Pencil drawing tutorial - portrait drawing of a Wolf

Hello, steemians of this wonderful community, it's good to be here, and it's a pleasure. I hope everything is going great, and I am also fine by the grace of God. Today I am thrilled to share with you all one of the pencil artworks I just finished recently, a portrait of a wolf. This drawing is more than just lines and shades on paper; it’s a visual story of strength, patience, and the spirit of survival. I’ve always admired wolves for their quiet courage and loyalty, and this inspired me to bring that emotion to life through my pencil. When I started this artwork, my goal wasn’t simply to draw a wolf — I wanted to capture its presence. The wolf, to me, symbolises resilience and leadership. Translating that essence into graphite was both a challenge and a joy. Below is the process on how I created this piece.

Drawing materials

• A4 paper

• mechanical pencil

• graphite pencil

• HB pencil

• 2B pencil

• 6B pencil

• eraser

• sharpener

Step-by-step process

Step 1

To begin, I started drawing the eyes. The eyes are the heart of this artwork. I used a 6B pencil to deepen the pupils, then added highlights using an eraser to reflect light. I wanted the eyes to show more than fierceness; they had to show intelligence and calm confidence. Once completed, the wolf’s gaze transformed the entire artwork, giving it character and emotion.

Step 2

Next I worked on the fur surrounding the eyes while also drawing the ears as well.

Step 3

After doing that, I moved to the fur detailing on the face after drawing the nose and mouth. Using 2B and 4B pencils, I built the texture stroke by stroke. I worked patiently, layering lines in the direction of hair growth. This process took time but gave the drawing its lifelike feel.

Step 4

Next I focused on the fur in the body, using my 2B and 4B pencils again, I worked in small strokes, carefully following the direction of the fur. This technique added life and depth to the drawing.

Step 5

Finally, I refined small details, added contrast to it where necessary, cleaned up the edges, and added highlights to enhance light reflection on the fur. The final result was a wolf that looked both fierce and majestic. My drawing is now complete.

Here's a selfie of me and my drawing.

My video