Please PAUSE the "How to Draw an Aardvark" 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 circle near the middle of the page as a guide for the aardvark's body. 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 another circle to the left the same way as a guide for the back portion of the aardvark's body. The circles should be about the same size, and their edges should touch. Place the circle on the left a bit higher.

 

Step 3: Draw another circle on the lower, right side as a guide for the aardvark's head. This circle should be about one- fourth the size of the first one , and their edges should touch.

 

Step 4: Inside the head, draw a sloping curved line. This construction line will help you place the features later. On the lower, right side of the head, draw a long, thin arc as a guide for the aardvark's muzzle. Pay attention to the length of this arc in relation to the size of the head.

 

Step 5: On top of the aardvark's head, draw two long, thin arcs as guides for the ears. Each ear should be similar to a long, upside-down letter U. Aardvarks have long ears, so don't draw these too short.

---

 

Step 6: Under the big circle on the right, draw two long, angled lines as guides for the aardvark's front legs. The first line should angle at the top for the joint and at the bottom for the foot. The other line should slope and bend at the bottom only.

 

Step 7: Under the circle on the left, draw two longer angled lines as guides for the hind legs. Pay attention to where these lines bend, as that will indicate the aardvark's joints and feet later on.

 

Step 8: Connect the main circles using long, curved lines to complete the guide for the aardvark's body. The line at the top should curve more. Add a couple of shorter lines that connect to the head to form the neck.

 

Step 9: To the left of the body, draw two long, curved lines as the guide for the aardvark's tail. The lines should meet on the far left side and form a point. The base of the tail should be thick.

 

That's it for the initial sketch! From this point on, press harder with your pencil to get a more defined sketch.

---

 

Step 10: Lightly sketch the eye as a small oval on top of the construction line inside the head. When you get the size and placement right, darken the lines. Make the side pointier. Inside the eye, draw a tiny circle to represent glare and a dot in the middle for the pupil. Shade the rest of the eye using a value that's lighter than the pupil. Don't overlap the glare circle. Draw a few lines around the eye to represent the wrinkles on the skin. The aardvark's second eye is on the other side of the head and not visible from this angle.

 

Step 11: Inside the arc on the side, near the tip, draw a thin, oval-like shape and shade it in for the first nostril. Add the other nostril on the right but make it a bit smaller and thinner. Now follow the basic path of the guide to draw the shape of the snout. As you darken the line, curve it in toward the eye to create the aardvark's mouth. Darken the bottom part of the guide to create the lower lip/chin. Darken the top part of the guide as well but make it a bit thinner. Curve the top part and add more lines to make it into more of a pig-like snout.

 

Step 12: Use the arcs on top of the head as guides to draw the aardvark's ears. Darken the basic path of the guide but make the shape of the ear wavier on the sides and pointier at the top. Add a few lines within the shape to give the ear more structure. Draw two long lines inside the shape that come together at the bottom for the ear's opening. Use the other arc as a guide to draw the aardvark's second ear the same way. Darken the sides of the arc but make the tip pointier. Add some lines inside for more structure.

 

Step 13: Use the remaining lines as guides to draw the rest of the aardvark's head. As you darken the lines for the head, draw an extra bump near the top for the other eye's brow. Make the middle section of the snout thinner. It should all be confined inside the initial arc. Add a few more strokes within the head for extra detail.

 

Step 14: Use the second line from the right as a guide to draw the first front leg. Follow the basic path of the guide and lightly sketch the shape of the leg around it. Use a few quick, short strokes on the left side of the leg for the sparse hair it has. At the bottom, draw the toes and the triangle-like nails at the tip. Aardvarks have four toes on their front legs and five toes on their hind legs. Make sure the leg is wide at the top and gradually gets thinner at the bottom.

---

 

Step 15: Use the line on the far right side as a guide to draw the second front leg the same way. Lightly sketch the shape of the aardvark's leg around the guide. Darken the lines when you get the structure right. Use quick, short strokes on the left side of the leg and add the visible triangle-like claws at the bottom.

 

Step 16: Use the second line from the left as a guide to draw the hind leg that's on this side of the body. Lightly sketch the shape of the leg around the guide. Make the top part wide and the bottom narrow. Curve the shape of the leg where the guide line bends to indicate the joints. When you get the shape of the leg right, darken the lines. Use quick, short strokes at the top for the hair. The aardvark's hind legs should be thicker at the top than the front legs. Use a couple of sloping lines and triangle-like shapes to draw the toes and claws at the tip of the foot.

 

Step 17: Use the line on the far left side as a guide to draw the aardvark's other hind leg the same way. Draw the shape of the leg around the guide. Make the top part wide and the bottom narrow. The top part of this leg is hidden behind the other hind leg, so only draw the bottom half.

 

Step 18: Use the remaining lines and shapes as guides to draw the rest of the aardvark's body. Darken the outer edges of the initial guides to create the shape of the body. Don't overlap the shape of the legs that are on this side as you darken the body. Darken the shape of the tail too, and add a few quick, short strokes inside the body for extra detail.

 

Step 19: 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: Add some shading to your aardvark drawing to give it more dimension and volume. Pick the direction of the light source when shading so that the shadows are consistent with it. Vary the pressure on your pencil to get different degrees of tonal value. Add the value lightly at first, then gradually build up to the level of darkness that you want.

Add a cast shadow underneath. This helps ground the aardvark so it doesn't appear to be floating.

You can add even more value throughout your aardvark drawing for extra detail. As you shade the body, use strokes that go in the general direction of the fur. Separate each individual stroke a bit so that the white of the paper comes through to create the sparse hair on the body. The aardvark's legs should be darker, so push down a bit harder on your pencil to get a darker value.

Add a darker value on the shadows as well to make them stand out more. Shading can be time-consuming. Be patient and take breaks so that it's not too overwhelming. It's always a good idea to use reference for a more accurate drawing. Don't forget to pause the video after each step to draw at your own pace.

Thanks for visiting! Subscribe to the How2DrawAnimals YouTube Channel for a new tutorial every Tuesday.

To learn how to draw popular cartoon characters, visit EasyDrawingTutorials.com.

 

RELATED TUTORIALS