Post pobrano z: How to Create a Pastel Photo Effect Action in Adobe Photoshop

In this tutorial, you will learn how to create an amazing pastel photo effect in Adobe Photoshop. I will explain everything in so much detail that anyone can create it, even those who have just opened Photoshop for the first time. 

The effect shown above is the one I will show you how to create in this tutorial. If you would like to create the even more advanced pastel effects shown below, using just a single click and in only a few minutes, then check out my Pastel Photoshop Action.

What You’ll Need

To recreate the design above, you will need the following resources:

• Stock Image 

1. How to Start Creating an Action

Step 1

First, open the photo that you want to work with. To open your photo, go to File > Open, choose your photo, and click Open. Now, before we get started, just check a couple of things:

1. Your photo should be in RGB Color mode, 8 Bits/Channel. To check this, go to Image > Mode.
2. For best results, your photo size should be 2000–3000 px wide/high. To check this, go to Image > Image Size.
3. Your photo should be the Background layer. If it is not, go to Layer > New > Background from Layer.

Step 2

Now we need to expand the canvas on the left and right so we have more space around the subject on these sides. Go to Image > Canvas Size and use the settings below:

Step 3

We are going to do the same thing for the bottom side of the canvas. Go to Image > Canvas Size and use the settings below:

2. How to Create the Pastel Brush

Step 1

In this section, we are going to create the pastel brush. You can take a pencil and paper and draw the texture, and then scan it out, or you can use a grunge texture. Here is my result:

Step 2

Now go to Edit > Define Brush to define this texture as a brush, and name it Temp_Brush.

Step 3

Now that we have defined our brush, we need to adjust its settings and then define it again as a new brush. Press B on your keyboard, Right-click anywhere inside the canvas, select the Temp_Brush brush, and hit Enter. Then go to Window > Brush and, in the Brush window, use the settings below:

Step 4

To define this brush with new settings as a new brush, click on the top right icon in the bottom right corner of the Brush panel, and name it Pastel_Brush.

3. How to Create the Background

Step 1

In this section, we are going to create the background. Go to Layer > New Fill Layer > Solid Color to create a new solid color fill layer, name it Background color, and choose the color #d9d9d9 as shown below:

Step 2

Now select the Background layer and press Control-J on your keyboard to duplicate this layer. Then, drag this layer to the top of the Layers panel.

Step 3

Go to Filter > Filter Gallery > Sketch > Photocopy and set the Detail to 2 and Darkness to 5.

Step 4

Now change the Blending Mode of this layer to Multiply and change the Opacity to 50%. Then, name this layer Photo Outlines.

Step 5

Go to Layer > Layer Mask > Reveal All to add a layer mask that reveals the whole layer.

Step 6

Now set the foreground color to #000000, choose the Brush Tool (B), pick a soft brush, and brush over the outline of the canvas to remove it.

4. How to Create the Base

Step 1

In this section, we are going to create the base that
determines the subject in our photo. Go to Layer > New > Layer to create a new layer and name it Base.

Step 2

Hide the Photo Outlines and Background Color layers. Then, choose the Brush Tool (B), pick a soft brush, and brush over your subject. It doesn’t matter
what color you use. After that, show all layers again.

5. How to Create the Subject Textures

Step 1

In this section, we are going to create the subject textures. Go to Layer > New > Layer to create a new layer and name it ST_1.

Step 2

Now set the foreground color to #000000, choose the Brush Tool (B), pick the Pastel_Brush brush, and brush over the color fill area of the Base layer as well as around the color fill. Feel free to use different brush sizes.

Step 3

Hide the ST_1 layer and select the Base layer. Then, go to Layer > New > Layer to create a new layer and name it ST_2.

Step 4

Now set the foreground color to #000000, choose the Brush Tool (B), pick the Pastel_Brush brush, and brush over the same area again but this time much lighter. Once again, feel free to use different brush sizes.

Step 5

Change the Opacity of this layer to 30% and hide the Base layer.

Step 6

Now Control-click on the Base layer thumbnail to make a selection of this layer. Then, select the Background layer, and press Control-J on your keyboard to create a new layer using the selection. After that, drag this new layer to the top of the layers in the Layers panel.

