How to Draw a Giraffe in 5 Steps

Chomping leaves as it towers over the trees, the giraffe is one of the most popular animals at the zoo. Learn how to draw this gentle giant.

In this section, we'll show you how to draw the above giraffe. Either draw it freehand while looking at your computer monitor or print out this page to get a closer look at each step.

Follow the red lines in each illustration to learn exactly what to draw in that step. The lines drawn in previous steps are shown in gray. We'll show you an illustration of each step and then give you a description of how to draw it.

1. Draw Head, Neck and Body

Draw a sideways pear shape for the body and a peanut shape for the head. Connect the head and body with a long rectangular form for the neck.

On the next page, you'll draw in those long, long legs.

2. Add the Legs

Draw the giraffe's four leg shapes. The next page shows you how to draw the giraffe's facial features and some other details.

3. Draw the Face

Draw ovals for the eyes and pupils. Add a curved shape for the tail with a teardrop shape at the end. Draw two small upside-down pear shapes for the horns and a mane down the head and part of the neck.

After that, draw an oval for the ear and each nostril. Put in lines for mouth, hoof, and tail details.

4. Add Spots

Draw the giraffe's spots on the body, neck, and legs. You're almost done -- move on to the next page to finish your giraffe.

5. Trace the Lines

Step 6: Use a felt-tip pen to trace over the lines you want to keep in the drawing, and erase the extra pencil lines.

Step back and admire your finished drawing. If you want to improve it, try drawing it again.

A giraffes isn't a household pet, but cats most certainly are. Check out How to Draw a Cat for directions on illustrating this more common indoor animal.