Please PAUSE the "How to Draw a Pangolin" 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 big circle as a guide for the back part of the pangolin's body. Don't worry about the circle being perfect. It's just a guide.
Step 2: Draw an arc on the left side of the circle as a guide for the front part of the pangolin's body. The arc should be big and wide. The end result should look somewhat like an egg.
Step 3: Draw a small circle to the left of the body as a guide for the pangolin's head. The circle should be about one-tenth the size of the first circle. Draw it close to the body on the lower left side.
Step 4: Draw a small arc on the left side of the pangolin's head as a guide for the muzzle.
Step 5: Draw two small lines under the pangolin's body as guides for the feet. Pangolins most often walk on their hind legs with their front feet raised, so draw the line on the right lower than the one on the left.
Step 6: Draw two curved lines that come to a point on the right side of the body as guides for the pangolin's tail. The tail should be as long as the body and head. The hind legs act like a fulcrum on a seesaw and keep the tail and body balanced.
Step 7: Draw a couple of lines that connect the pangolin's body to the head and form the neck.
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 on the lower left side of the pangolin's head. The shape of the eye is similar to a football. Shade the inside of the eye except for a tiny circle to represent glare. Draw a few lines around the pangolin's eye to indicate the folds of skin.
Step 9: Draw the pangolin's nose and ear inside the head. The nose is a tiny slit near the tip of the muzzle, and the ear is made up of curved lines next to the eye.
Step 10: Draw the scales on top of the pangolin's head. First draw two small circles on the muzzle. Then draw arcs that get progressively bigger as you move along the back of the head. Follow the path of the muzzle and head and be sure not to cover the eye.
Step 11: Draw the rest of the pangolin's muzzle and jaw by using the arc and circle as guides.
Step 12: Draw the pangolin's front feet using the initial line as a guide. First lightly sketch a curved arc around the line to give the foot more girth. Draw the long claws at the tip of the arc using curved lines that come to a point. Draw the pangolin's scales covering the foot using the lightly sketched arc as a guide. The scales are made up of small arcs that overlap each other. Draw the scales bigger as you move up on the pangolin's leg. Draw the visible portion of the foot on the other side.
Step 13: Draw the pangolin's hind legs using the line as a guide. First sketch the foot lightly to give it girth, then cover it with scales. Draw the bigger scales at the top first, then draw the smaller ones underneath. Draw the pangolin's claws at the end and draw the visible portion of the leg on the other side too.
Step 14: Draw the scales on the pangolin's body and the tail using the initial shapes as guides. Start with the scales near the neck. Draw the scales small first, then bigger as you move toward the pangolin's back. The scales near the front have a more round shape, while the ones in the back come to a point. Drawing the pangolin's scales can get very tricky, so please PAUSE the video as you draw along or use reference. The structure of the pangolin's scales is similar to a pine cone or an artichoke, so check those out if you have them and use them for reference. Adding the pangolin's scales can be very time-consuming and at times frustrating if you can't get the structure right, so be patient and take breaks. Adding the scales will get easier as you go along, and you'll get the hang of the overlapping configuration. The scales have a pentagonal shape, but don't make them too perfect. Give them bends and cracks for a more organic feel. The pangolin's scales are made of keratin, which are the same fibrous proteins that our nails and hair are made of! The scales at the base of the pangolin's tail are huge, and they get smaller toward the tip. Notice how the tail has the same three-scale structure throughout.
Step 15 (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. The pangolin's scales make that difficult to do. 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 pangolin drawing to give it more dimension and volume. Add some shading to the individual scales for a feeling of separation and overlapping. You don't have to do it to all of them — just a few to get the sense of it. Pick the direction of the light source when shading so that the shadows are consistent with it. Vary the pressure on your pencil to get different degrees of tonal value.
Add a cast shadow underneath. This helps ground the pangolin so it doesn't appear to be floating.
You can add more value throughout your pangolin drawing for extra detail. Live the tips of the scales without value to give them some sheen.
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