In just a few steps, you'll learn how to draw this eastern chipmunk using colored pencils. All the tutorials on How2DrawAnimals.com are easy to follow and great for beginners and experienced artists alike. Get art basics while sketching your favorite animals step by step. Each free tutorial on this site has a video tutorial option, as well as step-by-step photos and written text to follow along with. Have fun drawing!

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To draw this eastern chipmunk with an acorn step by step, follow along with the video tutorial below and pause the video after each step to go at your own pace. You may find it easier to follow the step-by-step images below the video. The new lines in each step are shown in red, so you'll know exactly what to sketch next. You may want to open the video in a new tab and use both drawing methods. Take your time and create art 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 circle in the middle of the page as a guide for the eastern chipmunk's body and one smaller one for the head. The edges of the circles should overlap slightly.

DRAWING TIP: To draw a circle, first draw four small marks for the height and width of the circle, and then connect the marks using curved lines. Sketch lightly at first so that it's easy to erase if you make a mistake. But the circles don't have to be perfect. They're just guides.

Step 2: Draw an angled line that points downward and bisects the head circle. This is a construction line that will help you place the chipmunk's facial features later. Add a curved line on the bottom right side of the head for the muzzle.

Step 3: Sketch the guides for the ears as two arcs on top of the head. Pay attention to the size of the ear shapes in relation to the eastern chipmunk's head. Then draw two curved lines that connects the head circle and the body circle.

Step 4: With straight lines, sketch in guides for two of the eastern chipmunk's legs. Pay attention to how small the front leg is in relation to the large hind leg. A curved C-like shape coming off the bottom of the body circle will be your guide for the chipmunk's large tail.

That's it for the guidelines! From this point on, press down harder with your pencil for a more defined rendering of an eastern chipmunk.

Step 5: Use the construction lines as guides for the placement of the large, round eyeball. Draw some curved lines around the chipmunk's eye and indicate a bit off fur with quick, short pencil strokes. Add a tiny circle to the top, left of the eyeball to represent glare. You will color the dark eyeball in later, but avoid the glare circle.

At the tip of the muzzle guide, place the eastern chipmunk's nose inside the muzzle circle using a series of curved shapes.

Step 6: Draw the ear by following the guide. Add the inner ear structure with an oval and some quick, short pencil strokes. Use even smaller quick, short pencil strokes to indicate the fur at the base of the ear.

Draw the rest of the muzzle and mouth by following the muzzle guide. Note the short strokes on the chin, which creates a furry look. Chipmunks, like hamsters, can hold a lot in their cheek pouches, but there is no food in this eastern chipmunk's cheeks! It will be holding a nut in its front paws, which you will draw shortly.

Step 7: Now fill in the rest of the head using the same technique: Follow the guides with quick, short pencil strokes.

Step 8: Using the leg guidelines, create the furry shapes of the legs with quick, short pencil strokes. Add arcs for the small digits on the front leg. The bottom foot and its toes is much longer. Each foot has five toes and claws, but not all of these are visible in your rendering.

Step 9: Add a nut in its paws and a little bit of the other limb that's visible. Quick, short strokes create the rest of the chipmunk's body. Leave a lot of space open at the rear so you can add the tail in the next step.

Step 10: With longer pencil strokes, draw the tail around the curved guide. With the same long pencil strokes, follow the curve of the chipmunk's back, add four stripes.

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: Now ink your drawing. Use strokes that go in the direction of the eastern chipmunk's fur. On the head, the fur radiates outward for the nose, and on the back, the longer strokes rotate along the back to follow the curvature of the body. Fill in the eye, being careful not to cover the small circle you drew for the highlight. Add longer strokes on the muzzle for the whiskers.

With colored pencils, add color your chipmunk drawing! With different shades of brown, color the main part of the body. Start lightly and gradually build up to darker colors. Just like with the inks, use strokes that go in the direction of the fur.

Use dark brown to color the top part of the head, leaving a section around the eye for the white fur. Use dark shades of brown to create shadows throughout the eastern chipmunk's body. Shadows give the figure more dimension and volume. Light shades of brown create highlights. Add a bit of blue to the shadows and orange and yellow to the highlights.

Continue to use different shades of brown throughout the chipmunk's body and slowly blend the colors together. As you color, separate each stroke a bit so the white of the paper comes through and creates the look of a furry texture.

Draw a cast shadow underneath your eastern chipmunk using gray and a bit of blue. Coloring can be time-consuming, so be patient and take breaks! Keep coloring until you're happy with the result.

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