create a subtle mist around the moon.
3. How to Draw Floral Elements and Herbs
Step 1
Now let’s unleash our imagination and draw out all those herbs and flowers from our sketch by adding more details and life to them.
Create a New Layer, take the Ink Bleed brush, and start drawing out the first branch growing from the bottom tip of the crescent. I’m using a dark-blue colour for this one, starting with a thin, arched stem and then adding rounded leaves along the stem.
Step 2
Continue using the same colour to add more elements around the moon. First of all, add a few floating leaves next to the first branch. Then draw a second branch growing from the bottom of the crescent. Place it right above the yellow surface, thus adding contrast.
Move on by adding other branches and leaves. I’m also using the Erase tool with the same Ink Bleed brush, cleaning some spots where I don’t want the leaves to overlap with the yellow shape of the moon.
Step 3
Once you’re happy with the dark blue plants (by the way, you’re always able to return to them later and add whatever details you want), create a New Layer and use a greyish-blue colour to add those leaves and flowing stems. Make the new grey plants partially overlap the dark-blue ones from the previous layer.
Try to maintain the balance in your composition by adding branches of more or less equal length on both sides of the moon. Don’t forget about the floating leaves—speckle them around the branches as well.
Step 4
Now it’s time to create the next New Layer. Pick a light-yellow colour and start adding bright strokes to our image in the spots where they are really needed.
Step 5
I have some plants here that consist of a grey stem and light-yellow flower bud. In order to add those buds, I simply create a New Layer and place it beneath all the other floral layers so that my additional yellow elements will always be partially hidden beneath the top layers of herbs.
Step 6
Once I’m happy with all the flowers and plants, I make sure that everything looks balanced enough and there are no empty spots or, on the contrary, areas overloaded with elements.
I’m using one of the yellow layers to speckle some stars around the moon by drawing dots of various sizes with the Ink Bleed brush.
Step 7
Now it is time to add a textured touch to all the floral elements! Don’t worry, you won’t have to draw a shadow on each leaf and flower manually.
First of all, let’s Alpha Lock each of the floral layers by swiping to the right with two fingers. If you do everything right, you will see a checkered background on the thumbnails.
Now take the Bonobo Chalk brush, and let’s start with the dark blue layer. Select a darker colour and go over the layer with wide strokes, adding grainy texture to all the dark-blue pieces. Then decrease the Size of the brush and go over the areas that need some more intense shadows, like the places where the leaves overlap or the spots where leaves grow from the stem, making the stem darker. This way we’ll visually separate the layers from each other, bringing more dimension to our image.
Step 8
Now let’s blend in some highlights. Pick a lighter yellow colour and draw over the tips of the leaves, adding a subtle silver glow to them.
Step 9
Work over all the dark blue layer and don’t forget to zoom out in order to check how the overall image looks at this stage.
Step 10
Now let’s switch to the grey layer and do the same for the greyish-blue plants. Start by adding those shadows and go on to the highlights, making all the tips slightly lighter.
Step 11
And finally, the yellow layers (both top and bottom ones)! This time, try to achieve a golden look by using orange for the shadows and light yellow (almost white) for the highlights.
Step 12
Once you’re happy with the floral elements, make a New Layer on top of all the floral layers, and let’s add some more mystic glow. Go to Brushes and select Airbrushing > Soft Airbrush. Pick a light-yellow colour.
Step 13
Decrease the Opacity and draw very light round spots around all the yellow-gold elements, making them really stand out and glow.
Step 14
We can add some more volume to our image if we create a New Layer in the Moon group of layers (Shadow layer) and use the Bonobo Chalk brush to make subtle shadows in the areas where leaves are placed on top of the moon. We can play with the layer options by setting it to Multiply mode and decreasing the Opacity to 80%, making it more subtle.
To the Moon & Back! Our Mystic Moon Image Is Finished!
