How to draw a fox
A fox is a drawing of points and one enormous tail: a sharp snout, two tall ears, and a bushy tail almost as big as the fox itself. Nail those three and it can only be a fox.
- 10 steps
- 12 minutes
- 4-10 Ages
- Easy
How do you draw a fox?
Sketch a tall oval for the head and a wide oval for the body. Draw the pointed head and snout in one curve, add two tall triangle ears, an eye and a small nose. Sweep one long curve out and back for the big bushy tail, add a zigzag fur ruff at the neck, then the front legs and paws. Ten steps.
Watch it drawn, line by line
The whole drawing in under half a minute, in the same order as the steps below. No sound, so play it anywhere.
Draw it step by step
The new lines for each step are drawn in red. The grey dashed shapes are guides, sketch them lightly and rub them out at the end.
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1 Step 1: Guide shapes
Lightly sketch one tall oval for the head and one wide oval for the body. Keep these dashed guides soft.
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2 Step 2: Pointed head
Draw a curved line that makes the pointed head and snout. Add a short L shape under the head for the front leg start.
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3 Step 3: Back and tail start
Add three curved lines on the big oval, two on the right and one below, to start the back and tail.
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4 Step 4: Big ears
Draw two tall triangles on top of the head for ears, then two smaller triangles inside them.
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5 Step 5: Face and muzzle
Draw a round eye. Add a small oval nose and a rounded muzzle shape in front of the face, plus a short curve under the cheek.
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6 Step 6: Tail outline
From the dot, draw one long curved line that sweeps out and back for the big tail. Add two tiny curved marks at the tail base.
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7 Step 7: Fur and tail tip
Draw a zigzag line on the neck for fluffy fur. Add a zigzag band and a curved top line on the tail tip.
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8 Step 8: Front leg
Draw two straight lines down for the front leg, then a small bumpy line at the bottom for the paw.
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9 Step 9: Second leg and belly
Add a short straight line down for the other front leg and a tiny curved paw. Draw a small curved line under the belly.
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10 Step 10: Paws details
Draw U shapes for three front paws and one U shape for the back paw. Add a small rectangle on the hind leg and two tiny dots for joints.
What do you need to draw a fox?
A pencil, paper and an eraser. A fox is all points and one big soft tail, so keep your lines loose: the pointed bits are quick straight strokes and the tail is one relaxed curve.
Where do you start?
With two grey guide ovals, sketched lightly: a tall one for the head and a wide one for the body, side by side, because this fox is sitting and seen from the side. The head oval is where the sharp snout and tall ears will grow, so leave a little room around it.
What is the hardest part of drawing a fox?
The tail, and the mistake is making it too small. A fox has a tail nearly as big as its body: draw it as one long curve that sweeps out to the side and back in, thick the whole way, with a pale zigzag tip. A thin tail turns the fox into a cat.
Second thing: the snout and ears are POINTED, not round. The head runs out to a sharp point at the nose in one curve, and the two ears are tall triangles standing straight up. Points at both ends are what say fox instead of dog.
How do you make it your own?
- Colour a red fox. Orange body, white chest and tail tip, dark feet and ear edges.
- Make an arctic fox. Colour the whole thing white and round the ears a little for the cold.
- Add snow. A wavy line under the feet and a few dots falling around it.
- Curl it up. Draw the same big tail wrapped over the nose and the fox is asleep.
What else is worth knowing about foxes?
That big tail is a tool, not just decoration: a fox wraps it over its nose and feet like a blanket to sleep in the snow, and holds it out straight to balance when it runs and turns fast. The tall ears you drew are built for hunting too. A fox can hear a mouse moving under deep snow, then jumps high and dives down nose-first to catch it, which is a very cat-like way for a member of the dog family to hunt.
Questions people ask about drawing a fox
Is this a good first fox for a 5 year old?
Yes. It has a few more steps than some animals because of the legs and the tail, but each step is one simple shape. A younger child may want help keeping the tail as big as the body.
How long does it take?
About twelve minutes. The tail and the fluffy neck ruff take a little longer because of the zigzag lines, but they are forgiving: a fox coat is meant to look ragged.
How do I make it look like a fox and not a dog or a cat?
Keep everything pointed and the tail huge. A sharp snout, tall triangle ears and a thick bushy tail with a pale tip are the three things a dog and a cat do not have all together.
