In this free art lesson, you'll learn how to draw the head detail of a Raccoon step-by-step.

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All of the tutorials on How2DrawAnimals.com are good drawing tutorials for beginners and experienced artists alike. The online tutorials are easy to follow; they teach you the how to draw basics while showing you how to draw animals step by step. Each animal has a video drawing tutorial option, as well as step-by-step photos and written text to follow.

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To draw this Raccoon Head step by step, follow along with the video tutorial below and pause the video after each step to draw at your own pace. You may find it easier to follow the step-by-step drawings below the video. The new lines in each step are shown in red, so you'll know exactly what to draw next. You may want to open the video in a new tab and use both drawing methods. Take your time and draw at your own pace.

The Written step-by-step video tutorial:

Video

For the first few steps, don't press down too hard with your pencil. Use light, smooth strokes to begin.

Step 1: Draw a big, wide circle as a guide for the raccoon's head. To draw the circle, first make four marks to determine the height and width. Then connect the marks using curved lines. Draw the marks on the sides farther apart than the top and bottom marks so that the circle is wide and oval-like. Sketch lightly at first so that it's easy to erase if you make a mistake. If you're struggling to draw the circle, just trace the outer rim of a circular object like a bowl or a cup. For a more detailed guide on the different ways to draw a circle check out this tutorial: Four simple ways to draw a circle.

Step 2: Draw a long, curved, horizontal line across the circle as a guide to help you place the raccoon's facial features later. Draw this line slightly lower than the middle. Add a curved, vertical line on the top, right for another guide.

Step 3: On top of the horizontal line, and on either side of the vertical line, draw two small circles as guides for the eyes. Keep the eyes close to the middle. Use the vertical line as a guide to help you space out the raccoon's eyes.

Step 4: Draw another circle below the horizontal line as a guide for the raccoon's muzzle. Use the four-marks method again to draw this circle. Make the circle wider than it is longer. The top and bottom of this circle should fit snugly between the horizontal line and the bottom of the head.

Step 5: Inside the muzzle, near the bottom, draw small oval as a guide for the nose. Sketch lightly at first to get the shape right. Pay attention to how big the oval is in relation to the raccoon's muzzle.

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Step 6: On the top, left side of the head, draw a small arc as a guide for the first ear. Place the arc equidistant from the tips of the horizontal and vertical lines inside the head. On the right, draw another arc as a guide for the raccoon's other ear. Pay attention to the sizes of the ears in relation to the head.

That's it for the guides! From this point on, press harder with your pencil for a more defined drawing.

Step 7: Use the small circles inside the head as guides to draw the raccoon's eyes. Darken the circle on the left for the first eye. Draw a couple of short lines on the lower, right side for the corners of the eye. Draw a couple of curved lines around the eye for the creases on the skin. Use the circle on the right as a guide to draw the other eye the same way. Darken the shape but make the lower, left side more pointy for the corner of the eye. Draw a couple of curved lines for the creases of the skin around the eye.

Step 8: Draw a small dot in the middle of the eye on the left for the first pupil. Do the same for the eye on the right. Draw a big dot in the middle of it for the other pupil. Draw a couple of tiny circles on the sides of each of the raccoon's pupils for highlights.

Step 9: Use the small oval inside the muzzle as a guide to draw the raccoon's nose. Follow the path of the guide and darken the top part of the shape. Curve the left side inward and add a tiny oval on the end for the first nostril. Curve the right side inward too and create the other nostril using a couple of short, curved lines. Curve the bottom edge inward and draw a small, vertical line near the middle that splits the raccoon's nose a bit. The nose should fit inside the oval guide. Add a few short strokes at the top for detail.

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Step 10: Below the nose, draw a long, horizontal line that's made up of short strokes for the mouth. The strokes for the mouth should stretch from the left edge of the muzzle guide to the right edge. Under the raccoon's mouth, draw an even longer horizontal line that's made up of short strokes for the chin and bottom of the head. As you draw the strokes, follow the path of the first circle so that the line curves up on the sides.

Step 11: Continue to draw short strokes on the left side of the mouth to create the shape of the raccoon's muzzle. Curve the path of the strokes to the left and then up so that the muzzle is wide. Sketch lightly at first. Continue to draw the strokes along the path of the guide and then curve them back down so that they end on the nose. On the right side, draw a similar line made up of short strokes. Start on top of the raccoon's nose and then follow the edge of the muzzle guide.

Step 12: Draw a series of short strokes along the arc on the top, left side of the head for the first ear. Add short strokes on the sides of the arc and on the bottom for the furry base of the raccoon's ear. Draw a couple of rows of short strokes within the arc for the fur inside the ear.

Step 13: Use the arc on the right as a guide to draw the raccoon's other ear the same way as the first ear. Draw a series of short strokes along the path of the arc and across the bottom for a furry texture. Inside the arc, draw a couple of rows made up of short strokes for the ear's furry opening.

Step 14: Use the first circle as a guide to draw the rest of the head shape. Draw short strokes along the top edge of the circle to connect the ears but make the shape flatter. On the left side, draw a long, curved line that's made up of short strokes for the furry side of the head. The line should start at the ear and end at the chin. Pay attention to how far this line curves away from the original circle. On the right side, draw a similar line that's made up of short strokes for the other side of the raccoon's furry head. This line should also start at the ear and end on the chin. Pay attention to how much it curves outward.

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Step 15: Draw a series of short strokes around the eyes for the distinctive raccoon pattern on the face. Using short strokes, draw a tall shape on the top, right side of the eye on the left. Continue using short strokes to draw a big, thick, curved shape on the left side of the head. Draw similar shapes on the right side to complete the mask-like pattern on the raccoon's face. Draw a tall shape above the eye on the right. The inner, bottom line should connect to the pattern on the muzzle. Add the big, thick, curved shape on the right. The sides don't have to be perfectly symmetrical.

Step 16: For a cleaner look, erase as much as you can of the initial guides. Don't worry about erasing all of the guides. It's okay to leave some behind. Re-draw any final sketch lines you may have accidentally erased.

Final Step: Use a series of short strokes to shade your raccoon drawing for extra detail. Use darker, smoother strokes for the nose and leave a thin section blank at the top for shine. For the eyes, use a dark value at the top and gradually transition to a lighter value at the bottom for a rounder feel. Use dark strokes for the mask pattern on the face. The strokes should go in the general direction of the fur. Use dark strokes for the section above the raccoon's nose. Separate each individual stroke a bit so that the white of the paper comes through. Use strokes that have a medium value for the top part of the head. Leave a big blank section above the mask pattern. Use a medium value for the ears and a dark value in the middle. Shading can be time-consuming, so be patient and take breaks. For a more detailed guide on how to shade, check out this tutorial: How to shade.

Continue to shade using short strokes. Add the value very lightly at first, and then gradually build up to a darker value. Vary the pressure on your pencil to get different degrees of tonal value. Remember to use strokes that go in the direction of the raccoon's fur. Turn your paper if it makes it easier. Add some strokes on the white sections of the fur so that those areas aren't too blank. The strokes on the white areas also work as shadows to give the head more dimension and volume.

Make the area near the top edge of the raccoon's head darker. The ears should be light around the outer edges. Add a slightly darker value along the middle of the mask, below the eyes, to give the face more structure. It's a good idea to use reference as you draw for an accurate depiction of a raccoon. Don't forget to pause the video after each step to draw at your own pace.

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