How to Draw a Gorilla

In the fascinating world of primates, we find creatures of remarkable intelligence and complexity. Among our closest cousins in the animal kingdom, chimpanzees, orangutans, and gorillas, the latter perfectly embody a unique mix of power and serenity. These peaceful mountain giants have chosen to live calmly, despite their impressive strength.

Welcome to this new tutorial where we will learn together how to observe and draw a gorilla!

The anatomy of a gorilla

The gorilla is a really imposing monkey, especially the adult males which are much larger than the females and young. Immediately noticeable are their powerful limbs which exude an impression of raw strength. Then we see their rounded belly and wide, muscular chest. Another characteristic detail is the bump on the top of the skull, formed by a bony crest that supports all their facial musculature.

When they are young, gorillas look a lot like other great apes: big round eyes close together, a muzzle that is just beginning to take shape, a flat nose, and that thick fur that nicely frames their face. But over time, their features become more pronounced and marked, giving them that wise and somewhat stern look they are known for.

Draw a gorilla step by step

We start by drawing a large circle that will represent its imposing torso. Above it, add a smaller circle for the head. Pay attention to the proportions!

Our gorilla has its head slightly tilted. So draw the noticeable crest that stands out well on one side and almost fades on the other.

Now, divide the head circle in two: the lower part will accommodate the muzzle and cheeks.

Add two wide shoulders on each side, then draw the arms. I'm going to cross them so that he's holding a fruit, a very typical pose among great apes. Whatever pose you choose, remember that the arms should be long and muscly.

You can also draw him sitting, which reflects his calm temperament well. In this case, bend the legs slightly in a natural position. Make sure to make them a bit smaller than the arms.

Now let's move on to drawing the face. Draw a sort of mask along the central axis, following the curve of the muzzle.

Draw two lines close to each other to position the eyes. The small ears are placed on the median line, not exceeding the height of the mask. Finally, draw the mouth in the center of the lower circle.

Draw the face of a gorilla

The eyes are smaller than ours, but their structure remains similar: pupil, iris, eyelids. The big difference? These prominent eyebrow ridges that give them a perpetually concentrated, even slightly grumpy look.

Complete the face by adding fur all around with small, inclined strokes in the same direction, allowing some white areas to remain. Use this technique to define the forehead, the contours of the face, the cheekbones, and the cheeks.

Let's move on to the hands. Five fingers, opposable thumbs, just like us, but in an XXL version and wider, with a bit of hair on top.

The forearms should be very thick, even thicker than the upper arms, that's what gives it such a powerful look. Use the fur outline to create volume, and add some lines to show how the long hairs follow the curves of the muscles.

Draw the outlines of the arms and legs following your initial structure, clearly marking these muscles capable of supporting such weight.

For the feet, you can hide them in the grass if you want to keep it simple. Otherwise, their structure is similar to that of the hands. Here is an example.

Add some details to enhance your drawing: the fruit in its hands, blades of grass rising around its feet... Then gently erase your sketch to move on to adding color.

Add color to the drawing

Overall, we are going to work with a palette of slightly blue-tinted grays, playing with the values from light gray to deep black. We can also vary the saturation here and there to add more realism.

With these shades of gray, start with the eye sockets which are naturally very dark and require the darkest tones.

For the whole face, try to maintain a smooth finish, without too much texture. However, do emphasize certain shadows like wrinkles, especially around the nose and under the eyes.

Here, use a slightly yellowish tone. Do you see the difference with the bluish grays? Finish by coloring the fur on the tops of the hands with a very dark blue, almost black.

If you prefer, you can work area by area, because the coat of fur does not behave the same everywhere. Personally, I prefer to first apply a neutral base color, then add the highlights, shadows, and mid-tones on top.

For the forearms and stomach, draw long curved lines that follow the forms, alternating between light and dark variations of your base color. Avoid pure black for shading, instead use a mix or a layer of desaturated orange.

On the upper arms, continue with the same approach of curved lines, but much shorter this time, following the shape of the muscles.

On the knees and head, the fur is noticeably shorter. Use small, fine, spaced strokes, with a dominance of almost pure whites and golds on the forehead.

Draw the final details such as the pectorals, keeping the same approach as for the face: dark blue-gray tones and a smooth effect.

For the fruit, play around with bright shiny colors, some highlights and a few small imperfections for realism.

Add details to the drawing

Add touches of greenery around him. Gorillas live in the mountains, in environments dominated by tall grasses and trees. Draw grass under and around the primate, starting with dark tones, and then gradually adding brighter strands.

The trees in the background can be slightly blurry, and the distant jungle should remain suggested, almost indistinct.

And there you have it, we've come to the end of this drawing! I hope you enjoyed this tutorial. Get your sketchbooks ready, and see you soon for another drawing!