Please PAUSE the "How to Draw a Chipmunk" video after each step to draw at your own pace.
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 as a guide for the chipmunk's body. The circle doesn't have to be perfect. It's just a guide. Leave enough room on the sides for the chipmunk's head and tail.
Step 2: Draw a smaller circle on the left side as a guide for the chipmunk's head. This circle should be about one-fourth the size of the first one. The edges of the circles should overlap a bit.
Step 3: Inside the circle, draw two intersecting lines. These lines will help you draw the chipmunk's facial features later on.
Step 4: Draw an arc on the left side of the head as a guide for the chipmunk's muzzle.
Step 5: Draw a smaller arc on top of the head as a guide for the chipmunk's ears.
Step 6: Draw a couple of lines on the left and bottom of the body as guides for the chipmunk's limbs. Draw a longer line on the right side for the chipmunk's tail.
That's it for the initial sketch! From this point on, press harder with your pencil to get a more defined sketch.
Step 7: Draw the chipmunk's eye in the head by first lightly sketching a circle. Use the lines as guides for placement. Darken the shape of the chipmunk's eye and make the sides pointier. Add a small arc on the left side of the eye to complete the eye shape. Shade in the entire eyeball except for a tiny circle to represent glare. Use a darker value on the top and bottom of the eyeball for a more spherical appearance. Draw a line that surrounds the eye for extra detail. Shade the space between the line and the eye using a light value. Add a few quick, short strokes on the right side for the fur around the eye.
Step 8: Use the arc on the left side as a guide to draw the chipmunk's muzzle. Draw a smaller arc within the guide for the nose. Add a line under the nose for the upper lip. Draw a smaller line under that for the chipmunk's lower lip.
Step 9: Use the arc on the head as a guide to draw the chipmunk's ears. Darken the outer shape of the arc and add a few quick, short strokes in the shape for the fur. Add a few more lines inside to complete the inner structure. Draw a curved line on the left for the chipmunk's other ear.
Step 10: Use the remaining lines as guides to draw the rest of the chipmunk's head. Use quick, short strokes as you follow the basic path of the guide to give the chipmunk's head a furry look. Add a few strokes on the right side of the ears for the back of the head.
Step 11: Use the line on the left as a guide to draw the chipmunk's front limbs. Lightly sketch the shape of the limb as you follow the path of the line. Darken the shape using quick, short strokes to give the limb a furry texture. Draw the digits at the tip of the shape. The digits should be short and pointy. Draw a curved line on the left side of the digits to create a nut for the chipmunk to hold. Draw the visible portion of the front limb on the other side.
Step 12: Draw the chipmunk's hind leg on the bottom part of the body. Draw a curved line using quick, short strokes for the top part of the chipmunk's leg. Draw the foot under the body by using the initial line as a guide. Draw the chipmunk's pointy digits on the front. The foot should be long and thin.
Step 13: Draw the pointy digits on the other leg. Most of the leg on the other side is hiding behind the chipmunk's body.
Step 14: Use the main circle as a guide to draw the rest of the chipmunk's body. Follow the basic path of the circle and use quick, short stokes to give the body a furry texture.
Step 15: Now draw the chipmunk's tail. Follow the path of the guide on the right side and use quick short strokes.
Step 16 (optional): 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. Also re-draw any final sketch lines that you may have accidentally erased.
Final Step (optional): Add some shading to your chipmunk 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.
Draw a cast shadow underneath. This helps ground the chipmunk so it doesn't appear to be floating.
You can add more value throughout your chipmunk drawing for extra detail. Chipmunks usually have three dark bands and two light bands across their eyes. Add the value by using strokes that go in the general direction of the fur. Try not to add the value too smoothly to get a more fuzzy texture. Notice the gaps between the strokes. Chipmunks also have alternating dark and light bands on their backs, so vary the pressure on your pencil for different values. It's a good idea to use reference for accuracy on the chipmunk's coat pattern. Remember to pause the video to draw at your own pace.
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