How To Draw A Realistic Bear

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Grizzly bears are known for their distinct shoulder humps, long claws, and grizzled fur, from which they get their name.^[1] Drawing a grizzly bear can seem challenging at first, but you can make the process easier by breaking it down into steps and using guidelines to assist you. If you're looking for an easier, cuter challenge, try drawing a cartoon grizzly bear instead!

1
Draw a large horizontal oval with a smaller vertical oval to the left of it. The horizontal oval will be the outline for the grizzly bear's body, and the vertical oval will be the outline for the head. The space between the ovals should be equal to the diameter of the smaller oval.^[2]
- The large horizontal oval should be slightly taller than the smaller vertical oval.
2
Draw a circle that's slightly overlapping the big oval. The circle will be the raised part of the grizzly bear's back. Position the circle so a slim portion of the bottom right section of the circle is overlapping with the top left section of the big oval. Make the circle about half as tall as the big oval, but the top should still be higher up on the page than the top of the big oval.^[3]
- The circle shouldn't be touching the small vertical oval.
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3

Connect the top of the circle to each oval with an upward curving line. Starting at the top of the vertical oval, draw an upward curving line that ends at the top left section of the circle. Then, move your pencil to the top of the horizontal oval and do the same thing, this time ending on the top right section of the circle.^[4]

At this point, you should have an outline of the grizzly bear's head, body, and upper neck and back.
4

Draw an outline of the snout coming off the vertical oval. With your pencil at the top of the vertical oval, draw a downward curving line through the oval toward the center-left side. When you're about to reach the side of the oval, stop. Next, from that point, draw a straight line through the side of the oval, continuing with the same angle you drew the curved line at. Once the straight line is nearly the same length as the curved line, draw a short line downward in the opposite direction to make the tip of the snout.^[5]
5
Draw the outline of the bottom of the neck coming off the vertical oval. Start with your pencil at the lower right side of the vertical oval. Then, draw a horizontal, upward curving line that ends halfway between the vertical oval and the horizontal oval.^[6]
- The end of the curved line should be slightly higher on the page than the point you started at.
6

Draw 4 guidelines for the legs. For each guideline, draw a narrow "S" shape with a downward horizontal curve at the bottom, like the end of each "S" has a hook or claw. Place 2 guidelines on the big oval—one extending down from the center of the oval and one extending off the bottom right side of the oval at an angle. Then, have the other 2 guidelines extend down off of the outline of the bottom of the neck.^[7]
7

Draw the back sides of the legs. For the back sides of the legs, draw vertical curved lines with tiny vertical curved lines at the ends. Start with the back leg, or the leg furthest to the right, and have the back side of the leg extending down off of the right side of the big oval. Then, for the next leg to the left, have the back side of the leg extending off the front of the leg behind it. For the next leg over, have the back side of the leg extend down off of the lower left side of the big oval. Finally, for the leg furthest to the left, have the back side of the leg extend down off of the leg next to it.^[8]

When you're finished drawing the back sides of the legs, you should have a basic outline of the grizzly bear's body, including its 4 legs. Now you just need to add in the details!
8

Add the ears and mouth. To draw the ears, start by drawing an upside-down "U" shape that overlaps with the top right section of the vertical oval. Then, starting at the top left side of the vertical oval, draw another upside-down "U" shape that ends at the top of the vertical oval. To draw the mouth, start with your pencil at the end of the snout and draw an upward curving line toward and through the vertical oval. Then, starting slightly to the left of the bottom of the vertical oval, draw a horizontal, upward curving line that ends just before the tip of the snout.^[9]
9
Draw the feet and toes. First, draw a short, downward curving line below each downward curving line at the ends of the leg guidelines. The lines should be parallel with the curve above them. Next, draw a straight line between the end of the downward curve and the end of the tiny vertical curve on the back side of the leg to make the bottom of the foot, repeating with each leg. Finally, draw a line between the ends of the two downward curving lines at the front of each foot to make the toes.^[10]
- When you're finished, each leg should have 2 toes.
10

Add the eyes and nose. To make the eyes, start by drawing a vertical curved line from the center-left side of the vertical oval to the top left section of the oval, slightly below the ear. Then, draw a small circle to the right of the point you started at to make the first eye. Finally, draw another small circle to the right and slightly down from the first one so it falls along the same vertical path as the ear that's furthest to the left. To make the nose, draw a downward vertical line from the tip of the snout to the mouth. Then, draw 2 small circles inside the nose and shade them in to make the nostrils.^[11]

At this point, your drawing should include the grizzly bear's entire face, as well as other small details like the feet and toes. You're nearly finished!
11
Erase any unnecessary guidelines. Once you erase the 2 ovals and the circle that you drew at the beginning, your drawing is finished! Be careful when you're erasing the guidelines so you don't accidentally erase other parts of your drawing. You may want to trace over the lines you want to keep with a pen or marker beforehand so you don't erase them.^[12]
- You can leave your drawing as is, or you can shade it in and add fur to make it look more realistic.
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1

Draw 2 small circles and shade them in to make the eyes. Position the eyes toward the top of your page since the cartoon bear you'll be drawing will be standing up. The grizzly bear's face is going to be tilted, so draw the right eye slightly higher up on the page than the left eye. Make the space between the eyes about 3 times the diameter of one eye.^[13]
2
Draw a narrow oval under the eyes for the nose and shade it in. Since the grizzly bear's face is going to be titled, position the nose so it's centered under the right eye, and draw it so it's angled slightly upward. Make the oval about 2 times as wide as the circles. The space between the right eye and the oval should be about the diameter of one of the eyes.^[14]
- Don't worry about making the placement or size of the nose perfect. It doesn't need to be exact.
3

