In this free art lesson, you'll learn how to draw a Tarsier 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 Tarsier 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 tarsier's head. First make four marks to determine the circle's height and width. Then connect the marks using curved lines. With every step, 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: Inside the circle, near the bottom, draw a curved, horizontal line as a guide to help you place the tarsier's facial features later. On top of this line, near the middle, draw a curved, vertical line for another construction guide.

Step 3: Near the bottom of the head, draw a small circle as a guide for this little primate's muzzle. Use the construction lines as guides for the position and size of this circle in relation to tarsier's head.

Step 4: On the top, left side of the head, draw a small arc as a guide for the first ear. Draw another small arc on the top, right side of the head as a guide for the tarsier's other ear.

Step 5: Under the head, off to the left, draw a big circle as a guide for tarsier's body. Use the four-marks method to draw this circle too. This circle should be a bit bigger than the head. The edges of the head and body circles should touch. Make sure that the body is to the left of the head.

---

Step 6: To the right of the body, draw a long, curved line as a guide for the tarsier's leg. At the bottom, draw a sloping line so that the overall shape is similar to the number 2.

Step 7: On the top, right side of the leg, draw a short line with a small circle at the end as a guide for the tarsier's hand.

Step 8: On the left side, draw two long, curved lines as guides for the back and base of this tiny primate's tail. If you have room on your paper, draw the line for the tarsier's tail about one and half times the length of the body.

Step 9: To the right of the tarsier's body, draw two long, sloping, vertical lines as guides for a tree branch. Branches aren't perfectly straight, so don't worry about making the lines too straight. You can make the shape of the branch wider but you'll have to adjust the grip on the hand and feet later.

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

---

Step 10: Lightly sketch the eyes inside the head as two circles. Tarsiers have the largest eye-to-body size ratio of all mammals, so make the eyes big in relation to the head. The eyes should be almost as big as the guide for the muzzle. When you get size of the eyes right, darken the lines. Use the construction lines as guides to help you place the proper distance between the eyes. Tarsiers' eyes cannot move in their sockets. Instead, their heads are able to rotate 180° on their necks.

Step 11: In the middle of each eye, draw a tiny dot for the pupils. If you'd like, you can make the pupils dilated by drawing a circle almost as big as the eyes and shading them in. Off to the side of each pupil, draw a couple of small circles for highlights. You can draw more highlight circles if you'd like. Add some lines round the tarsier's eyes for extra detail. On the inner parts of the eyes, curve the lines down toward the muzzle a bit to create the corners of the eyes. These lines are part of the eyelids, so keep the lines close to the shapes of the eyes.

Step 12: Inside the muzzle guide, below the horizontal construction line, lightly sketch a small circle for the tarsier's nose. When you get the size and position right, darken the lines but make the shape a bit flatter on the sides. Curve the left side inward for the nostril. Inside, at the bottom, draw a tiny line to split the tiny primate's nose.

Step 13: Below the nose, draw a line that's made up of short strokes for the mouth. The left side of the line should stretch outside of the initial circle. Dip the line down in the middle. Darken the lower edge of the initial circle to create the tarsier's chin. Use short strokes as you follow the edge of the circle for a furry texture.

Step 14: Darken the small arc on the top, left side of the head for the first ear. Draw a series of short strokes within the shape for the fur inside the ear. Draw longer lines for the ear's structure. Stretch the lines farther down so that the ear's base is inside the head. Use the arc on the top, right side as a guide to draw the tarsier's other ear the same way. Darken the arc and then draw the strokes inside for the structure and fur.

---

Step 15: Use the first circle as a guide to draw the rest of the tarsier's head. Follow the basic path of the circle but make the top of the head flatter and wider. Use a series of short strokes as you create the shape of the little primate's head for a furry texture. Use short strokes along the right edge of the circle for more of the head. Curve the bottom of the head to the left so that it meets the chin. Follow the left edge of the circle using short strokes to complete the tarsier's head. Make the shape wider.

Step 16: Use the curved line on the right that's shaped like the number 2 as a guide to draw the leg. Draw a series of short strokes along the path of the guide for the fur on the tarsier's leg. On the top and bottom, extend the line inside the big circle to make the shape of the leg longer. Curve the bottom of the line upward and follow the slope of the guide so that the leg is folded against the body. Darken the bottom guide for the foot. Along the right side of the branch, draw the primate's toes using curved lines. Make the toes short and thin because they're wrapping around the branch. The fourth toe is behind the leg.

Step 17: Use the small circle to the right of the head as a guide to draw this tiny primate's hand. Draw the visible part of the thumb behind the head. On the top, right, draw the first finger wrapped around the branch. Along the right side of the circle, draw a series of curved lines overlapping each other for the other fingers. Tarsiers have long fingers, but most of them won't be visible, as they are folded on the other side of the branch. Across the top of the body, draw a long, curved line made up of short strokes for the furry arm.

Step 18: Below the tarsier's first hand, draw the fingers from the other hand that are wrapping around the branch. Draw the fingers as thin, long, cylindrical shapes that slope across the branch. Make the lines wavy and curve the tips to emphasize the knuckles on this primate's tiny fingers.

Step 19: Below the tarsier's first foot, draw the second foot using curved lines along the shape of the branch. Draw the first toe using a short, curved line on the left edge of the branch. Along the right edge of the branch, draw a couple of thin, curved shapes for the other toes peeking from behind. Back to the left side of the branch, draw the bottom of the foot using a curved line that connects to the leg.

---

Step 20: Use the remaining shapes on the left as guides to draw the rest of the tarsier's body. Draw a series of short strokes along the left edge of the guides to create the furry back. Draw the base of the primate's tail at the bottom using two curved lines. If you have space on your paper, you can make the tail longer.

Step 21: Darken the long, sloping lines on the right for the tree branch. Don't overlap the tarsier's limbs as you darken the lines. Remember that the branch doesn't have to be perfectly straight.

Step 22: For a cleaner look, erase as much as you can of the initial guides. 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 tarsier drawing for extra detail. Shade using a series of short strokes all over the body to simulate the dense fur. Use strokes that go in the general direction of the fur. On the head, the strokes should radiate outward from the nose. Use a medium value for the most part. Use a darker value to create shadows. For a more detailed guide on how to shade, check out this tutorial: How to shade.

Use a dark value around the edges of the eyes and a medium to light value in the middle. Don't overlap the highlights. Add the value very lightly at first, and then gradually build up to a darker value. For the tarsier's fur, separate each individual stroke a bit so that the white of the paper comes through. Use a lighter value on the lower half of the head and on the nose.

Continue to add value to the tarsier's body the same way. Shading can be time-consuming, so be patient and take breaks. Add shadows using a darker value to give the figure more dimension and volume. Notice how the direction of the strokes changes to contour to the shape of the body. It's a good idea to use reference as you draw for an accurate depiction of a tarsier. Use a light value to shade the tree branch. Don't forget to pause the video after each step to draw at your own pace.

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