Please PAUSE the "How to Draw an Ant" video after each step to draw at your own pace.

 

Time-Lapse (Speed Drawing) video:

 

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 right side of the paper as a guide for the first part of the ant's head. First make four small marks to indicate the circle's height and width. Then connect the marks using curved lines. If you're struggling drawing the circle, trace the outer rim of a coin, a lid or any other object with a circular edge.

 

Step 2: On the right side of the circle, draw a small, U-shaped arc to complete the guide for the ant's head.

 

Step 3: To the left of the head, draw another circle as a guide for the middle section of the ant's body, or thorax. Draw this circle the same way. The two circles should be about the same size.

 

Step 4: To the left of the circle, draw a thin, long arc to complete the guide for the ant's thorax. This arc should have a slight diagonal orientation. Pay attention to its size in relation to the circle.

 

Step 5: To the left, draw yet another circle as a guide for the first part of the abdomen. The ant's abdomen is big so draw this circle larger than the other circles.

---

 

Step 6: Starting at the top of the circle, draw a line that curves to the left, and then down for the rest of the abdomen. At the bottom, draw a straight line to complete the guide for the ant's abdomen.

 

Step 7: Add the guide for the ant's front leg by first drawing an angled line that's similar to the letter V below the thorax. Extend the guide line by drawing it downward and slope it to the right slightly. Bend the tip at the bottom a bit.

 

Step 8: To the left, draw the guide for the middle leg by first drawing an angled line similar to the letter L. Continue drawing the guide as a line that slopes to the left and bends at the tip.

 

Step 9: Draw the guide for the third leg as a big angled line similar to an upside- down letter V across the entire abdomen. Bend the tip of the line a bit. All of the ant's legs will be attached to the thorax in the later steps.

 

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

---

 

Step 10: Inside the head, near the middle, lightly sketch a small oval for the ant's eye. When you get the position and size of the oval right, darken the lines. Make the bottom part of the eye a bit flatter as you darken the shape.

 

Step 11: Starting at the top of the arc on the head, draw a short, sloping line for the first part of the ant's jaw. Add a jagged, curved line above that that connects to the head to finish this part of the jaw.

 

Step 12: Starting where the circle meets the arc, lightly sketch a line for the first antenna. When you get the position and length right, darken the lower half. Make the shape slightly thicker than the sketched line and add a small curved base at the head. Darken the top half too, and make the shape thinner and the tip pointier. Optional: Add a few tiny lines inside the ant's antenna for separate segments.

 

Step 13: Use the initial circle and arc as guides to draw the rest of the ant's head. Simply darken the outer edges of the initial guides to create the shape of the head. Close off the shape of the jaw. Draw a short line that connects the antenna to the jaw.

 

Step 14: Draw the antenna on the other side of the head the same way as the first. Remember to sketch lightly at first. Place this antenna higher, and make it shorter and thinner than the first. If you'd like, add a few segments to the ant's antenna. At the bottom, draw a curved line for the other side of the jaw.

---

 

Step 15: Use the rightmost angled line under the ant's thorax as a guide to draw the front leg. Draw the thin shape of the leg around the guide. Divide the long part of the guide into two segments. Divide the bottom part into small segments too and add a couple of spikes at the tip. Now follow the guide after the line bends and add the next segment. Make this one a bit thicker. On the left side, draw the segment that attaches to the thorax. Part of it will be hidden behind the previous segment.

 

Step 16: Use the angled line in the middle as a guide to draw the center leg the same way. Draw the long part of the leg first around the guide line. Divide the leg into two thin segments. Divide the lower part into small segments too and add a couple of tiny spikes at the tip. Now draw the rest of the ant's leg using what remains of the guide line. Follow the path of the guide to connect the leg to the thorax. Make these segments thicker than the lower segments.

 

Step 17: Use the leftmost angled line as a guide to draw the ant's hind leg. As before, divide the long side of the guide line into almost equal halves and draw the two segments around it. These segments must be pretty thin. You're basically just thickening up the guides. Add the spiky bits at the tip. Draw the thicker segment of the leg using the right side of the guide line. Draw a couple of lines between the previous leg for the part of the segment that actually connects to the thorax.

 

Step 18: Use the initial circle and arc in the middle as guides to draw the thorax. Darken the outer edges of the guides to create the shape of the thorax. Don't overlap the legs at the bottom. Add a few curved lines within the shape of the thorax for the segments that correspond to the ant's legs.

 

Step 19: Use the remaining shapes as guides to draw the ant's abdomen the same way. Darken the outer edges of the guides to create the shape of the abdomen. Add a few lines inside the abdomen to create segments. Don't overlap the shape of the leg.

---

 

Step 20: Add the ant's other front leg by first lightly sketching a sloping line at the front of the thorax. When you get the slope and angle of the line right, add the two long segments for the leg. Add a couple of smaller segments at the bottom and a couple of spikes at the tip. Add a thin, small arc on top of the thorax for the top part of the middle leg on the other side. Add the rest of the middle leg under the thorax. The legs on the other side should be pretty equal in length.

 

Step 21: Draw the hind leg on the other side peeking out from behind the abdomen. Use the previous hind leg as a template and draw this hind leg the same way but slightly shorter. Most of the leg is behind the big abdomen, so you're only really drawing the top and bottom parts.

 

Step 22: 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 ant drawing for extra detail. Use a medium value for the antennae and a dark value for the eye. Leave a bit of the eye blank for shine. A lot of ant species have a only a single color on their bodies, so just use a medium value all over the body. Add a darker value at the bottom of the segments for shadow. This gives the shape dimension and volume.

Transition gradually from medium to dark so you don't have an abrupt value change. Vary the pressure on your pencil to get different degrees of tonal value. Add the value lightly at first, and then gradually build up to the level of darkness that you want. Use a lighter value at the top of the segments to represent shine on the ant's body. Shading can be time-consuming, so be patient and take breaks. It's always a good idea to use reference for a more accurate drawing.

Add a cast shadow underneath. This helps ground the ant so it doesn't appear to be floating. 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 Saturday.

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

 

RELATED TUTORIALS