Please PAUSE the "How to Draw a Ring-Tailed Lemur" 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 two circles as guides for the lemur's body. The circles don't have to be perfect. They're just guides. The hind part of the lemur is bigger than the front, so draw this circle a little higher and a bit bigger. The edges of the two circles should graze each other slightly.
Step 2: Draw another circle about half the size of the first circle on the upper left side as a guide for the lemur's head. This circle should also be placed right next to the first one so their edges are touching.
Step 3: Draw two intersecting curved lines inside the lemur's head as guide lines to help you place the facial features later on.
Step 4: Draw a small circle on the lower part of the lemur's head as a guide for drawing the muzzle.
Step 5: Draw two small arcs on top of the head as guides for the lemur's ears.
Step 6: Draw a series of lines that connect the major shapes to form the lemur's body. The line on top should bend more because of the lemur's arched back.
Step 7: Draw four lines under the body (two below each circle) as guides for the legs. Bend the lines forward at the tip as a guide for the lemur's hands. The lines in the back are bent in two places to indicate where the joints will be.
Step 8: Draw a long curved line similar to the letter S on the right side as a guide for the lemur'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 9: Draw the eyes inside the lemur's head using the lines as guides for placement. First lightly sketch two ovals. Then darken the lines for the outline of the eyes and make the ends pointier. Draw small lines inside the eye shapes for the actual eyeballs and add a tiny circle inside each eye to represent glare. Draw a small dot in the middle of each eye for pupils. Shade in the rest of the eyes except for the tiny circle that represents glare. When you shade the lemur's eyes, use a value that's lighter than the pupils. Draw a few lines around the eyes for extra detail.
Step 10: Draw the lemur's nose using the small circle as a guide for placement. The nose consists mainly of two lines for the nostrils. Draw a line in between them and below them for structure.
Step 11: Draw the lemur's mouth using the small circle as a guide. The mouth is made up of a line that starts near the eye on the left, then curves down under the nose. Draw a small line under the mouth for the chin.
Step 12: Use the arcs on top of the head as guides to draw the lemur's ears. Follow the path of the arcs and draw the ears using quick, short strokes for a furry look. Make the tips of the ears pointier and add a few strokes within the arc shape for the fur inside the ears.
Step 13: Use the original circle as a guide to draw the lemur's head. Use quick, short strokes for a fuzzy look as you follow the basic path of the circle. Make the shape of the head a bit thinner. Add a few more strokes inside the head for extra detail.
Step 14: Use the lines on the left as a guide to draw the lemur's front legs or arms. Lightly sketch the shape of the first leg as you follow the path of the line. When you get the structure of the leg right, darken the lines. Bend the leg at the top of the guide line to indicate where the joint is. Draw a few lines at the tip of the feet for the lemur's long digits. Draw the front foot on the other side using the same technique. Most of this foot is hiding behind the first leg, so only draw the visible portion.
Step 15: Use the lines on the right as guides to draw the lemur's hind legs the same way. Remember to sketch lightly as you follow the path of the guide and only darken the lines when you have the structure right. The top part of the hind legs is thicker and gets thinner toward the bottom. The leg bends at the joints near the top of the guide line and again near the bottom. Draw the digits at the tip using a series of lines. Draw the leg on the other side by using the other line as a guide. Darken the line using quick, short strokes when you get the structure right and add the digits at the end.
Step 16: Use the remaining lines as guides to draw the rest of the lemur's body.
Step 17: Use the long, S-shaped line on the right as a guide to draw the lemur's tail. Follow the basic path of the line as you thicken up the shape using quick, short strokes for a fuzzy texture. Don't stray away from the original guide line too much or the tail will be too fat. The end result should be similar to a pipe cleaner.
Step 18 (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 lemur 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 a cast shadow underneath. This helps ground the lemur so it doesn't appear to be floating.
You can add more value throughout your lemur drawing for extra detail. The fur around the nose and eyes of ring-tailed lemurs is dark, so press down hard with your pencil in these areas for a darker value. Add the value by using strokes that go in the general direction of the fur. Try to shade evenly as you add value for a smooth, even look instead of a rough, gritty texture. Add the rings around the tail as thin bars of a darker value as you follow the path of the tail. It's always a good idea to use reference for accuracy. And don't forget to pause the "How to Draw a Ring-Tailed Lemur" video to draw at your own pace.
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