Please PAUSE the "How to Draw a Panda (Sitting)" video after each step to draw at your own pace.

 

Time-Lapse (Speed Drawing) video:

 

Written step-by-step video tutorial:

 

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 circle near the top of the page as a guide for the panda's head. First draw four small marks to indicate the height and width of the circle, then connect the marks using curved lines. Sketch lightly at first so that it's easy to erase if you make mistake. But the circle doesn't have to be perfect. It's just a guide. If you're having a hard time drawing the circle, trace the outer rim of a coin, a lid or any other object with a circular edge.

 

Step 2: Draw two intersecting lines inside the head, one vertical and one horizontal. Curve the lines so that they contour to the shape of the circle. These are construction lines that will help you place the panda's facial features later on.

 

Step 3: Draw a small circle on the bottom half of the head as a guide for the panda's muzzle. The top of this circle should touch the construction line, and the bottom should touch the lower edge of the head.

 

Step 4: On top of the head, draw two small arcs as guides for the panda's ears. Pay attention to the size of the ears in relation to the head. Don't draw them too big.

 

Step 5: On the lower, left side of the head, draw two short, diagonal lines as guides for the panda's first arm. Then connect the lines using a curved line at the bottom. The guide should look like a tilted letter U. Draw a similar U-shaped line under the right side of the head as a guide for the other arm. The bottom part of these guides should be tilted away from the head. Pay attention to their size too.

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Step 6: Draw a curved line under each U-shaped line as a guide for the middle section of the panda's arms. These guides should be similar to ovals with the top part missing.

 

Step 7: On each side, draw another curved line as a guide for the panda's front paws. These guides should also look like the letter U but smaller. The guides for the arms are basically a series of U-shaped lines under the head.

 

Step 8: Under the arm on the left, draw a small oval as a guide for the panda's first foot. To draw the oval, first draw two short lines, then connect the lines using curved lines on the sides. Draw another small oval under the arm on the right side for the other foot. This oval should be farther from the arm and a little bit smaller.

 

Step 9: Draw a couple of lines that connect the feet to the arms as guides for the panda's legs. The guide line on the far right side should be long and curved.

 

Step 10: Draw a long, curved line that connects the feet as a guide for the bottom part of the panda's body. Draw another long line on the right side as a guide for the rest of the body.

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

 

Step 11: Lightly sketch the eyeballs inside the head as two small circles. Use the initial lines as guides for placement. When you get the size and shape right, darken the lines. Make the sides of the circles pointier to create the corner of the eyes. Notice the size of the panda's eyes in relation to the rest of the head. Don't draw them too big. Add a few extra lines around the eyes for the skin and wrinkles.

 

Step 12: Shade the inside of the eyes for the irises and pupils. Inside each eye, draw a tiny circle and leave it blank to represent glare. The middle of each eye should be darker for the pupils. Don't worry too much about the panda's eyes because the patches you'll draw around them later will make them hard to see anyway. Add a few quick, short strokes above the eyes for a bit of fur.

 

Step 13: In the middle of the muzzle, lightly sketch a triangular shape for the panda's nose. When you get the placement and size right, add a slit on either side for the nostrils. Use a couple of short lines to darken the bottom part of the nose. Use quick, short strokes for the furry top part of the nose.

 

Step 14: Draw a thick, dark, horizontal line under the nose for the mouth. Use quick, short strokes that curl up for the furry sides of the mouth. Now use quick, short strokes along the edge of the initial circle to create the sides of the muzzle. Add some short strokes along the bottom edge of the initial circle too for the panda's chin.

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Step 15: Use the small arcs on top of the head as guides to draw the ears. Draw a series of quick, short strokes alone the path of the arcs to create the panda's fuzzy ears. The base of the ears should be farther inside the head than the guides. Use a few short strokes inside the arcs for the ears' opening.

 

Step 16: Use the main circle as a guide to draw the rest of the panda's head. Follow the basic path of the circle and add quick, short strokes along the edge for the fur. The top of the head should be a tiny bit narrower than the initial circle.

 

Step 17: Use the three curved lines on the right side as guides to draw the front limb. Use quick, short strokes along the outer edges of the initial guides to create the shape of the arm. Use longer strokes at the top and shorter strokes at the bottom for the fur of different lengths. The arm should be one continuous shape that curves slightly to the left. At the tip of the paw, draw five spiky shapes for the panda's claws. The claws are basically tiny triangles with quick, short strokes on the right sides for the furry base.

 

Step 18: Now use the curved lines on the left side to draw the other limb the same way. Use quick, short strokes along the outer edges of the initial guide for a fur-like texture. Remember to use longer strokes at the top than near the bottom. Now draw the panda's claws as tiny triangle-like shapes along the middle of the paw. The claws should have a somewhat vertical orientation because the paw is turned inward. Add a few small, curved lines to the right of the claws for the paw's padding.

 

Step 19: Use the shapes on the lower, right side as guides to draw the first hind leg. First draw quick, short strokes along the edge of the small oval to create the shape of the foot. Then draw five small, triangle-like shapes along the right edge of the foot for the claws. To the left of the claws, draw a series of short, curved lines for the padding on the toes. Add a long, wavy shape to the left for the padding on the panda's foot. Add short strokes along the path of the guide lines above to complete the rest of the leg.

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Step 20: Use quick, short strokes along the edges of the guides on the left for the fur on the foot. Use small triangles near the left edge for the claws. Curve the claws a bit and use quick, short strokes along their base. Now use a series of curved lines to the right of the claws for the padding under the foot. Finish up the shape of the panda's leg by adding quick, short strokes along the edges of the guides.

 

Step 21: Use the remaining lines as guides to finish drawing the rest of the panda's body. Simply use quick, short strokes along the outer edges of the guides for a fur-like texture. Add some quick, short strokes on the chest for more furry texture.

 

Step 22: For a cleaner look, erase as much as you can of the initial guide lines. 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: Something's missing. The pattern of the panda's coat! Start by outlining where the dark fur will be: around the ears, eyes and limbs. Then add a dark value to the ears, nose, patches around the eyes and limbs. Push down hard on your pencil to get a dark value. You can also use a black color pencil.

You can also turn this panda drawing into a grizzly bear or black bear by adding a medium value all over the body. Adding the dark value can be very time-consuming, so be patient and take breaks. As you shade the body, use strokes that go in the general direction of the fur. As you shade the foot, be careful to not overlap the claws.

Use a slightly lighter value for the padding on the feet. Add dark fur to the top part of the panda's chest too. The dark fur on the front limbs connects here. Continue adding the value until all four limbs are covered in dark fur. Remember not to overlap the dark value onto the claws.

Add a bit of light value to the white sections as well. This value creates shadows and gives the panda dimension and volume. Pick the direction of the light source when shading so that the shadows are consistent with it. Pandas aren't strictly black and white. They have a bit of cream on their body, so add some value to the torso too. Vary the pressure on your pencil to get different degrees of tonal value. Use a darker value near the bottom for the shadows found there.

Add a cast shadow underneath. This helps ground the panda so it doesn't appear to be floating. It's always a good idea to use reference as you draw. Don't forget to pause the video to draw at your own pace.

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