African Elephant Marching Toward You Through Tall Grass

A big African elephant walks straight toward you across a grassy plain, with its huge ears spread wide and its trunk curled in toward the ground. Two long curved tusks frame the trunk, which is drawn with many fine ridges. The skin is built from short pen strokes that suggest wrinkles on the legs, shoulders, and ears. Thick dark grass fills the foreground. Farther back on the right, a small herd of elephants stands near a low hill. Because of the dense hatching and the many small details, this page suits older kids, teens, and adults who like a longer project. Try gray and brown pencils in layers to build up the wrinkled skin, then use soft greens and yellows for the grass. You could also talk about how elephant ears and tusks look different from one animal to another, and why herds stay together.