Fox Drawing Ideas
Twelve fox drawings you can copy straight onto paper. Every one is a clean pencil outline with no shading and no colour, so nothing gets in the way of the shape. Pick one, keep it open next to you, and copy it line by line.
How to draw a fox step by step
A fox looks tricky because of the pointed face and the big tail, but almost every drawing on this page is built from shapes you already know. If you can draw a circle, a triangle and a long curve, you can draw a fox. Here is the order that works best.
- Draw the head first. Most of these foxes start with a circle or a slightly squashed circle. Keep it light so you can fix it later.
- Add two triangle ears on top. Fox ears are tall and fairly wide at the base. Space them so there is a gap between them, not touching.
- Pull the snout out from the front of the head. A fox snout is a narrow triangle, longer than a cat and thinner than a dog. Put a small rounded nose at the tip.
- Add the body. For a sitting fox this is a rounded shape under the head. For a running or jumping fox it is a long oval. Draw it before the legs so the legs have somewhere to attach.
- Finish with the tail. The tail is the part that makes it read as a fox, so give it real size. It should be roughly as thick as the body and end in a soft point.
Go over your final lines a little darker at the end and rub out the guide shapes. That one step is what makes a drawing look finished.
Which fox should you start with
They are not all the same difficulty, so pick one that matches where you are right now.
If this is your first fox
Start with the sitting fox for beginners or the fox face close up. Both are front facing with no background, so you only have to think about one shape at a time. The sleeping fox curled into a circle is also very forgiving because the body is literally a circle.
If you have drawn animals before
Try the fox wearing a scarf, the fox reading a book or the fox peeking over a flower hill. These add a prop or a small scene, but the fox itself is still simple.
If you want a challenge
The leaping fox and the running fox are the two hardest here. Both show the animal in motion, which means the body stretches and the legs go in directions that feel unnatural at first. Draw the long curve of the back before anything else and the rest follows.
What you need
Not much. A normal HB pencil, a sheet of plain paper and an eraser is enough for every drawing on this page. A 2B pencil helps if you want darker final lines. You do not need a drawing tablet, a light box or special paper, and none of these were drawn with any.
Three things that make a fox look like a fox
If your drawing feels close but slightly off, it is usually one of these.
- The snout is too short. Beginners often draw a fox snout like a cat. Make it longer and narrower than feels right and it will read correctly.
- The tail is too thin. A real fox tail is thick and bushy. If yours looks like a rope, widen it. The tip can stay pointed.
- The ears are too small. Fox ears are large compared to the head. When in doubt, make them bigger.
Ways to use these drawings
You are free to copy any of these by hand or download and print them for yourself, for your kids or for your classroom. They work well as colouring sheets, as tracing practice, as a warm up before a bigger drawing, or as line art for a card. If you want to use one in something you sell, write to us first.
Questions people ask
What is the easiest fox drawing on this page?
The sitting fox for beginners. It faces forward, has no background and is made of two rounded shapes and a tail. The sleeping fox curled into a circle is a close second because the whole body is one circle.
Are these fox drawings free to download?
Yes. Every drawing here can be downloaded and printed for personal use, school use or classroom use at no cost. For commercial use, please contact us first.
Can children draw these?
Most of them, yes. The baby fox, the fox face, the sleeping fox and the sitting fox are all suitable for children around six and up. The running and leaping foxes are better for older kids and adults.
How do I draw a fox tail?
Start from the back of the body and draw one long curve out, then a second curve back to meet it. Keep the two curves far apart so the tail stays thick. A fox tail is close to the same width as the body, not thin like a cat tail.
What pencil should I use?
An HB pencil for the first light shapes and a 2B for the final lines. If you only have one pencil, an HB is fine. Press lightly at the start so mistakes rub out cleanly.
Why do my foxes look like dogs?
Usually the snout. A dog snout is wide and rounded at the end, a fox snout is a narrow triangle that comes to a point. Narrow the snout and enlarge the ears and it will look like a fox straight away.
Can I trace these instead of copying them?
Yes. Print one out and trace it, or hold the paper against a window. Tracing is a normal way to learn how a shape is put together, and most people copy freehand fairly soon after.
Are these drawings made by hand?
Yes. Each one was drawn in pencil on plain paper and photographed. They are not computer generated or traced from photographs.