Begin your wildlife sketch with an outline. Use a drawing pencil and map out the basic border of your picture. Outlining shadows and highlights also acts as a good anchor point when you're first starting. Texture patterns can be experimented with in this phase. The ultimate goal is to have a strong idea of what your wildlife picture will look like before you begin coloring. This will reduce the risk of making any mistakes with the perspective or proportion of your sketch.
Use a layering technique if you desire a soft, fuzzy look. You can achieve the layering technique by coloring your undertone, or the base color of your picture, and slowly layering different colors over it. Layer slowly at first, as artist Lee Hammond demonstrates in her YouTube video (see Reference section). Be sure to press lightly during this entire process to allow the texture of the paper to come through your picture. Sharpen your pencils regularly to keep the sketch well defined.
Burnishing is done when you desire a sharp, vibrant look for your sketch. Achieve this look by pressing your colored pencils firmly as you draw. Start with your undertone and layer different colors over it slowly. The burnishing technique will also allow you to mix the colors of your pencils easily. You can use one color tone to mix two previously drawn colors together.
Follow the correct stroking pattern of your wildlife sketch to achieve realism. Every surface will have a different stroke pattern. Elements such as fur, skin and eyes will all require a different approach with your color pencils. Avoid drawing solid blocks of color; the goal is to make sure nothing in your sketch looks static or inorganic. Draw lightly with your color pencils at first until you're confident with your stroking pattern.
Reference real wildlife scenes when you first start to draw. Pictures of wildlife can also be used as a guide. Having something to reference will make the drawing process much easier. Creating wildlife scenes from memory can be difficult without years of practice.