In this free art lesson, you'll learn how to draw the head detail of a Sea Otter 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 Sea Otter 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: Draw a big oval as a guide for the sea otter's head. First make four marks to determine the oval's height and width. Make sure that the marks for the oval's width are farther apart than the marks for the oval's length. Then connect the marks using curved lines. Sketch lightly at first so that it's easy to erase if you make a mistake.

Step 2: Draw a long, horizontal line across the oval as a guide to help you place the sea otter's facial features later. Draw this line slightly higher than the middle and curve it so that it contours to the circle. Add a vertical line that's closer to the left edge of the oval for another construction guide.

Step 3: Draw two small ovals on top of the horizontal construction line as guides for the sea otter's eyes. Place the eyes on either side of the vertical construction line. Use the lines as guides to determine the size and placement of the eyes in relation to the otter's head. Under the horizontal line, draw a diamond-like shape as a guide for the nose. Draw the diamond directly on the path of the vertical line.

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

Step 4: Use the small ovals inside the head as guides to draw the otter's eyes. Darken the shapes but make the tops a bit shorter. Use short strokes on the inner edges for fur. Inside the eyes, draw curved lines for the irises and pupils. Add tiny circles for highlights. Add curved lines made up of short strokes above the eyes for more fur.

Step 5: Use the diamond-like shape as a guide to draw the sea otter's nose. Darken the shape but make the top and side corners rounder. On the sides, curve the lines inward to create small semi-circles for the nostrils. Add a couple of short lines under the nostrils and darken the bottom pointy tip of the nose.

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Step 6: Under the otter's nose, draw a line that curves to the left for the first half of the mouth. The line should stretch all the way to the edge of the big initial oval. Use short strokes for fur. To the right, draw a slightly longer, curved line for the other side of the mouth. Add a dark section in the middle of the mouth for the lower lip. Below the mouth, curved shape that's made up of short strokes for the furry chin.

Step 7: Draw a few curved lines that are made up of short strokes around the nose for the sea otter's furry muzzle. These lines should for a circular shape around the nose. Add some lines on the sides of the head too. On the outer sides of the main oval, draw a few curved lines for the ears. The ear on the left should be slightly smaller. Draw a few lines inside the ears to give them structure.

Step 8: Use the main oval as a guide to draw the rest of the head. Draw a series of short strokes along the basic path of the oval for the furry texture of the head. Don't make the strokes too long. Make the sides of the head a bit wider than the initial oval. Under the ears, draw vertical lines that are also made up of short strokes for part of the neck.

Step 9: 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 sea otter drawing for extra detail. Use a dark value for the pupils and the nose. Don't overlap the tiny highlight circles in the eyes as you shade. Add a slightly lighter value above the nose for a highlight. Use a medium and dark value on the ears. For a more detailed guide on how to shade, check out this tutorial: How to shade. Shade the rest of the otter's head using a series of strokes for a furry texture. Vary the pressure on your pencil to get different degrees of tonal value. As you shade, separate each individual stroke a bit so that the white of the paper comes through. Shade lightly at first, and then gradually build up to darker values. Use a lighter value around the muzzle for highlights on the fur. As you shade, use strokes that go in the general direction of the fur. The strokes should basically radiate outward from the middle. Shading can be time-consuming, so be patient and take breaks. Continue to add layers of short, medium-value strokes to build up the texture of the fur. It's a good idea to use reference as you draw for a more accurate depiction of a sea otter. That's it for the sea otter!

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