In this free art lesson, you'll learn how to draw a Rat step-by-step.

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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.

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To draw this Rat 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.

Below you can watch a NEW step-by-step video tutorial with NARRATED steps:

The following is a video tutorial where the steps are WRITTEN out within the video:

For the first few steps, don't press down too hard with your pencil. Use light, smooth strokes to begin so that it's easy to erase if you make a mistake.

Step 1: Draw a big circle as a guide for the rat's body. The circle doesn't have to be perfect. It's just a guide.

Step 2: Draw a smaller circle on the left as a guide for the rat's head. This circle should be about a quarter the size of the first one. The two circles should be pretty close together.

Step 3: Draw two intersecting lines inside the rat's head to help you place the facial features later on.

Step 4: Draw a U-shaped arc on the lower left side of the head as a guide for the rat's muzzle.

Step 5: Draw two arcs on the rat's head as guides for the ears. The arcs are similar to an upside-down letter U. Use the intersecting lines as guides for the ears' placement.

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Step 6: Draw two curved lines to connect the two main circles and form the rest of the rat's body.

Step 7: Draw two angled lines below the body as a guide for the rat's feet.

Step 8: Draw a long line that starts on the right side of the body and curves below to the left as a guide for the tail.

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

Step 9: Draw the eye inside the rat's head using the lines as guides for placement. The shape of the eye is similar to an oval with slightly pointed ends. Shade the inside of the rat's eye except for a tiny circle to represent glare. Draw a few lines surrounding the eye for extra detail.

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Step 10: Draw the rat's nose on the end of the arc guide. First lightly sketch a small circle. Then darken it using quick, short strokes for the fur. Draw a small line inside for the nostril.

Step 11: Use the initial arc as a guide to draw the rat's muzzle. Darken the top and bottom part of the arc. Inside the muzzle, draw long, quick strokes for the rat's whiskers.

Step 12: Use the arcs on the head as guides to draw the rat's ears. Darken the shape of the rat's ear and make the bottom part thinner. Draw some lines at the bottom and inside for structure and to indicate the opening. The ear on the other side should be thinner and facing away.

Step 13: Use the remaining lines as guides to draw the rest of the rat's head. Use quick, short strokes to represent fur and curve the lower right side up to draw the rat's jaw.

Step 14: Using the line as a guide, draw the rat's front feet. First draw the basic outline lightly to get the structure right. Then darken it using quick, short strokes to represent fur. Below the fur, draw the rat's paw using a series of curved lines for the digits. Only draw the three digits that are visible. Now draw the leg on the other side the same way, using the first one as a guide. Sketch lightly at first to get the structure right, then draw the quick, short strokes for the fur. Draw the digits below the fur.

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Step 15: Now use the line on the right as a guide to draw the hind leg. The furry base of the leg isn't as long as the base for the front feet, but the foot itself is much longer. The digits are longer too. Use smooth strokes because rat feet hardly have any fur.

Step 16: Draw the rest of the rat's body by using the lines as guides. Use quick, short strokes for the fur on the right side and underneath. The longer the strokes are, the longer the fur seems.

Step 17: Use the long, curved line as a guide to draw the rat's tail. Draw lightly at first to get the rat's tail shape right. Follow the path of the initial guide line as you thicken up the rat's tail. Darken the tail when you're happy with the structure. The base of the tail is thicker ad gradually gets thinner toward the end.

Step 18 (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. Also re-draw any final sketch lines that you may have accidentally erased.

Final Step (optional): Add some shading to your rat 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. Vary the pressure on your pencil to get different degrees of tonal value. Add a cast shadow underneath. This helps ground the rat so it doesn't appear to be floating.

You can add more value throughout your rat drawing for extra detail. You can leave your drawing without extra value for a white or albino rat. Draw a solid value like this for a brown or common rat. Fancy rats or pet rats are descendants of brown rats. If you have a pet rat, you can add value to your drawing so it looks like the markings of your pet rat. Add the value using strokes that go in the general direction of the rat's fur. Remember to PAUSE the video any time you need help drawing along the way.

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