How to Draw a Fox

ຂັ້ນ​ຕອນ​ຕໍ່​ຂັ້ນ​ຕອນ

1. ຂັ້ນ 1

   ວາງ​ຂອບ​ໃນ​ວົງ​ໃຫຍ່​ຂອງ​ຫົວ​ຂອງ​ແມວ​

   Everything else gets measured against this, so draw it in one motion rather than in short careful passes. A slightly lopsided shape drawn confidently is more use than a perfect one built out of twelve nervous strokes, because you can correct a shape and you cannot un-see a hesitant line.

   ລະວັງ Drawing it small to leave room for detail. The big shape is most of the drawing - use the space.

   ກວດ It should fill most of your page, with a margin all round.

2. ຂັ້ນ 2

   ເພີ່ມ​ເສັ້ນ​ກາງ​ສອງ​ເສັ້ນ, ຢ່າງ​ງ່າຍດາຍ

   These are the rulers for everything that follows. Without them the two halves of the fox drift apart by a few millimetres at a time and you do not notice until it is finished and subtly wrong. Press lightly - they come off at the end.

   ລະວັງ Skipping them because it looks symmetrical already. It will not be by the time you are done.

   ກວດ They should cross at the middle of the shape you just drew.

3. ຂັ້ນ 3

   ແຕ້ມ​ປາກ​ເປັນ​ຮູບ​ຊົງ​ຊ່ອງ​ຍາວ​ອ່ອນໆ

   This is the shape that says fox rather than dog. It comes off the lower half of the circle and it is longer and thinner than feels right - compare its length to the head circle rather than guessing, and it should be about half as long as the head is wide.

   ລະວັງ A short, wide muzzle, which reads as a puppy.

   ກວດ The muzzle should be about half the head's width in length.

4. ຂັ້ນ 4

   ແຕ້ມ​ຫູ​ຄັ້ງ​ທຳ​ອິດ: ສາມຫຼ່ຽມ​ສູງ, ໂຄ້ງ​ອອກ​ໄປ​ຂ້າງນອກ.

   Fox ears are big - roughly as tall as half the head circle - and the outer edge curves in slightly rather than running dead straight. Set the angle deliberately, because the two ears must agree.

   ລະວັງ Making the ears too small and too upright.

   ກວດ The ear should be about half the height of the head circle.

5. ຂັ້ນ 5

   ແຕ້ມ​ຫູ​ອັນ​ດັບ​ສອງ​ເພື່ອ​ໃຫ້​ເໝາະ​ກັບ​ຫູ​ອັນ​ທຳ​ອິດ

   Compare it to the one you just drew rather than to your idea of a ear: same size, same angle, same distance from the centre. This is the comparison habit that fixes proportion everywhere, and a pair is the easiest place to practise it because the error is obvious once you look for it.

   ລະວັງ Making the second ear smaller - it usually happens because your hand is more cramped on that side.

   ກວດ Both should sit the same distance from the centre line.

6. ຂັ້ນ 6

   ເພີ່ມ​ຫູ​ພາຍ​ໃນ​ເປັນ​ສາມຫຼ່ຽມ​ນ້ອຍ​ກວ່າ​ພາຍ​ໃນ​ແຕ່ລະ​ອັນ

   Set in from the edges and slightly lower than the outer point. This is where the dark goes later, and it is what makes an ear read as a cup rather than as a flat shape stuck to the head.

   ລະວັງ Inner triangles that touch the outer edges, which flattens the ear.

   ກວດ There should be a visible margin all round each inner triangle.

7. ຂັ້ນ 7

   ວາງ​ຕາ​ຢູ່​ເທິງ​ເສັ້ນ​ກາງ​ແບບ​ຮອບ​ດ້ານ

   Fox eyes are almond-shaped and angled - the outer corner sits higher than the inner one, which is what gives a fox its sharp expression. Leave a full eye's width between them.

   ລະວັງ Round eyes set level, which looks startled rather than alert.

   ກວດ You should be able to fit one more eye between the two.