Step 7

Select the ST_1 layer and go to Layer > Layer Mask > Reveal All to add a layer mask that reveals the whole layer.

Step 8

Now hide the Photo Outlines layer, go to Image > Apply Image, and use the settings below:

Step 9

Press Control-I on your keyboard to invert the layer mask. Then, go to Image > Adjustments > Levels and use the settings below:

Step 10

Now show the ST_1 and Photo Outlines layers again. Then, select the Layer 1 layer, and press Control-Shift-U on your keyboard to desaturate it.

Step 11

Go to Filter > Filter Gallery > Artistic > Film Grain and set the Grain to 5, Highlight Area to 0, and Intensity to 10.

Step 12

Now go to Edit > Fade Filter Gallery and set the Opacity to 100% and Mode to Darken.

Step 13

Change the Blending Mode of this layer to Soft Light and set the Opacity to 70%. Then, name this layer Subject Details.

6. How to Color the Sketch

Step 1

In this section, we are going to color some parts of the subject textures. Control-click on the thumbnail of the Base layer to make a selection of this layer. Then, select the Background layer, and press Control-J on your keyboard to create a new layer using the selection. After that, drag this new layer to the top of the layers in the Layers panel.

Step 2

Now go to Layer > Layer Mask > Hide All to add a layer mask that hides the whole layer.

Step 3

Set the foreground color to #ffffff, choose the Brush Tool (B), pick the Pastel_Brush brush, and brush over the area of your subject that you want to color. Feel free to use different brush sizes.

Step 4

Now change the Blending Mode of this layer to Color and set the Opacity to 60%. Then, name this layer Subject Color.

7. How to Make the Final Adjustments

Step 1

In this section, we are going to make some final adjustments. Select the Subject Details layer, go to Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Levels to create a new levels adjustment layer, and name it Overall Brightness.

Step 2

Now Double-click on this layer thumbnail and, in the Properties panel, enter the settings below:

Step 3

Change the Opacity of this layer to 33%.

Step 4

Now press D on your keyboard to reset the swatches. Then, go to Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Gradient Map to create a new gradient map adjustment layer and name it Textures Contrast.

Step 5

Control-click on the Base layer thumbnail to make a selection of this layer. Then, set the foreground color to #000000, go to Edit > Fill, and set Contents to Foreground Color, Mode to Normal, and Opacity to 100%.

Step 6

Now press Control-D on your keyboard to deselect the selection. Then, change the Blending Mode of this layer to Overlay and set the Opacity to 58%.

Step 7

Right-click on the Base layer and choose Delete Layer. Then, select the Subject Color layer, go to Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Curves to create a new curves adjustment layer and name it Color Look.

Step 8

Now Double-click on this layer thumbnail and in the Properties panel enter the settings below:

Step 9

Go to Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Vibrance to create a new vibrance adjustment layer and name it Overall Vibrance/Saturation.

Step 10

Now Double-click on this layer thumbnail and, in the Properties panel, set the Vibrance to +28 and Saturation to +19.

Step 11

Press Control-Alt-Shift-E on your keyboard to make a screenshot, and then press Control-Shift-U to desaturate this layer. Then, go to Filter > Other > High Pass and set the Radius to 2 px.

Step 12

Now change the Blending Mode of this layer to Hard Light and name it Overall Sharpening.

You Made It!

Congratulations, you have succeeded! Here is our final result:

If you would like to create the even more advanced pastel effects shown
below, using just a single click and in only a few minutes, then check
out my Pastel Photoshop Action.

The action will create professional and realistic pastel sketch effects from your photos with no work at all from your side! You simply brush over your photo with a
color and just play the action. It’s really that simple! The action
will do all the work for you, leaving you fully layered and customizable results that you can further modify.

The action is made so that every time you run the action you will get a unique result,
even if you use the same brushed area. The action will always create a unique variation of pastel textures, so you can create an unlimited number of
results! The action also creates 35 preset color looks that you can choose from.

The action comes with a detailed video tutorial that demonstrates how to use the action and customize the results to get the most out of the effect.

You may also like:

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• How to Make Watercolor Effects in Photoshop Quickly With Actions

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• How to Create a Colored Pencil Sketch Effect Action in Adobe Photoshop

  In this tutorial you will learn how to turn your photos into amazing and advanced, unfinished colored pencil sketches using Adobe Photoshop.

