For an animal-inspired costume concept, I would start with a few small sketches of the ears, muzzle and tail before refining the outline digitally. Keeping those features separate makes it easier to compare proportions and color choices. I run Drawing Ideas; our fox sketching steps for character ideas show how to build a fox from simple shapes and add its fur markings. The tutorial is for drawing practice, so you would still need separate patterns and measurements for the costume itself.
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