8. ຂັ້ນ 8

   ເພີ່ມ​ຮູ​ຢູ່​ເທິງ​ປາກ​ຂອງ​ປາກ​ແລະ​ເສັ້ນ​ທີ່​ກັບ​ມາ​ຫາ​ປາກ​ອີກ​ຄັ້ງ

   A small rounded triangle, and it points down. The line from the nose back along the muzzle is what separates the top of the snout from the jaw, and without it the muzzle reads as a solid wedge.

   ລະວັງ A large round nose, which pulls the drawing back toward a dog.

   ກວດ The nose should be small relative to the muzzle.

9. ຂັ້ນ 9

   ແຕ້ມ​ຮ່າງກາຍ​ເປັນ​ສາມຫຼ່ຽມ​ມົນ​ຢູ່​ໃຕ້​ຫົວ

   A sitting fox is essentially a wide-based triangle with the head on top. Overlap it with the head circle rather than butting them together - the overlap is what makes the head sit in front of the chest.

   ລະວັງ Placing the body directly under the head with no overlap, which reads as two stacked shapes.

   ກວດ The body outline should pass behind the head.

10. ຂັ້ນ 10

    ແຕ້ມ​ລຳ​ຄໍ​ເປັນ​ເສັ້ນໂຄ້ງ​ຍາວ​ທີ່​ໜາ, ກວ້າງກວ່າ​ທີ່​ທ່ານ​ຄາດ​ວ່າ​ຈະ​ມີ

    This is the shape most people undersize. A fox tail is about as long as the body and roughly a third as thick, and it curls round the base of the body rather than sticking out behind. Draw its outline as two curves, not one.

    ລະວັງ A thin tail, which loses the whole silhouette.

    ກວດ The tail should be at least a third as thick as the body is wide.

11. ຂັ້ນ 11

    ສັງເກດ​ໜ້າ​ຂາວ ແລະ​ປາຍ​ຂີ້​ຂາວ

    These are the two shapes that make a fox recognisable without colour. They are areas you leave alone, not areas you draw - deciding now where the paper stays white is what stops you shading over them in the next step.

    ລະວັງ Shading the whole fox evenly and then trying to erase the white back in.

    ກວດ You should have two clearly reserved light shapes.

12. ຂັ້ນ 12

    ປົກ​ຄຸມ​ຈຸດ​ສຸດ​ທ້າຍ​ຂອງ​ຫູ, ຂາ ແລະ ຈຸດ​ສຸດ​ທ້າຍ​ຂອງ​ປາກ​ໃຫ້​ມຸມ​ທີ່​ມຸມ​

    A fox's dark points are its ear tips, its lower legs and the very tip of its muzzle. Get real contrast between those and the white chest - a fox in a narrow band of grey looks like a stuffed toy.

    ລະວັງ Being timid, so the darks and the whites end up only slightly different.

    ກວດ The ear tips should be clearly the darkest part of the drawing.

13. ຂັ້ນ 13

    ເພີ່ມ​ຜົມ​ບາງ​ຊະນິດ​ ແລະ ແນະນຳ​ໃຫ້​ມີ​ຜົມ​ຢູ່​ໜ້າ​ເອິກ

    Detail is suggested, never itemised. A handful of marks in the right places lets the eye fill in the rest, and drawing every one flattens the drawing into texture. Put them where they matter and stop early.

    ລະວັງ Adding detail evenly all over, which removes the contrast between busy areas and quiet ones.

    ກວດ Step back. You should still read the big shape first, detail second.

14. ຂັ້ນ 14

    ໄປ​ທີ່​ເສັ້ນ​ທີ່​ທ່ານ​ຢາກ​ຮັກສາ ແລະ ສູນເສຍ​ຕົວ​ຊີ້​ນຳ

    This is the step that turns a construction drawing into a finished one, and it is the one most people skip. Press harder on the outline and the features; leave the small stuff light. That difference in weight is what makes a drawing look deliberate rather than traced, and it costs thirty seconds.

    ລະວັງ Going over everything at the same weight, which flattens the drawing back out.

    ກວດ The outline should be clearly darker than the smallest details.