Great work! Now our mystic moon illustration looks balanced and complete! I hope you’ve enjoyed following this tutorial and discovered new opportunities of using your iPad as a fully featured working device while creating beautiful pieces of art in Procreate.
By the way, once you’ve finished with your image, you can always share it and export in multiple formats, including the original Procreate file and a layered PSD file for Adobe Photoshop, which gives you even more flexibility and a wider range of opportunities!
You can get the Mystic Moon file in various formats on Envato Elements, to see how it was made and how the layers are organised. Apart from that, you’ll get a layered PSD file which is easy to use for your personal or commercial designs. You can also find a wide selection of premium Procreate brushes on Elements.
And if you like this illustration, you can find more like it over on Reshot, home of the best free vector illustrations. Download royalty-free illustrations and other creative assets, completely free of charge.
How to Draw a Moon
The moon is an ever present and powerful force in the night sky. It has been a source of inspiration and fear since ancient times and continues to be an important symbol for many cultures around the world. It can come in different shapes, like round or crescent, and many colors such as blue, yellow, orange, or red. It’s not that hard to draw a moon, but it does take patience and some time. We are going to show you how to draw a moon.
If you want to learn how to draw a moon, then we are here for you. This blog post will show you the simple and easy steps on how to make your own moon drawings. Drawing the moon is not as difficult as it may seem, and can be done with just a few simple steps. The process can be done with any kind of pencil or pen and it’s fairly simple. Follow these simple steps and you’ll be on your way to drawing a beautiful, realistic looking moon in no time.
Draw a Moon Step by Step: 4 Methods
We are going to show you how to draw a moon in easy steps. You can use these as a starting point for more advanced drawings of the moon, or just have fun drawing them on your own!
Draw a Moon: Method 1
Step- 1
Let’s get started drawing the moon. You can use a cup as your circle template, so draw the circle and leave some space.
Step- 2
Then proceed to connect it. Simply round it off a little on both sides, then give the moon a nose a little below the center. It’s all up to you if you want to or not if you just want to bring out a little curve and then go back in to connect it.
Step- 3
Now, let’s bring the moon to life by drawing a circle on the moon for an adorable eye. Make it beautiful and cute, and you need to add some highlights to it.
Step- 4
Then we’ll shade in the top of the eye with a circle and another circle. Add some lines at the bottom of the eye to look good.
Step- 5
After that, we’ll only draw a tiny curve on top of the eye.
Step- 6
Then let’s give the moon a smile. So, draw a curve up ahead and end it there.
Step- 7
For the cute little star that sits right next to the moon, simply draw a curve from the top to down, as shown above.
Step- 8
Make sure the other side of the star is at the same level as the previous stage, and then continue the curve to the right to find a center. Simply descend on both sides, then locate and join the middle.
Step- 9
So now that we have our adorable little star in place, let’s bring the beginning to life. So we’ll start with some really happy eyes or two curves since we don’t have much room, so just give two joyful curved eyes and a sweet grin in the center, and that’s about it.
Step- 10
Now add some shine all around it to complement the gleaming star. So, now there’s a moon and a cute little star.
Step- 11
Finally, you can finish your drawing by coloring it in the appropriate manner.
Draw a Moon: Method 2
Step- 1
Draw a circle around something, or trace a circle around it with a pen.
Step- 2
Make a horizontal line with your pencil.
Step- 3
For the moon, draw a large circle above the line.
Step- 4
Make some lunar crater and impact mark drawings.
Step- 5
The moon should be smudged in some areas.
Step- 6
A reflection in the sea can be drawn by tracing an outline.
Step- 7
Create some waves by drawing some marks.
Step- 8
Waves must be smudged.
Step- 9
The sky behind the moon should be drawn as dark as possible near the horizon and increasing darker as you go up into it.
Step- 10
Finally, Increase the darkness of the sky and we are done!
Draw a Moon: Method 3
Step- 1
The first thing you want to do is draw a circle in the center of the page. It should be a light circle.
