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

 

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 big circle as a guide for the beaver's body. The circle doesn't have to be perfect. It's just a guide. Leave enough room on either side for the beaver's head and tail.

Step 2: Add a circle about one-fifth the size of the first one on the lower right side as a guide for the beaver's head. Don't place the circles too far apart, or the beaver might end up too long.

Step 3: Draw a small arc on the right side of the head as a guide for the beaver's muzzle.

Step 4: Draw an even smaller arc on the top of the beaver's head for the ear.

Step 5: Draw a series of lines to complete the guide for the body. Draw a couple of lines to connect the beaver's head to the main circle to form the front part of the body. Draw a curved line on the left side for the back part of the body.

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Step 6: Draw four lines under the beaver's body as the guides for the legs. Beavers have short legs, so don't draw the lines too long. Bend them near the middle to indicate where the beaver's feet will be.

Step 7: Draw a long arc on the left side of the body as a guide for the distinctive flat tail.

That's it for the initial sketch! From this point on, press harder with your pencil to get a more defined sketch.

Step 8: Draw the eye as a small circle inside the beaver's head on the upper right side. Draw a dot in the middle for the pupil and a tiny circle on the side to represent glare. Shade in the rest of the eye except for a tiny circle. Use a value that's lighter than the pupil. Draw a line shape surrounding the eye for extra detail.

Step 9: Draw the nose on the tip of the initial arc. The shape of the beaver's nose is long and similar to a diamond. Draw a small shape inside and shade it in for the nostril.

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Step 10: Use the initial arc as a guide to draw the rest of the beaver's muzzle. Use quick, short strokes as you draw the mouth and chin to represent fur.

Step 11: Use the arc on the beaver's head as a guide to draw the ear. Make the top of the beaver's ear a bit more pointy and add some lines inside for the inner structure.

Step 12: Use the initial circle as a guide to draw the rest of the beaver's head. Follow the basic path of the head but make it bigger than the circle. Use quick, short strokes as you draw the shape of the beaver's head for a furry texture. Draw a long curved line using quick, short strokes on the lower left side for the strong tree-cutting jaws.

Step 13: Use the lines on the right as guides to draw the front legs. Lightly sketch the shape of the leg as you follow the guide. Darken the lines once you get the structure right. Draw the beaver's feet by drawing a series of short curved lines at the bottom. Use the other line to draw the front leg on the other side the same way. Use quick, short strokes on the legs for a furry texture. The beaver's feet are basically hairless.

Step 14: Now use the lines on the left side as guides to draw the beaver's hind legs. Remember to sketch lightly at first as you follow the basic path of the guide. Darken the lines only when you have the structure right. The hind feet should be a bit bigger than the front feet. Most of the hind leg on the other side is hidden behind the body, so only draw the foot.

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Step 15: Use the remaining lines as guides to draw the rest of the beaver's body. Follow the basic path of the guides as you darken the lines to create the body. Beavers have a lot of fur, so use quick, short strokes for a furry texture. Use longer strokes at the bottom of the body to represent longer fur.

Step 16 (optional): Use the long arc on the left as a guide to draw the beaver's tail. Follow the basic path of the guide but make the end a little wider for a more paddle-like shape.

Step 17 (optional): For a cleaner look, erase as much as you can of the initial guide lines. Don't worry about erasing all of them. It's okay to leave some behind. Re-draw any final sketch lines that you have accidentally erased.

Final Step (optional): Add some shading to your drawing to give it more dimension and volume. Pick the direction of the light source when shading so that the shadows are consistent with it. Don't worry too much about the shading if you're also going to add more value to your drawing.

You can add more value throughout your beaver drawing for more detail. Beavers' coats are a solid color without any pattern, so use a single value for the entire body. Beavers are dark brown. You can also color your drawing instead of shading it. Add the value by using strokes that go in the general direction of the fur. Separate each individual stroke a bit to get a coarser, more furry texture. You can also use a lighter value on certain sections of the body for a more wet and shiny look. Vary the pressure on your pencil to get different degrees of tonal value. Shading can be quite time-consuming, so be patient and take breaks. It's always a good idea to use reference for a more accurate drawing. Don't forget to pause the "How to Draw a Beaver" video after each step to draw at your own pace.

Finally, add a cast shadow underneath. This helps ground the beaver so it doesn't appear to be floating. Use a dark value near the middle of the shadow and a lighter value along the edge for the shadow's diffusion.

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

 

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