Post pobrano z: How to Draw a Camel

Camels have an
unmistakable silhouette, with their humped back, short tail, long, slim legs,
and a neck that dips downward and rises to a small, narrow head. The English
word ‘camel’ is thought to derive from the Arabic word ‘jamāl’, which means
‘handsome’ or ‘beauty’. What an apt name for this admirable animal!

Camels efficiently
adapted to the harsh conditions of their
habitat; for this reason, they are called “the ships of the desert”.

In this tutorial,
we’ll learn what distinctive features allow camels to be capable, strong, and
endurable. And, of course, we’ll create a couple of beautiful drawings!

You may also be
interested in these drawing tutorials:

• Animals
  How to Draw a Giraffe and a Giraffe Pattern
  Monika Zagrobelna

• Bird
  How to Draw a Flamingo
  Eugenia Hauss

• Drawing
  How to Draw a Horse Step by Step
  Monika Zagrobelna

What You Will Need

In order to
complete this project, you’ll need the following equipment:

• an HB graphite
  pencil
• a 3B graphite
  pencil
• an eraser
• drawing paper

1. How
to Draw the Dromedary Camel

Step 1

The dromedary,
also known as the Arabian camel, inhabits the Middle East and the Horn of
Africa.

Dromedaries have
only one hump, but they do employ it to great effect; their humps store up to
80 pounds of fat, which a camel can break down into water and energy when
sustenance is scarce. Humps give camels their legendary ability to travel up to
100 desert miles without water.

We’ll depict the dromedary camel in a side view. With the HB graphite pencil, I outline a rough
shape of the head; it resembles a triangle with smoothed angles.

I also add the
shapes of the ear and the eye.

Step 2

I draw a curved
line for the camel’s neck, marking its general direction. Please be sure to
leave enough space for the rest of the body on the sheet of paper.

Then I add an oblong
shape for the camel’s body.

Step 3

Let’s draw the
framework of the long legs, adding one segment at a time. First, I outline the
upper parts of the limbs; they are divided into portions to make the task
easier.

I present the
joints as circles—the simpler, the better.

I add the lower
parts of the limbs; they are more slender compared to the upper ones.

I complete the
framework with the rough shapes of the feet.

Step 4

I refine the neck,
giving it some thickness with a contour.

Step 5

I add a sketchy shape
of the hump to the camel’s back.

Step 6

Now I draw the
line of its tail; camels have relatively short tails.

Step 7

Let’s work on the
facial features of our camel—and explore why they are perfectly suited to the
desert environment.

Although camels
have relatively small heads, their eyes are large and prominent. They enable
the animal to see for long distances.

A protruding ridge
of bone and bushy eyebrows protect the eyes from the hot sun. There are also two
sets of long eyelashes in addition to a third thin 'eyelid’; together, they serve
as a defense from the sand.

I draw the eye,
making it as contrasting and expressive as possible (don’t forget about the
highlight), and the ear. The ears are quite small, almost indiscernible from a
distance.

Camels have
nostrils lined with hairs that stop any sand from entering the nose. What’s
more, they can shut their nostrils at will!

Their lips are
thick and protruding;
the upper lip is split into
two sections that move independently. It’s another form of adaptation—thick,
rubbery lips allow them to eat prickly desert plants without feeling pain. In fact,
most of the water that camels take in comes from grazing on the thorny bushes that grow in a desert.

Step 8

I refine the
contour of the camel’s back, erasing the unnecessary lines. I add some new
features of the tail, too—now it is tufted near the end.

Also, I mark some
skinfolds on the neck to make the sketch more credible.

Step 9

I refine the upper
parts of the limbs. The dromedary has callosities (thick, hardened skin) on the joints of the legs and
on the chest, upon which it rests in a kneeling position. They enable the
animal to withstand the heat of the desert sand.

Now I refine the
lower parts of the limbs, accenting the elbows and knees. Each foot has broad,
flat, leathery pads with two toes. When a camel places its foot on the ground,
the pads spread so that the foot does not sink in the sand.

Step 10

The outline is
complete, but we can make our drawing more realistic. With the HB pencil, I
apply some hatching, accenting the darker areas, such as the core shadows on
the legs and the abdomen.

