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

Stay tuned for more free drawing lessons by:

Liking us on Facebook>>

Subscribing on YouTube.com>>

Following us on Instagram>>

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.

RELATED TUTORIALS

To draw this cute Quokka 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.

The Written 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.

Step 1: Draw a circle near the top of the paper as a guide for the quokka's head. To draw the circle, make four marks to determine height and width. Then connect the marks using curved lines. Sketch lightly at first so that it's easy to erase if you make a mistake. If you're struggling to draw the circle, just trace the outer rim of a circular object like a coin or a lid. For a more detailed guide on the different ways to draw a circle check out this tutorial: Four simple ways to draw a circle.

Step 2: Draw a curved, horizontal line across the head as a guide to help you place the quokka's facial features later on. On the top, right side, draw a smaller, curved, vertical line for another construction guide.

Step 3: Below the section where the construction lines meet, draw a small circle as a guide for the quokka's muzzle. Pay attention to the size of this circle in relation to the head. Don't draw it too big.

Step 4: Draw two small arcs on top of the head as guides for the quokka's ears.

Step 5: Under the head, off to the left side, draw a big circle as a guide for the top part of the quokka's body. Use the four-marks method to draw this circle too and sketch lightly at first to get the shape right. This circle should be about twice the size of the first circle. The top part of this circle should be behind the head, so don't overlap the lines for the shapes.

---

Step 6: Add the guide for the lower half of the quokka's body by first making a mark far down below the big circle. Connect the small mark to the sides of the circle using long, curved lines to form a big arc. The left side should be longer than the right side, and the bottom edge should be a bit flat.

Step 7: Inside the big circle, near the right side, draw two small lines that look similar to the letter V as guides for the arms. Pay attention to how the lines curve and slope. Under the body, draw two long, horizontal lines as guide for the quokka's feet. The lines should bend a bit at the top. Draw another horizontal line on the left side as a guide for the tail.

That's it for the guides! From this point on, press harder with your pencil for a more defined drawing.

Step 8: Inside the head, lightly sketch two small circles for the quokka's eyes. Use the initial lines as guides for placement. When you get the size and position right, darken the shapes. The eye on the left should be a bit thinner and smaller than the eye on the right because of the way the head is turned. Draw a couple of curved lines around the eyes for the eyelids. Add a few short strokes above the eyes for a bit of fur.

Inside each eye, off to the side, draw a tiny circle for highlights. In the middle of each eye, draw a bigger circle and shade it in for the pupils. Shade the rest of the eyes but don't overlap the tiny highlight circles. As you shade, use a value that's lighter than the pupils. To give the quokka's eyeballs a more rounded feel, use a dark value at the top and a light value at the bottom.

Step 9: Inside the muzzle, lightly sketch a small circle for the nose. Quokkas have pretty big noses, so don't make the shape too small. Draw it close to the right side of the muzzle. When you get the size and position of the nose right, darken the shape. As you darken the sides of the nose, curve the lines inward to create the nostrils. Make the bottom part of the nose pointy and draw a short line in the middle of it. Add a few short strokes above the nose for fur.

---

Step 10: Below the nose, lightly sketch a line that curves to the left for the first part of the mouth. Draw another line that curves to the right for the other half of the mouth. Follow the edge of the initial circle as you draw the outside of the muzzle. Curve the line toward the eye. Darken the left side of the mouth upward toward the edge of the circle to create the famous quokka smile. Below the mouth, draw a short line that's made up of short strokes for the furry chin.

Step 11: Darken the arc on the top, left side of the head to create the first ear. Draw a few curved lines along the inner edge of the arc to give the ear more structure. Draw a series of short strokes within the arc for the fur that's inside the ear. Use the arc on the left as a guide to draw the quokka's other ear the same way. Darken the arc and add strokes inside.

Step 12: Use the initial circle as a guide to draw the rest of the quokka's head. Draw a line made up of short strokes between the ears, above the edge of the circle for the top of the head. Draw a series of short strokes along the sides of the initial circle for the furry head. Draw the bottom part of the head below the edge of the initial circle to make the head longer. Leave a few gaps along the bottom edge to indicate where the head connects to the body. Draw a few short strokes inside the quokka's head to emphasize the fur.

Step 13: Use the line inside the big circle, to the left, as a guide to draw the quokka's first arm. Follow the path of the guide and lightly sketch the shape of the arm around it. Use a series of short strokes as you darken the shape of the arm for the fur. Use smooth lines for the bottom part of the hands and digits. Along the bottom of the shape, draw a series of short, V-shaped lines for the digits. Use the line on the right as a guide to draw the other arm the same way. Add the V-shaped digits at the bottom. Draw short strokes around the guide to create the shape of the quokka's furry arm.

Step 14: Use the angled line on the lower, left side of the body as a guide to draw the first leg. Darken the guide line and on the right side, draw two thin, long shapes for two of the three toes. At the tip of each toe, draw a small, curved, triangular shape for the quokka's claws. Above the foot, draw a line that's made up of short strokes that curves up for the top part of the leg. Use the line on the right as a guide to draw the other leg the same way. Draw two thin, long shapes for the toes. At the tip of each toe, draw a small, triangular shape for claws.

---

Step 15: Use the remaining lines and shapes as guides to draw the rest of the body. Darken the outer edges of the guides using quick, short strokes to create the shape of the quokka's body. Curve the line on the left a bit as you draw the strokes to make the back more arched. Don't use strokes that are too long, otherwise the fur will turn out too shaggy. Slope the line on the right in toward the left side so that the bottom of the body is narrower. Draw a curved line along the path of the guide and above the foot to create the top part of the leg on the right. Draw a series of short strokes on the top part of the body for fur but don't overlap the arms.

Step 16: 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 quokka drawing using short strokes for extra detail. Use a dark value for the inner ears and nose. Use a light value along the top of the nose for shine. As you shade the head, use strokes that radiate outward from the nose. Separate each individual stroke a bit so that the white of the paper comes through and creates a more fur-like texture. Use a darker value around the quokka's eyes for shadows and a light value under the head to separate it from the body. Vary the pressure on your pencil to get different degrees of tonal value. For a more detailed guide on how to shade, check out this tutorial: How to shade.

Shade the quokka's body using vertical strokes. Shade lightly at first, and then gradually build up to darker values. Use light and dark values throughout for shadows. Shading time-consuming, so be patient and take breaks. Continue to add more strokes to thicken up the fur and to further darken the shadows. It's a good idea to use reference as you draw for a more accurate depiction of a quokka. Don't forget to pause the video after each step to draw at your own pace. Add a cast shadow underneath to ground the quokka so that it doesn't appear to be floating.

Thanks for visiting! Subscribe to the How2DrawAnimals YouTube Channel for a new tutorial every week.

To learn how to draw popular cartoon characters, visit EasyDrawingTutorials.com.

RELATED TUTORIALS