HELP!!! I want to learn how to draw wolfves!

Right now, I only draw dragons, and the occasional human, but I want to draw learn how to draw wolves!

I have been tracing free lineart I have found on the google, DON"T WORRY! I am not posting it anywhere or selling it, this is just fo r me to practice! IT"S NOT BAD XD. Anyway, anyone have ideas of what I should do to learn more? I am horrible at drawing hair and fur. (WHICH is why I do scaly dragons XD)

Tracing for practice is a good start! Don't limit yourself to just lineart, though. Since you're not posting/selling any of it, try tracing photos of wolves too. Start in a specific place and break the body down into different shapes as you go along. Take note of the different parts and what directions the fur flows in. Look for reference points on the body for proportions (i.e. when drawing a horse, the neck and head are roughly the same length, and the forelegs are the same length as the neck + head put together) so it's easier to free draw later. The better you understand the basics of how to draw a realistic wolf, the easier it is to stylize.

Tutorials are also an excellent resource, and when you free draw, using references is an absolute lifesaver.

As for fur, specifically... I find it hard to explain, since I just sort of figured it out on my own over several years. Maybe once you've sketched over a wolf and turned it into shapes, try to turn its outline into lineart? Or just use a picture specifically to draw fur lineart on. Try experimenting with different ways to draw it. If you feel lost, look at other people's art and take note of all the different ways they draw fur, which ones you wish your art looked like, and practice recreating those. Over time as you build skill and confidence you'll develop your own style.

Oooooo good ideas, thanks! Yah, fur is my weakness, so those ideas a life saver lol. I have been doing commission for wolves into dragons, but I wanted to start actaully doing wolves, so thank you!

Look for referencing- and opposed to what the other person said, I think they're way of going specific to less specific on top of a wolf picture is misguided.- What I call a study is to take the basic shapes of a wolf picture and actively trying to figure out the layers beneath-- then take the picture away and try to draw on top of that. Taking credit for the art you've made from this is not acceptable and is looked down upon in the art community-- 

Doing studies is a lot more effective then straight up tracing. 

So- take an image of a wolf, draw a circle where the head, chest, and hind is, triangles for ears, a rough muzzle shape, eye shape, etc. 

Put the image to the side if you need (so you can use it as a reference for the bigger details, but not as something to trace off on), and then try to draw the wolf again from the shapes you made. 

Then once you do a study, do another piece without doing a study first (ofc, referencing pictures but not tracing is always okay) then try doing another study, focusing on what you need work on, repeat, etc. 

If you don't know what I mean by study I could probably give some examples haha

Ooo thanks! I know what you mean by study haha ^-^. Don't worry, I am only tracing and coloring other people lineart for myself, I am not posting them anywhere or saying they are mine, that is bad ^-^ Good ideas tho, thanks!

Something that can sort of help is knowing that digital tutorials that are followed in traditional style might look a lil weird. 

Also, try to collect some references of other artists’ art that you like, and perhaps collect some of the traits you like from their art. DO NOT STEAL, COPY, TRACE THEIR ART. That’s not what I’m saying. You can be influenced by styles but not copying them. For example, many artists use the shape of the Disney eyes in their art. 

Following references! I find that searching up pictures of animals when their fur is wet clearly shows the direction the hair is going. The hair spikes up when wet, therefore you don’t have to try and figure out if a hair is going this way or that way.

And the one no one likes: practice. No one would keep saying it if it didn’t work! Really looking at every resource, every tutorial, every tip and trick definitely helps when trying to develop a style.

Oooo those are great ideas, thanks!