The hair is
concentrated on the throat, the shoulders, and the hump; I create an illusion of
this texture with longer or curvy hatches.

As a finishing
touch, I add a hint at a drop shadow under the animal; it’s also possible to
blend it with a special blending stump, a cotton bud, or just a clean, dry
fingertip.

Step 11

With the 3B
pencil, I accentuate the darker areas on the camel’s body and increase the
contrast in general. The drawing of the dromedary camel is complete!

2. How to Draw the
Bactrian Camel

Step 1

In contrast to the
single-humped dromedary camel, the Bactrian camel has two humps on its back.
Its population inhabits Central Asia, including the historical region of
Bactria.

The Bactrian camel
is also the largest mammal in its native range and is the largest living camel.
Actually, the Arabian and the Bactrian camels share many features, so we can speed
up the drawing process.

I mark the camel’s
head, and then add the shape of the body nearby.  

Step 2

I join the head
and body with a line.

In fact, the silhouette
of the Bactrian camel’s neck is usually slightly different—the curve is more
accentuated, compared to the neck of the dromedary.

I also mark the
eye and the ear of the camel.

Step 3

I add the contour
lines of the neck and the rough shapes of two humps on the back, and mark the tail
line.

Step 4

I add the
framework of the limbs, just in the same manner as we were drawing the
dromedary camel.

Step 5

I refine the
contour of the camel’s body, erasing the subsidiary graphite lines.

The facial
features need some attention, too—let’s draw a happy camel with a hint at a
smile!

Step 6

The Bactrian camel
has long, slender legs, but its body forms a stouter, heavier impression than
the body of the dromedary.

The feet are very
tough—it’s another adaptive feature; these camels are migratory, and their habitat
ranges from rocky mountain massifs to flat desert, stony plains, and sand
dunes. The Bactrians are designed for extreme environments!

The feet have undivided
soles and two broad toes on each foot.

Step 7

I enhance the
sketch with the HB graphite hatching, darkening the sides of the humps and the
underside of the body. The Bactrians have long hair on the neck and throat (a
‘mane’ and ‘beard’).

The long, wooly
coat protects the Bactrians from extreme cold (as low as −40 °C in winter) and
is shed in warmer months. By the way, the most satisfactory camel fiber is
gathered particularly from the Bactrian camels.

Step 8

With the 3B
pencil, I increase the contrast in the drawing. I also make subtle changes to the
contour line of the camel’s body, making it more ‘hairy’ to imitate the shorter, slimmer undercoat.

Your Drawing Are
Complete

Congratulations!
You’ve created two beautiful drawings and, hopefully, learned a lot about
camels.

May your further
creative journey be full of joy and inspiration! If you enjoyed this tutorial, you may also be interested in these:

• Animals
  How to Draw a Cheetah
  Monika Zagrobelna

• Textures
  How to Draw Fur
  Monika Zagrobelna

• Drawing
  How to Draw a Lizard With Ink Liners
  Eugenia Hauss

Post pobrano z: How to Draw a Camel

Camels have an
unmistakable silhouette, with their humped back, short tail, long, slim legs,
and a neck that dips downward and rises to a small, narrow head. The English
word ‘camel’ is thought to derive from the Arabic word ‘jamāl’, which means
‘handsome’ or ‘beauty’. What an apt name for this admirable animal!

Camels efficiently
adapted to the harsh conditions of their
habitat; for this reason, they are called “the ships of the desert”.

In this tutorial,
we’ll learn what distinctive features allow camels to be capable, strong, and
endurable. And, of course, we’ll create a couple of beautiful drawings!

You may also be
interested in these drawing tutorials:

• Animals
  How to Draw a Giraffe and a Giraffe Pattern
  Monika Zagrobelna

• Bird
  How to Draw a Flamingo
  Eugenia Hauss

• Drawing
  How to Draw a Horse Step by Step
  Monika Zagrobelna

What You Will Need

In order to
complete this project, you’ll need the following equipment:

• an HB graphite
  pencil
• a 3B graphite
  pencil
• an eraser
• drawing paper

1. How
to Draw the Dromedary Camel

Step 1

The dromedary,
also known as the Arabian camel, inhabits the Middle East and the Horn of
Africa.

