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Rhinoceros Contour Drawing: Edge-Following Practice
Learn to draw a rhinoceros in contour line by following edges carefully, with blind-contour drills, a worked example, and four self-contained exercises.
Free lesson
Four exercises
Worked answers
Object Drawing Lessons
Contour drawing trains your eye to follow an edge and your hand to record it without guessing. For a rhinoceros, the challenge is the dense overlap of horn, ear, jaw, neck fold, and shoulder mass. This lesson uses a simple convention: draw only the visible outer and inner edges you choose to record, keep the line unbroken where possible, and do not shade. You will practice edge-following with arrows, try blind contour, then redraw a clean outline. All measurements are hypothetical examples; measure your own paper and tools before starting.
Practice materials: Printable downloads are not available for this lesson yet. Use the instructions and four exercises below.
Set up and define your contour convention
Place your paper so you can see the reference without turning your head far. Decide a scale: for example, a rhinoceros body length of 18 cm on paper is a hypothetical working size. Mark a light bounding box 20 cm wide and 12 cm tall (hypothetical example). This box is a guide, not a frame.
Use one pencil weight throughout. A contour line records an edge, not a shadow. Where two edges meet, you may lift the pencil; where an edge continues, try to keep one continuous line. Inner contours such as the ear fold or the front leg separation are allowed, but choose only three or four to avoid clutter.
- Measure your paper and draw a light bounding box with a ruler.
- Label the box corners lightly; do not erase until the final outline is complete.
- Choose a starting point on the snout or back and mark it with a small dot.
- Decide which inner edges you will include: ear, eye socket, jaw line, front leg split.
Follow edges with arrows before drawing
Before making a final line, trace the edge in the air or with a fingertip. Move from the horn tip along the forehead, over the ear, down the neck, and around the shoulder. Notice where the edge changes direction sharply and where it curves gently.
On a scrap sheet, draw short arrow segments that show edge direction. For example, an arrow from the horn base toward the forehead shows a rising edge; an arrow along the jaw shows a downward then forward edge. These arrows are planning marks, not part of the final contour.
- Trace the full outline once with your finger without drawing.
- Draw five to eight direction arrows on a scrap sheet.
- Mark the three sharpest direction changes with small crosses.
- Begin the contour at the snout and follow the arrows in order.
Blind contour and redraw
Blind contour means you look only at the reference, not at your paper, while your pencil follows the edge. Use a timer: 60 seconds is a hypothetical example. The result will look distorted; that is expected. The purpose is to slow your eye and hand together.
After the blind contour, rest your eyes, then redraw the outline in a blank panel using normal looking. Compare the two: the second drawing should show more deliberate edge changes, especially at the horn, ear, and shoulder.
- Set a 60-second timer and draw the outline without looking at the paper.
- Stop when the timer ends; do not correct the blind drawing.
- In a blank panel, redraw the outline while looking normally.
- Circle two places where the redrawn edge follows the reference more closely.
Worked example
A reference shows a rhinoceros facing left. The horn tip is at the upper left, the back rises gently to the shoulder, the ear sits behind the eye, and the front leg edge drops nearly straight. Describe the contour sequence and one check.
Worked answer
Start at the horn tip. Draw a short curve down and left to the snout, then follow the jaw forward and down. Lift at the jaw corner, then draw the neck edge back and up to the ear base. Draw the ear as a small curved loop, then continue over the forehead to the horn base. From the horn base, follow the back line to the shoulder, then drop down the front leg edge. Check that the horn base meets the forehead at a clear angle and that the back line does not dip below the shoulder height.
Four practice exercises
Exercise 1
On a blank panel, draw a rhinoceros contour facing right. Use a bounding box 16 cm wide and 10 cm tall (hypothetical example). Include the horn, ear, jaw, and one front-leg edge. Do not shade.
Show answer and check
A valid answer shows a continuous outline starting at the horn tip, following the forehead, ear, neck, back, and front leg, with the jaw and one leg separation as inner edges. The drawing stays inside the 16 by 10 cm box.
Why: The exercise checks whether you can plan a bounding box, choose a starting point, and follow edges in sequence without adding shading.
