In this free art lesson, you'll learn how to draw Groundhog, also known as Woodchuck, step-by-step.

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To draw this Groundhog / Woodchuck 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 Narrated 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 so that it's easy to erase if you make a mistake.

Step 1: Start by drawing circle as a guide for the groundhog's head. To draw the circle, first make four marks to determine its height and width. Then connect the marks using curved lines. If you're struggling to draw the circle, just trace the outer rim of a circular object like a coin or a bottle cap. For a more detailed guide on the different ways to draw a circle check out this tutorial: Four simple ways to draw a circle.

Step 2: On the left side of the head, draw a curved line as a guide for the muzzle. Groundhogs have short muzzles, so don't curve the line too far to the left; keep it close to the circle. On the top, right side, draw a short arc as a guide for the ear.

Step 3: To the right of the head, draw two bigger circles as guides for the groundhog's body. Pay attention to how big these circles are in relation to the head. Don't overlap the head as you draw the circle on the left. Place the circle on the right lower than the other circles.

Step 4: On the lower, right side of the front part of the body, draw a curved line as a guide for the groundhog's front leg. This line should be similar to a wide letter U. Under the line, draw a shorter curved line as a guide for the foot. To the left, draw similar shapes as guides for the other front leg but make them a bit smaller. Under the circle on the right, draw a small oval-like shape as a guide for the hind foot.

Step 5: Draw a series of lines that connect the main shapes together to finish the guide for the body. Don't overlap the previous shapes as you draw these lines. On the lower, right side of the body, draw a long shape as a guide for the tail. Make the shape wide and round at the tip.

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

Step 6: Inside the head, lightly sketch a small circle for the groundhog's eye. Place the eye slightly higher than the center of the head circle. When you get the size and position of the eye right, darken the lines but make the sides pointier for the corners of the eye. Inside the eye, off to the side draw a tiny circle for a highlight. In the middle of the eye, draw a slightly bigger circle and shade it in for the pupil. Shade the rest of the eye too but use a value that's lighter than the pupil. Don't overlap the tiny highlight circle as you shade. Add a few small, curved lines around the eye for a bit of the bare skin and fur.

Step 7: Inside the muzzle, lightly sketch a small circle for the groundhog's nose. When you get the size and position right, darken the shape but make it thinner at the bottom. On the right side, draw a shape that's similar to a crescent moon on its side for the nostril. Use short strokes along the right edges for a furry texture. Add a line near the bottom that splits the shape. Darken the basic path of the arc on top of the head to create the ear. Draw a few lines inside the shape to give it structure. Draw a series of short strokes along the bottom for the furry base.

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Step 8: Under the nose, draw a line that curves to the right for the groundhog's mouth. Break up the line on the right side for fur. Under the left, side of the mouth, draw two short, angled lines for the front teeth. Under the teeth, draw a couple of lines for the lower lip and chin. Draw a few longer lines on the left side, along the initial guide, to complete the shape of the muzzle. To the right of the nose, draw a few rows of dots for the base of the whiskers.

Step 9: Use the remaining lines and shapes as guide to draw the rest of the groundhog's head. Simply darken the outer edges of the guides using short strokes to create the shape of the head. Break up the lines on the right side to emphasize the jaw.

Step 10: Darken the long, curved line under the front part of the body using short strokes to create the groundhog's furry front leg. Use the smaller, curved line underneath as a guide to draw the foot. Inside the guide, draw a few short lines on the left side to separate the toes. The toes should be shorter the farther down they are. On the tip of each toe, draw a small, triangular shape for the pointy nails.

Step 11: Use the shapes on the lower, left side of the body as guides to draw the groundhog's other front leg the shame way. Darken the top part using short strokes to create the furry leg. At the bottom, draw the toes and claws along the path of the smaller, curved guide. Use the small shape that's under the body and to the right of the front legs as a guide to draw the hind foot the same way. Separate the toes and add pointy triangular shapes on the tips for the claws. Above the hind foot, draw a long, curved line that's made up of short strokes for the hind leg.

Step 12: Darken the outer edges of the initial guides using short strokes to create the shape of the groundhog's furry body. Use longer strokes along the bottom for the longer fur. Don't overlap the shapes of the legs that are on this side of the body. Make the shape of the body slightly longer than the initial guides on the right side for the base of the tail. Darken the curved shape on the right using short strokes to complete the tail.

Step 13: 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: Shade your groundhog drawing for extra detail. Groundhog's don't have much of a coat pattern, so just use a medium value all over the body. Shade lightly at first and gradually build up to darker values. For light values, push down very lightly on your pencil and push down harder for darker values. As you shade the body, use strokes that go in the general direction of the fur. The strokes mainly have a horizontal orientation. As you shade, separate each stroke a bit so that the white of the paper comes through and creates a more furry texture. Add a darker value throughout the body to create shadows. Pick a light source as you shade so that the shadows are consistent. Here the light source is coming from the top, so most of the shadows are on the underside of the shapes. It's a good idea to use reference as you shade for a more accurate depiction of a groundhog or woodchuck. Shading can be time-consuming, so be patient and take breaks. For a more detailed guide on how to shade, check out this tutorial: How to shade.

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