Dromedaries have
only one hump, but they do employ it to great effect; their humps store up to
80 pounds of fat, which a camel can break down into water and energy when
sustenance is scarce. Humps give camels their legendary ability to travel up to
100 desert miles without water.

We’ll depict the dromedary camel in a side view. With the HB graphite pencil, I outline a rough
shape of the head; it resembles a triangle with smoothed angles.

I also add the
shapes of the ear and the eye.

Step 2

I draw a curved
line for the camel’s neck, marking its general direction. Please be sure to
leave enough space for the rest of the body on the sheet of paper.

Then I add an oblong
shape for the camel’s body.

Step 3

Let’s draw the
framework of the long legs, adding one segment at a time. First, I outline the
upper parts of the limbs; they are divided into portions to make the task
easier.

I present the
joints as circles—the simpler, the better.

I add the lower
parts of the limbs; they are more slender compared to the upper ones.

I complete the
framework with the rough shapes of the feet.

Step 4

I refine the neck,
giving it some thickness with a contour.

Step 5

I add a sketchy shape
of the hump to the camel’s back.

Step 6

Now I draw the
line of its tail; camels have relatively short tails.

Step 7

Let’s work on the
facial features of our camel—and explore why they are perfectly suited to the
desert environment.

Although camels
have relatively small heads, their eyes are large and prominent. They enable
the animal to see for long distances.

A protruding ridge
of bone and bushy eyebrows protect the eyes from the hot sun. There are also two
sets of long eyelashes in addition to a third thin 'eyelid’; together, they serve
as a defense from the sand.

I draw the eye,
making it as contrasting and expressive as possible (don’t forget about the
highlight), and the ear. The ears are quite small, almost indiscernible from a
distance.

Camels have
nostrils lined with hairs that stop any sand from entering the nose. What’s
more, they can shut their nostrils at will!

Their lips are
thick and protruding;
the upper lip is split into
two sections that move independently. It’s another form of adaptation—thick,
rubbery lips allow them to eat prickly desert plants without feeling pain. In fact,
most of the water that camels take in comes from grazing on the thorny bushes that grow in a desert.

Step 8

I refine the
contour of the camel’s back, erasing the unnecessary lines. I add some new
features of the tail, too—now it is tufted near the end.

Also, I mark some
skinfolds on the neck to make the sketch more credible.

Step 9

I refine the upper
parts of the limbs. The dromedary has callosities (thick, hardened skin) on the joints of the legs and
on the chest, upon which it rests in a kneeling position. They enable the
animal to withstand the heat of the desert sand.

Now I refine the
lower parts of the limbs, accenting the elbows and knees. Each foot has broad,
flat, leathery pads with two toes. When a camel places its foot on the ground,
the pads spread so that the foot does not sink in the sand.

Step 10

The outline is
complete, but we can make our drawing more realistic. With the HB pencil, I
apply some hatching, accenting the darker areas, such as the core shadows on
the legs and the abdomen.

The hair is
concentrated on the throat, the shoulders, and the hump; I create an illusion of
this texture with longer or curvy hatches.

As a finishing
touch, I add a hint at a drop shadow under the animal; it’s also possible to
blend it with a special blending stump, a cotton bud, or just a clean, dry
fingertip.

Step 11

With the 3B
pencil, I accentuate the darker areas on the camel’s body and increase the
contrast in general. The drawing of the dromedary camel is complete!

2. How to Draw the
Bactrian Camel

Step 1

In contrast to the
single-humped dromedary camel, the Bactrian camel has two humps on its back.
Its population inhabits Central Asia, including the historical region of
Bactria.

The Bactrian camel
is also the largest mammal in its native range and is the largest living camel.
Actually, the Arabian and the Bactrian camels share many features, so we can speed
up the drawing process.

I mark the camel’s
head, and then add the shape of the body nearby.  

Step 2

I join the head
and body with a line.

In fact, the silhouette
of the Bactrian camel’s neck is usually slightly different—the curve is more
accentuated, compared to the neck of the dromedary.

I also mark the
eye and the ear of the camel.

Step 3

I add the contour
lines of the neck and the rough shapes of two humps on the back, and mark the tail
line.

Step 4

I add the
framework of the limbs, just in the same manner as we were drawing the
dromedary camel.

Step 5

I refine the
contour of the camel’s body, erasing the subsidiary graphite lines.

