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What do you do when your house is under construction, you’re behind on watercolor commissions, and stuck in bed with the flu for a couple of weeks? You grab your colored pencils and revisit a donkey drawing you’ve been wanting to redo.
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| First attempt |
The reference photo came from Pixabay. I’d already drawn this little guy once before, but I wasn’t happy with the results.
I had already created the outline for earlier in Procreate and printed it out on Vellum paper, so all I had to do was transfer the image Saran graphite paper onto my paper of choice, Bristol Vellum, and get to work.
I often start with the eyes of animals. After all, they are “windows to the soul” and I’ve found that, when the eyes are just right, they give life to the artwork. This little guy though, had his head at such an angle that they were hidden by his heavy brow ridge. Once those were drawn in, I moved my work to that cute, tiny muzzle.
Colored pencils make you work harder than other mediums I’ve explored. When you’re mixing colors with pencils, you’re doing it by layering one pencil over another. Much like with watercolor, I build my tones from light to dark, reserving the white areas where I can.
This little guy had the furriest forehead—and after roughing in a bit of that texture, I made my way up to those fuzzy, expressive ears. Miniature donkeys have the most endearing fuzzy ears, and this guy was no exception!
For a while I went back and forth, refining the ear, then returning to that soft, shaggy forehead. As you can see from the image, I did a majority of the work on this guy in bed. paper taped down to my artists board and used my desk top easel as a laptop easel. I’d work on it off and on when I needed to do something more than just lay there and watch TV. A kneaded eraser was a big help with those fine adjustments along the way; no eraser crumbs in bed. I have to say, this was the most enjoyable, and memorable flu I had. Banging and pounding of the work down stairs, me watching The Gilmore Girls for the first time, and messing around with my colored pencils in bed.
After finishing the head, I moved on to the body—starting with one leg. The collage above shows how it slowly came together. I roughed in the darker tones first, then gradually continued layering different colors of pencil to match the photo.
Once the grid was sorted out, I could keep going. One thing I love about colored pencils is how you can just keep layering—tiny hair after tiny hair. I’m not sure where I first heard this, but it stuck with me: when drawing hair, try quickly sketching three hairs in the direction of growth, but each one angled slightly differently. It helps the hair look more natural and prevents those too-uniform lines that don’t really look like hair.
Once the donkey was completed, the addition of straw grounded the little guy to the paper so he didn’t look like he was floating. I was so glad I gave him another shot—and happy with how he turned out. The image above is a scan of the original drawing; it’s amazing how lighting and a camera can distort images.
When I showed the finished drawing to my husband and mentioned that I’d love to turn it into a Christmas card, he said, “Donkeys have nothing to do with Christmas.”
Challenge accepted.
A quick search led me to a sweet poem by Rita Beer called Just a Little Donkey—a reflection on the humble donkey who carried Mary on Christmas Eve. That was all the confirmation I needed.
This fuzzy guy made his Christmas card debut in 2022, and I still smile every time I see him.
I’m excited to offer this card in my Etsy shop—but only for a limited time! Since I can’t use Rita Beer’s poem due to copyright, I created an original poem to go along with the artwork. I’m proud to share this piece with you all, and I hope it brings as much joy as it has brought me.
Click here to order the donkey Christmas cards now! Available in packs of 8, 16, or 24 with envelopes—perfect for sharing with friends and family this holiday season. These are printed to order and ship directly from my production partner, so please allow a little extra time for delivery.
Sorry, U.S. orders only. Limited time—available now through November 30.
Have a favorite animal you’d love to see brought to life in colored pencil or watercolor? Or a holiday memory this little donkey reminds you of? I’d love to hear from you in the comments—or feel free to reach out if you’re curious about commissions or past card designs!
Supplies I Used for This Drawing
Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links. If you purchase through these links, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks for supporting my work!
- Colored Pencils – A mix of brands, including Prismacolor Premier and Faber-Castell Polychromos
- Paper – Strathmore Bristol Vellum Pad, 9x12
- Transfer Paper – Saral Graphite Transfer Paper (for tracing outlines)
- Kneaded Eraser – Kneaded Rubber Eraser (no eraser crumbs!)
- Artist Tape – Scotch Artist Tape for taping down paper
- Artist Board – Portable Drawing Board for a sturdy surface
- Desk Easel – Compact tabletop easel for comfortable drawing
- Ruler – Clear acrylic ruler for grid method layout
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