Check: Measure the drawing against the 16 by 10 cm box. Confirm one line weight, no filled areas, and all four named edges present: horn, ear, jaw, and one front-leg edge.
Exercise 2
Draw a blind contour of a rhinoceros head and shoulder for 45 seconds (hypothetical example) without looking at your paper. Then write one sentence describing where your pencil moved fastest.
Show answer and check
The blind contour will be distorted. A valid answer includes a completed 45-second blind drawing and a sentence such as: my pencil moved fastest along the back line because the edge was long and gentle.
Why: This checks whether you can maintain eye-hand connection and observe your own edge-following speed.
Check: Confirm the timer was used, the paper was not looked at during drawing, and the sentence names a specific edge.
Exercise 3
Work from this text description of a rhinoceros facing left: the horn tip is at the upper left; the snout edge drops down and slightly right toward the mouth; the jaw runs rightward and down to the chin; the ear sits behind the eye on the right side of the head; the back rises gently rightward to the shoulder; and the front leg edge drops nearly straight. On a scrap sheet, draw five direction arrows: horn to forehead, forehead to ear, ear to neck, neck to shoulder, shoulder to front leg. Then draw the contour in a blank panel using those arrows as a plan.
Show answer and check
A valid answer shows five arrows in the correct general directions and a contour that follows them in order. The horn-to-forehead arrow rises; the forehead-to-ear arrow moves rightward and back; the ear-to-neck arrow drops; the neck-to-shoulder arrow rises gently rightward; the shoulder-to-front-leg arrow drops nearly straight.
Why: Arrow planning separates edge observation from line making, which reduces guessing.
Check: Count five arrows, check each arrow points along an edge described in the prompt, and confirm the final contour follows the arrow order without skipping a planned edge.
Exercise 4
Redraw a rhinoceros contour twice in two blank panels. In the first, include only the outer outline. In the second, add exactly two inner edges: the ear fold and the jaw line. Compare the two panels and state one difference.
Show answer and check
A valid answer shows two contours of the same rhinoceros, the second with an ear fold and jaw line added. A difference statement could be: the second panel reads more clearly as a rhinoceros because the ear and jaw separate the head from the neck.
Why: This exercise tests whether you can control the number of inner edges and judge their effect on readability.
Check: Confirm both panels show the same outer outline, the second has exactly two inner edges, and the stated difference refers to a visible change.
Common mistakes
- Drawing the rhinoceros from memory instead of following the reference edge. Keep your eye on the reference for three seconds before each line segment, then draw that segment.
- Adding shading or thick filled areas during a contour study. Use only single-weight lines; reserve shading for a separate lesson.
- Making the horn a perfect triangle with straight sides. Follow the actual curve: the horn edge usually rises, curves back, and meets the forehead at an angle.
- Letting the pencil lift constantly, creating a broken outline. Practice continuous segments of 3 to 5 cm; lift only at true edge breaks such as the ear opening.
Self-check rubric
- The contour uses a single line weight with no shading.
- The outline follows visible edges in a logical sequence from snout to shoulder or reverse.
- At least three inner edges are included and clearly separated from the outer outline.
- The horn, ear, and shoulder show deliberate direction changes rather than generic shapes.
- The drawing fits inside the planned bounding box without crowding the edges.
- Valid alternatives are accepted: a different starting point, a different number of inner edges within the stated range, or a slightly different scale, provided the edge-following is clear.
Questions and answers
Do I have to draw every wrinkle on the rhinoceros?
No. Choose three or four inner edges that describe the form, such as the ear fold, eye socket, jaw line, and front leg separation. Too many lines make the contour hard to read.
How long should each practice drawing take?
A blind contour can be 60 seconds as a hypothetical example; a redrawn outline can take 5 to 8 minutes. Adjust to your own pace and measure your actual working time.
What if my blind contour looks nothing like a rhinoceros?
That is normal. Blind contour is an eye-hand coordination drill, not a finished drawing. Judge it by whether your pencil kept moving along the edge, not by resemblance.
Can I use a ruler for the outline?
Use a ruler only for the light bounding box. The rhinoceros contour itself should be drawn freehand so you practice edge-following.