Draw the right cheek to the side of the eyes and nose. Starting with your pencil slightly to the right of the right eye, draw a line that curves outward around the right side of the nose and then back in toward where the chin will go. The starting and end point of the line should nearly fall along the same vertical path, although the bottom end point will be slightly to the right.^[15]
4

Add the mouth underneath the eyes and nose. With your pencil below the left eye and on the same horizontal path as the bottom of the nose, draw a horizontal, upward curve that ends underneath the center of the nose. Then, bring your pencil back to the point you started at and draw a downward curving line that looks like a "C" shape, making it about half as long as the first curved line you drew. Repeat on the other side of the mouth, but make that curved line shorter and facing in the opposite direction. Finally, connect the ends of the 2 downward curving lines with a horizontal, upward curving line.^[16]
5

Draw the teeth and tongue inside of the mouth. To make the teeth, start with your pencil at the top left side of the mouth. Then, draw a short half circle to the right. Repeat this 2 more times down the top of the mouth so you have 3 teeth. To make the tongue, start by placing your pencil at the bottom left side of the mouth. Next, draw a large half circle to the right that's about as long as the first 2 teeth at the top of the mouth.^[17]

At this point, your grizzly bear's face should be complete. Your drawing should include the eyes, nose, mouth, and right cheek.
6
Draw the ears and top of the head around the face. First, place your pencil at the top end of the cheek. Then, draw a horizontal, downward curving line to the left that goes up and over the eyes. From that point, draw a round, circular curve, like a circle with a gap at the bottom right side, to make the first ear. Next, bring your pencil to the top of the head so it's along the same vertical path as the left eye and draw a half circle that ends to the right, which will be the second ear.^[18]
- When you're finished, there should be 2 rounded ears and on top of the cartoon grizzly bear's head.
7

Draw a large, vertical oval coming down off the head to make the body. Starting at the bottom left side of the left-most ear, draw a long, vertical line that curves outward and then back in as you reach the bottom of the body. Make the line about 3 times as long as the height of the head. Next, with your pencil at the bottom end of the cheek, draw another vertical curved line, curving in the opposite direction as the first one you drew, that ends along the same horizontal path as the first curved line. Don't actually connect the points at the bottom of the oval. Instead, leave a gap for the legs.^[19]

When you're finished, you should have a tall, narrow oval with the cartoon grizzly bear's head at the top. Don't worry if the oval doesn't look like a body just yet. It will when you add the arms and legs later.
8

Draw the front leg and foot in the gap at the bottom of the oval. Starting with your pencil at the bottom point of the left curved line, draw a short, slightly-curved, vertical line that extends down. Then, from that point, draw a horizontal, upward curve extending to the right that ends along the same vertical path as the right-most ear. Next, draw a short, vertical curved line, and then draw a taller, narrow vertical curved line that ends at the bottom of the body. Finally, draw 2 short, curved lines coming up off the bottom of the foot to make the toes.^[20]
9
Draw the back leg to the right of the front leg. First, place your pencil on the bottom right side of the body. Then, draw a vertical curved line extending down off the body that ends slightly above the horizontal path that the top of the front foot falls on. Next, draw a shorter, rounder vertical curved line extending down off of that point to make the toes. Finally, draw a horizontal, upward curving line from that point to the right side of the front toes.^[21]
- Don't worry about drawing the individual toes on this foot. They're hidden on the other side of the cartoon grizzly bear's body.
10

Draw an arm toward the left side of the body. To draw the arm, start by placing your pencil two-thirds up the body, slightly to the right of the left outer edge. Then, draw a vertical curved line that's almost parallel to the left side of the body, having it curve in toward the right as you reach the end. Make the line about one-third the height of the cartoon grizzly bear. Next, draw a short, upward curving line to round out the hand. Then, from that point, draw a vertical curved line extending upward to make the other side of the arm. Finally, draw 2 short, vertical lines extending up from the bottom of the arm to finish the hand.^[22]

You only need to draw one arm since one of the cartoon grizzly bear's arms is hidden on the other side of its body. At this point, your drawing should include the head, body, legs, and just the one arm. You're almost finished!
11
Color in the bear to finish your drawing. Start by coloring in the body, arm, face, and legs with a brown colored pencil, marker, or crayon. Then, color in the tongue with pink and the rest of the mouth with a darker shade of red or purple. Leave the teeth in the mouth white.^[23]
- Grizzly bears are usually brown, but you can fill in your cartoon bear using any color you like!
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How do I draw a female bear?

First, practice drawing any grizzly bear. Then, when you've mastered it, search for a picture of a female grizzly online, print it or put it side by side with your canvas, and draw with reference!

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To draw a grizzly bear, start by drawing a large horizontal oval, a smaller vertical oval to the left of the horizontal oval, and a circle that's slightly overlapping the bigger oval. Then, connect the tops of each shape to make the neck and back, and draw a snout coming off the vertical oval. Next, draw 2 legs coming off the horizontal oval and 2 legs coming off the bottom of the neck. Once you're done with the legs, add the ears, mouth, eyes, and nose. Finally, draw in the feet and toes and erase all of the guidelines that you started with. To learn how to draw a cartoon grizzly bear, scroll down!

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