Step- 2
Draw a rough shade of the sky with a pencil 9B.
Step- 3
Using a paper towel or a cloth, blend in the shade you’ve created.
Step- 4
Shade the sky again with the same pencil but in a more rough manner.
Step- 5
Using a paper towel or a cloth, blend in again the shade you’ve created.
Step- 6
Apply the remaining graphite to the Moon using the same paper towel or cloth you used in the previous step. After that, divide the Moon roughly into four quadrants with an eraser.
Step- 7
Sketch the landmasses in quadrants by quadrants using a 9B pencil.
Step- 8
Sketch in the rest of your design. Start out with the outlines of the Moon and build it up from there.
Step- 9
Make a rough sketch of the rest of the areas.
Step- 10
Using a 9B, lightly shade in the maria (dark patches) and blend it in.
Step- 11
With a 9B pencil, build up the shading of the sky. Avoid the use of blending stumps for blending. Make sure your shading is evenly distributed by crosshatching. Outline the landmasses more precisely with an H pencil.
Step- 12
A 9B pencil will be useful for smoothing out the sky shading in the background. Keep your outline as clean and crisp as possible. For the Moon, shade it in with an H pencil. Focus on the mares with more pressure and shade lightly around the light spots. If you are shading the moon, try to make it rough so that it resembles its texture. In order to understand what’s going on, please refer to the picture.
Step- 13
Make the landmasses darker in the next quadrant and apply a shaded background.
Step- 14
Rest of the quadrant should be shaded.
Step- 15
Prepare for Tycho’s quadrant by getting to work on it now. Once the landmasses have been defined, erase the rays that extend out from the Tycho crater.
Step- 16
On the moon, shade with an H pencil and on the sky, shade with a 9B pencil.
Step- 17
Shading the final section of the sky and defining the other land masses are important.
Step- 18
The final step in shading the moon is to add details to the surface and to the rest of the sky. We are done!
Draw a Moon: Method 4
Step- 1
Moons are known for their round shape. Draw the moon with a circle the size you want to draw it.
Step- 2
The circle should be covered with small dots and irregular shapes. Drawing lightly with a pencil is a good idea when you’re starting out. You can erase mistakes more easily when you’re doing this.
Step- 3
Make the moon look more attractive by drawing some clouds around it. You can draw any cloud you like. Here are two examples.
Step- 4
Now draw some stars. Make sure the stars are different shapes and distances away from each other. Accordingly, some stars appear larger when seen from earth, while others appear smaller.
Step- 5
Finally, color the moon drawing.
Final Words
There are a few ways to go about drawing the moon, but we hope this tutorial has been helpful in helping you understand how to draw a moon. Remember that when it comes to art there is no right or wrong way of doing things- just try out different methods and see what works for you. Thank you for reading this tutorial. Happy drawing!
Learn How to Draw a Wolf Howling at the Moon Step by Step
Photo: Stock Photos from sonsart/Shutterstock
Nothing captures the wilderness quite like a wolf howling at the moon. It’s an iconic image that is used in novels and films alike to communicate the embrace of nature. So, if you’ve already mastered how to draw a dog, why not venture into the forests and learn how to draw its majestic ancestor, the wolf?
Although they’re wild creatures, wolves have a lot in common with the lovable domestic companions we keep by our sides today. Some dog breeds, like huskies and malamutes, seem to share a lot of similarities, especially when they howl. Still, it’s important to approach each drawing subject with fresh, observant eyes. If you feel primed to make some art, then follow along this tutorial to learn how to draw a wolf howling at the moon in just seven simple steps!
Learn How to Draw a Wolf Step by Step
Photo: Stock Photos from zef art/Shutterstock
It’s good practice to do a bit of research before beginning any drawing. In the case of a wolf howling at the moon, try and collect a few images from different angles to better understand the shape of the wolf’s open mouth. Be very selective and find high-quality photos with no obstructions of the wolf’s head, legs, and especially paws (as these are often hidden by grass). For this reason, it’s smart to collect a couple of images, as it’s hard to find one perfect photo that will show you everything that you need.
