In this free art lesson, you'll learn how to draw a South American Coati step-by-step.

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All of the tutorials on How2DrawAnimals.com are good drawing tutorials for beginners and experienced artists alike. The online tutorials are easy to follow; they teach you the how to draw basics while showing you how to draw animals step by step. Each animal has a video drawing tutorial option, as well as step-by-step photos and written text to follow.

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To draw this Coati step by step, follow along with the video tutorial below and pause the video after each step to draw at your own pace. You may find it easier to follow the step-by-step drawings below the video. The new lines in each step are shown in red, so you'll know exactly what to draw next. You may want to open the video in a new tab and use both drawing methods. Take your time and draw at your own pace.

Below you can watch a Narrated 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 so that it's easy to erase if you make a mistake.

Step 1: Start by drawing two circles as guides for the coati's body. To draw each circle, first make four marks to determine its height and width. Then connect the marks using curved lines. If you're struggling to draw the circles, just trace the outer rim of circular objects like coins or bottle caps. For a more detailed guide on the different ways to draw a circle check out this tutorial: Four simple ways to draw a circle. Place the circle on the right a bit higher than the circle on the left.

Step 2: On the left side, draw a smaller circle as a guide for the coati's head. This circle should be about half the size of the body circle that's to the right. On the left side of the head circle, draw a curved line as a guide for the muzzle. This line should be similar to an arc on its side.

Step 3: Draw a sloping line across the entire head. This is a construction guide that will help you place the coati's facial features later on. On top of the head, draw two small arcs as guides for the ears.

Step 4: Under each body circle, draw two vertical lines as guides for the legs. Bend the bottoms of the lines to indicate where the feet will be. The line for the hind leg on the right should be the longest line.

Step 5: Connect the head to the body using a couple of curved lines to create the guide for the coati's neck. Connect the body circles using curved, horizontal lines to finish the guide for the torso. On the top, right side, draw a long curved line as a guide for the tail. The shape of the tail should be similar to the letter S and it should be very long in relation to the body.

That's it for the guidelines! From this point on, press down harder with your pencil for a more defined drawing of a South American Coati.

Step 6: Inside the head, draw a small circle for the coati's eye. Use the sloping line as a guide to help you position the eye inside the head. Make the sides of the shape pointy for the corners of the eye. Inside the eye draw two small circles for the pupil and for a highlight. Shade in the pupil. Draw a few lines around the eye for bare skin and fur. On the tip of the muzzle, draw a triangular shape as a guide for the nose. Use curved lines inside the shape to create the nostrils and short strokes at the top for a furry texture. Darken the shapes on top of the head using short strokes to create the ears. Add a few more short strokes within the shapes for the furry ear openings.

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Step 7: Darken the outer edges of the initial guides using short stroke to create the furry shape of the coati's head. Under the nose, draw a line that curves to the right for the mouth and another line under the mouth for the lower jaw. Curve the line on the left side of the head to create the thick brow.

Step 8: Use the angled lines under the body as guides to draw the coati's legs. First lightly sketch the shape of the legs around the guides. The tops of the legs should wide and the bottoms narrow; especially the hind leg. Use short strokes for a furry texture. Make the tips of the feet curved. Inside each foot, draw a couple of short, curved lines to separate the toes. On the tip of each toe, draw a small, curved, triangular shape for the claws.

Step 9: Draw the coati's legs that are on the other side of the the body to the left of the legs from the previous step. Use the initial lines as guides to draw these feet but make them slightly smaller and draw them a bit higher up. Add a couple of curved lines on the tip of each foot for the claws.

Step 10: Darken the outer edges of the guides to finalize the shape of the coati's body. Don't overlap the shapes of the legs as you darken the underside of the body. Draw the tail around the curved guide line that's on the top, right side of the body. Use a series of short strokes as you follow the path of the guide for the tail's furry texture.

Step 11: 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: Shade your drawing for extra detail. Draw a few curved shapes inside the face for the coat pattern. Leaves these shapes, the muzzle and the ears blank for the white fur. Use a medium value on the body. On the tail, alternate between light and dark values to create the ringed pattern. Shade lightly at first and gradually build up to darker values. For light values, push down very lightly on your pencil and push down harder for darker values. As you shade the body, use strokes that go in the general direction of the fur. Separate each stroke a bit so that the white of the paper comes through and creates a more furry texture. Use a slightly darker value throughout the body for shadows. Add a cast shadow at the bottom using a medium value. It's a good idea to use reference as you shade for a more accurate depiction of a South American or Ring-tailed Coati. Shading can be time-consuming, so be patient and take breaks. For a more detailed guide on how to shade, check out this tutorial: How to shade.

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