Please PAUSE the "How to Draw an Anteater" video after each step to draw at your own pace.

 

The Time-Lapse (Speed Drawing) video:

 

The 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 two circles as guides for the anteater's body. First draw four marks for the height and width of the circle, then connect the marks using curved lines. The circles don't have to be perfect. They're just guides. If you do want a perfect circle, trace the outer rim of a glass, a coin or anything else circular. The circle on the right should be bigger. The edges of the two circles should almost touch.

 

Step 2: Draw another circle on the lower, right side as a guide for the anteater's head. This circle should be very small. About one-sixth the size of the first one.

 

Step 3: Inside the anteater's head on the top, right side, draw a tiny, curved line similar to an upside-down letter U as a guide for the ear.

 

Step 4: To the left of the head, draw a long, thin arc as a guide for the anteater's muzzle. Pay attention to the size of the this arc in relation to the size of the head.

 

Step 5: Draw a series of curved lines that connect the circles to form the rest of the anteater's body. The two lines on the left form the neck, and the lines in the middle make up the torso.

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Step 6: Draw four short lines under the body as guides for the anteater's legs. There should be two lines below each circle of the body. Bend the lines to indicate where the joints in the legs will be.

 

Step 7: Draw a huge arc on the right side of the body as a guide for the anteater's big tail. The shape of the tail should be similar to the letter U on its side and should be almost as big as the body itself.

 

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

 

Step 8: Draw the anteater's eye inside the head on the left side. The shape should be similar to a little football. Shade the eye except for a tiny circle off to the side to represent glare. Draw a a few curved lines around the eye for the wrinkles of the skin. Anteaters have tiny eyes, so make sure not to draw it big.

 

Step 9: Darken the upside-down U shape to create the anteater's ear. Add some lines within the shape for more structure.

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Step 10: Use the tip of the initial long, thin arc as a guide to draw the anteater's small muzzle. Anteaters have small mouths, so just draw a short, curved line near the bottom of the arc for it. Add a tiny line above the mouth for the nostril.

 

Step 11: Use the initial arc and circle as guides to draw the rest of the anteater's head. Follow the basic path of the arc but make the shape of the head thinner as you darken the lines. The shape of the head should also curve slightly.

 

Step 12: Use the lines under the body on the left side as guides to draw the anteater's front legs. Lightly sketch the shape of the leg as you follow the path of the guide. The top part of the leg should be wide. When you get the shape right, darken the lines. Use quick, short strokes on the right side of the leg to represent fur. The toes at the bottom are folded inward (anteaters, like some apes, walk on their knuckles), so they won't be visible.

Use the line on the left as a guide to draw the anteater's front leg on the other side the same way. Sketch the shape of the leg lightly as you follow the path of the guide and only darken the lines when you get the structure right. Use a series of short, curved lines that end in points for the folded toes and claws. Not all the toes will be visible, so only draw a couple of them. Use the image above as reference for how to draw the folded toes.

 

Step 13: Now use the lines on the right side as guides to draw the hind legs the same way as the front legs. Sketch the shape of the leg lightly as you follow the guide and darken the lines when you have the structure right. Use quick, short strokes as you draw the outer shape of the leg to represent the fur. The top part of the anteater's leg should be a lot thicker that the bottom. The anteater is stepping forward, so the leg should kick back. Draw the visible portion of the hind leg on the other side. Unlike the front feet, the hind feet should be flat on the ground.

 

Step 14: Draw the anteater's body by following the basic path of the initial guides and using quick, short strokes for the long fur. Giant anteaters have a stiff, bristly mane across their backs. You can use longer strokes for a longer mane. You can use longer strokes under the body too for a shaggier coat.

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Step 15: Follow the path of the arc on the right as you draw a series of strokes to create the anteater's big bushy tail. The strokes for the tail should be longer than those for the body because the tail is very shaggy.

 

Step 16: 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 that you may have accidentally erased.

 

Final Step: Add some shading to your anteater 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. Don't worry too much about the shading if you're going to add more value to your drawing later on.

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

You can add even more value throughout your anteater drawing for extra detail. Giant anteaters have a long, thin, dark, spike- like shape on their coat. Draw this shape right above the front leg and use a dark value. Now add a medium value to the rest of the coat but leave a thin stripe above the spike-like shape blank.

Vary the pressure on your pencil to get different degrees of tonal value. Add the value by using strokes that go in the general direction of the fur. Don't worry about shading too smoothly. Separate each individual stroke a bit to get a coarser, more bristle-like texture.

Shading can be time-consuming, so be patient and take breaks. It's always a good idea to use reference for a more accurate drawing. Remember to pause the "How to Draw an Anteater" video after each step to draw at your own pace.

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

 

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