Today, I wanted to try something totally different and fun – drawing the Chinese zodiac animals. I’ve always been fascinated by them, so I figured, why not give it a shot?
First things first, I needed some references. I googled “Chinese zodiac animals” and found a bunch of images. Gotta have something to look at, right? I saved a few that I liked, just to get a general idea of the shapes and features of each animal.
Then, I grabbed my sketchbook and a pencil. I’m no artist, so I knew I needed to start simple. I decided to go for a more cartoon-y style, rather than trying to be super realistic. Easier that way, you know?
I started with the Rat. I drew a basic oval for the body, then added a pointy head, some big ears, and a long, swirly tail. It looked… okay. Not great, but hey, it’s a start!
Moving On to the Rest
- The Ox: I made him look kinda strong and sturdy, with thick legs and big horns.
- The Tiger: Stripes, stripes, and more stripes! I tried to make him look fierce, but he ended up looking more like a grumpy housecat.
- The Rabbit: This one was easier. Big floppy ears, a fluffy tail, and some cute little paws.
- The Dragon: Okay, this was the hardest. I struggled with the scales and the fire coming out of his mouth. It took a few tries, but I finally got something that resembled a dragon.
- Then Monkey, goat, and so on!
I kept going through the rest of the animals, one by one. Some were definitely easier than others. The Pig, for example, was pretty simple – just a round body and a curly tail. The Rooster, with all his feathers, was a bit more challenging.
After a couple of hours, I had sketched all twelve animals. They weren’t perfect, by any means, but it was a fun experiment. I even added some color with colored pencils, just to make them pop a bit more.
Honestly, the whole process was more about having fun and trying something new than creating a masterpiece. I might try this again sometime, maybe with different styles or mediums. It’s a good way to relax and let your creativity flow, even if you’re not a “real” artist, like me.
