Please PAUSE the "How to Draw a Red Panda" video after each step to draw at your own pace.
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 that's a little wide on the right side of the paper as a guide for the red panda's head. The circle doesn't have to be perfect. It's just a guide. Leave enough room on the left to draw the red panda's body and tail.
Step 2: Draw two intersecting lines inside the head to help you when drawing the red panda's facial features later on. Curve the lines a bit to contour to the shape of the circle.
Step 3: Draw a small circle on the lower half of the head as a guide for drawing the red panda's muzzle later on.
Step 4: Draw two small triangle-like shapes on top of the head as guides for the red panda's ears.
Step 5: Draw a guide for the red panda's body by first drawing a big circle to the left of the head. Don't draw it too far away from the head or your red panda will end up too long. The circle should be almost twice the size of the head. Now draw a couple of curved lines that connect the big circle to the head to complete the guide for the body.
Step 6: Draw four short, angled lines below the red panda's body as guides for the feet. Bend the lines to indicate the joints near the middle and the paws at the ends.
Step 7: Draw a curved line on the left side of the body as a guide for the red panda's 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 red panda's eyes inside the head using the lines as guides for placement. First lightly draw two small circles, then make the sides pointier as you darken them. Inside each eye, draw a tiny circle to represent glare and a bigger dot for the pupil. Shade in the rest of the red panda's eyes. When shading, use a value that's lighter than the pupils. Darken the edges of the eyes a bit more and draw a few small lines around them for extra detail.
Step 9: Draw the nose inside the red panda's muzzle by first lightly sketching a small circle. Form the shape of the red panda's nose as you follow the path of the circle and darken the lines. Add the nostrils inside the nose as two dark slits. Add a few short lines inside the nose for extra detail.
Step 10: Draw the rest of the muzzle by using the small circle as a guide. Draw the red panda's mouth under the nose using quick, short strokes. Then continue adding strokes on top as you follow the path of the circle. Add more strokes at the bottom for the chin.
Step 11: Use the triangle-like shapes on the red panda's head as guides to draw the ears. Use quick, short strokes as you follow the path of the lines for a fuzzy feel. Add a few strokes inside the shape too.
Step 12: Use the original circle as a guide to draw the rest of the red panda's head. Use quick, short strokes as you follow the basic path of the circle to give the head a fuzzy texture. Make the head more oval-shaped too.
Step 13: Add a few shapes inside the head using quick, short strokes to give the red panda its distinctive markings. Just draw a couple of long shapes above the red panda's eyes and a longer shape on each cheek.
Step 14: Use the lines on the right as guides to draw the red panda's front legs. Lightly sketch the shape of the leg as you follow the path of the line. When you get the structure right, darken the lines. Red pandas have big paws, so draw them pretty wide. Draw a couple of curved lines at the end for the toes. Draw the foot on the other side by using the other line as a guide. Make this foot a bit smaller because of the perspective.
Step 15: Now use the other lines as guides to draw the red panda's hind feet using the same technique. Remember to draw lightly at first as you follow the path of the guide. Only darken when you have the structure right. The top part of the hind legs should be thicker than the front legs. Add the toes at the bottom. Finish up the last leg the same way.
Step 16: Use the remaining lines as guides to draw the rest of the red panda's body and tail. Follow the path of the guide as you lightly sketch the tail and make it wider. Use quick, short strokes near the end of the tail for a fuzzy texture.
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 the guides. It's okay to leave some behind. Also re-draw any final sketch lines that you may have accidentally erased.
Final Step (optional): Add some shading to your red panda 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.
Add a cast shadow underneath. This helps ground the red panda so it doesn't appear to be floating.
You can add more value throughout your red panda drawing for extra detail. Shade all over the red panda's face except for the ears and the shapes that you drew earlier. Try to shade evenly as you add value for a smooth, even look instead of a rough, gritty texture. Red pandas have dark legs and feet, so push down harder on your pencil as you shade the legs and feet for a darker value. Add the value by using strokes that go in the general direction of the fur. Vary the pressure on your pencil to get different degrees of tonal value. Add the rings around the red panda's tail as bars of a darker value. The tip of the tail should be dark too. It's a good idea to use reference for accuracy on the red panda's coat pattern. Don't forget to pause the "How to Draw a Red Panda" video to draw at your own pace.
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