The facial
features need some attention, too—let’s draw a happy camel with a hint at a
smile!

Step 6

The Bactrian camel
has long, slender legs, but its body forms a stouter, heavier impression than
the body of the dromedary.

The feet are very
tough—it’s another adaptive feature; these camels are migratory, and their habitat
ranges from rocky mountain massifs to flat desert, stony plains, and sand
dunes. The Bactrians are designed for extreme environments!

The feet have undivided
soles and two broad toes on each foot.

Step 7

I enhance the
sketch with the HB graphite hatching, darkening the sides of the humps and the
underside of the body. The Bactrians have long hair on the neck and throat (a
‘mane’ and ‘beard’).

The long, wooly
coat protects the Bactrians from extreme cold (as low as −40 °C in winter) and
is shed in warmer months. By the way, the most satisfactory camel fiber is
gathered particularly from the Bactrian camels.

Step 8

With the 3B
pencil, I increase the contrast in the drawing. I also make subtle changes to the
contour line of the camel’s body, making it more ‘hairy’ to imitate the shorter, slimmer undercoat.

Your Drawing Are
Complete

Congratulations!
You’ve created two beautiful drawings and, hopefully, learned a lot about
camels.

May your further
creative journey be full of joy and inspiration! If you enjoyed this tutorial, you may also be interested in these:

• Animals
  How to Draw a Cheetah
  Monika Zagrobelna

• Textures
  How to Draw Fur
  Monika Zagrobelna

• Drawing
  How to Draw a Lizard With Ink Liners
  Eugenia Hauss

Post pobrano z: How to Draw a Camel

Camels have an
unmistakable silhouette, with their humped back, short tail, long, slim legs,
and a neck that dips downward and rises to a small, narrow head. The English
word ‘camel’ is thought to derive from the Arabic word ‘jamāl’, which means
‘handsome’ or ‘beauty’. What an apt name for this admirable animal!

Camels efficiently
adapted to the harsh conditions of their
habitat; for this reason, they are called “the ships of the desert”.

In this tutorial,
we’ll learn what distinctive features allow camels to be capable, strong, and
endurable. And, of course, we’ll create a couple of beautiful drawings!

You may also be
interested in these drawing tutorials:

• Animals
  How to Draw a Giraffe and a Giraffe Pattern
  Monika Zagrobelna

• Bird
  How to Draw a Flamingo
  Eugenia Hauss

• Drawing
  How to Draw a Horse Step by Step
  Monika Zagrobelna

What You Will Need

In order to
complete this project, you’ll need the following equipment:

• an HB graphite
  pencil
• a 3B graphite
  pencil
• an eraser
• drawing paper

1. How
to Draw the Dromedary Camel

Step 1

The dromedary,
also known as the Arabian camel, inhabits the Middle East and the Horn of
Africa.

Dromedaries have
only one hump, but they do employ it to great effect; their humps store up to
80 pounds of fat, which a camel can break down into water and energy when
sustenance is scarce. Humps give camels their legendary ability to travel up to
100 desert miles without water.

We’ll depict the dromedary camel in a side view. With the HB graphite pencil, I outline a rough
shape of the head; it resembles a triangle with smoothed angles.

I also add the
shapes of the ear and the eye.

Step 2

I draw a curved
line for the camel’s neck, marking its general direction. Please be sure to
leave enough space for the rest of the body on the sheet of paper.

Then I add an oblong
shape for the camel’s body.

Step 3

Let’s draw the
framework of the long legs, adding one segment at a time. First, I outline the
upper parts of the limbs; they are divided into portions to make the task
easier.

I present the
joints as circles—the simpler, the better.

I add the lower
parts of the limbs; they are more slender compared to the upper ones.

I complete the
framework with the rough shapes of the feet.

Step 4

I refine the neck,
giving it some thickness with a contour.

Step 5

I add a sketchy shape
of the hump to the camel’s back.

Step 6

Now I draw the
line of its tail; camels have relatively short tails.

Step 7

Let’s work on the
facial features of our camel—and explore why they are perfectly suited to the
desert environment.

Although camels
have relatively small heads, their eyes are large and prominent. They enable
the animal to see for long distances.