As you start drawing, keep in mind that there are different species of wolves whose coats will vary in appearance depending on the time of the year the photo was taken. Due to this, always look to your own reference photo first, as it may differ from the example shown.
Step 1: Lightly sketch the basic shapes
Photo & Art: Margherita Cole | My Modern Met
First, using your pencil of choice, lightly sketch the basic shapes of the head, chest, and hindquarters. At this stage, we are just measuring out the proportions, so consult your reference photo often to see if it roughly matches up to your wolf of choice. After drawing the circle for the head, you can add a rectangular shape protruding from the side—this will be the open mouth.
Step 2: Connect the body
Photo & Art: Margherita Cole | My Modern Met
Once you feel satisfied with the basic shapes, you can begin connecting them to create the body of the wolf. If your model has a thick winter coat, keep the neck rounded as it connects to the chest. Next, add a triangle-shaped ear where the head meets the back, keeping in mind that wolves have fairly large ears. Before moving on, carefully place a thick line where the bridge of the nose meets the wolf’s head, indicating a closed eye.
Step 3: Add the legs and paws
Photo & Art: Margherita Cole | My Modern Met
Now, with the body in place, we can turn our attention to drawing the legs. Compared to dogs, wolves have very long legs, so keep that in mind as you sketch. You can start with straight geometric shapes for the forelimbs, and rounded shapes for the hind legs. Then at the end, place large ovals for the paws. Remember to include a fluffy long tail at the end of the wolf’s body.
If you feel satisfied with the proportions of the legs, you can go ahead and add more anatomical detail and carve out the toes of the wolf’s paws from the ovals.
Photo & Art: Margherita Cole | My Modern Met
Step 4: Draw the mouth
Photo & Art: Margherita Cole | My Modern Met
Next, we can turn our attention back to the head and body of the wolf. Since our wolf is howling, you’ll want to “cut out” a triangle from the wide rectangle we drew before. Consult your reference photo and pay attention to the gentle curve of the wolf’s mouth as it howls—typically, only one or two teeth are visible. Then, at the tip of the snout, sketch out the shape of the nose.
It can be tricky to find the right balance in the wolf’s open mouth, so take special care at this stage. Once you’re done, however, look over the rest of your sketch to see if matches up. If you’re happy with how it looks, go ahead and sketch a few details of fur where the coat is thickest.
Step 5: Erase the guidelines
Photo & Art: Margherita Cole | My Modern Met
At last, when you’re content with the final sketch, you can start erasing any unnecessary guidelines. If something is still bothering you at this stage, set the drawing aside for a bit and come back to it. Once you have a bit of distance, go ahead and make any adjustments that you think are needed.
Step 6: Add the moon
Photo & Art: Margherita Cole | My Modern Met
Finally, it’s time to give your wolf a fitting background. To draw a perfect full moon, use a protractor and measure the shape near the wolf’s head. Feel free to make it especially large for an impactful illustration. Then, if you want to flesh out the rest of the composition, draw a few trees behind the wolf to indicate a forest.
Tip: If you’re planning on completing the drawing in ink, keep the balance of black and white in mind. For example, if the sky will be completely black, make sure there are enough white elements to compliment it and vice versa.
Step 6: Go over the drawing with ink and/or color
Photo & Art: Margherita Cole | My Modern Met
To finish your drawing in ink, pull out your favorite pen and slowly trace over your final drawing. Once you’ve gone along all of the graphite lines, consider adding texture to some of the white areas of the illustration to make it pop. Hatching and drawing dots are two easy ways to cover blank space in an interesting way.
Finally, once you’ve given the ink ample time to dry, erase any remaining pencil lines. Congrats! You now have a dramatic illustration of a wolf howling at the moon.