A protruding ridge
of bone and bushy eyebrows protect the eyes from the hot sun. There are also two
sets of long eyelashes in addition to a third thin 'eyelid’; together, they serve
as a defense from the sand.

I draw the eye,
making it as contrasting and expressive as possible (don’t forget about the
highlight), and the ear. The ears are quite small, almost indiscernible from a
distance.

Camels have
nostrils lined with hairs that stop any sand from entering the nose. What’s
more, they can shut their nostrils at will!

Their lips are
thick and protruding;
the upper lip is split into
two sections that move independently. It’s another form of adaptation—thick,
rubbery lips allow them to eat prickly desert plants without feeling pain. In fact,
most of the water that camels take in comes from grazing on the thorny bushes that grow in a desert.

Step 8

I refine the
contour of the camel’s back, erasing the unnecessary lines. I add some new
features of the tail, too—now it is tufted near the end.

Also, I mark some
skinfolds on the neck to make the sketch more credible.

Step 9

I refine the upper
parts of the limbs. The dromedary has callosities (thick, hardened skin) on the joints of the legs and
on the chest, upon which it rests in a kneeling position. They enable the
animal to withstand the heat of the desert sand.

Now I refine the
lower parts of the limbs, accenting the elbows and knees. Each foot has broad,
flat, leathery pads with two toes. When a camel places its foot on the ground,
the pads spread so that the foot does not sink in the sand.

Step 10

The outline is
complete, but we can make our drawing more realistic. With the HB pencil, I
apply some hatching, accenting the darker areas, such as the core shadows on
the legs and the abdomen.

The hair is
concentrated on the throat, the shoulders, and the hump; I create an illusion of
this texture with longer or curvy hatches.

As a finishing
touch, I add a hint at a drop shadow under the animal; it’s also possible to
blend it with a special blending stump, a cotton bud, or just a clean, dry
fingertip.

Step 11

With the 3B
pencil, I accentuate the darker areas on the camel’s body and increase the
contrast in general. The drawing of the dromedary camel is complete!

2. How to Draw the
Bactrian Camel

Step 1

In contrast to the
single-humped dromedary camel, the Bactrian camel has two humps on its back.
Its population inhabits Central Asia, including the historical region of
Bactria.

The Bactrian camel
is also the largest mammal in its native range and is the largest living camel.
Actually, the Arabian and the Bactrian camels share many features, so we can speed
up the drawing process.

I mark the camel’s
head, and then add the shape of the body nearby.  

Step 2

I join the head
and body with a line.

In fact, the silhouette
of the Bactrian camel’s neck is usually slightly different—the curve is more
accentuated, compared to the neck of the dromedary.

I also mark the
eye and the ear of the camel.

Step 3

I add the contour
lines of the neck and the rough shapes of two humps on the back, and mark the tail
line.

Step 4

I add the
framework of the limbs, just in the same manner as we were drawing the
dromedary camel.

Step 5

I refine the
contour of the camel’s body, erasing the subsidiary graphite lines.

The facial
features need some attention, too—let’s draw a happy camel with a hint at a
smile!

Step 6

The Bactrian camel
has long, slender legs, but its body forms a stouter, heavier impression than
the body of the dromedary.

The feet are very
tough—it’s another adaptive feature; these camels are migratory, and their habitat
ranges from rocky mountain massifs to flat desert, stony plains, and sand
dunes. The Bactrians are designed for extreme environments!

The feet have undivided
soles and two broad toes on each foot.

Step 7

I enhance the
sketch with the HB graphite hatching, darkening the sides of the humps and the
underside of the body. The Bactrians have long hair on the neck and throat (a
‘mane’ and ‘beard’).

The long, wooly
coat protects the Bactrians from extreme cold (as low as −40 °C in winter) and
is shed in warmer months. By the way, the most satisfactory camel fiber is
gathered particularly from the Bactrian camels.

Step 8

With the 3B
pencil, I increase the contrast in the drawing. I also make subtle changes to the
contour line of the camel’s body, making it more ‘hairy’ to imitate the shorter, slimmer undercoat.

Your Drawing Are
Complete

Congratulations!
You’ve created two beautiful drawings and, hopefully, learned a lot about
camels.

May your further
creative journey be full of joy and inspiration! If you enjoyed this tutorial, you may also be interested in these:

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