Who doesn’t know about Pikachu? Pikachu is the most popular Pokemon. If you ask people about Pokemon, what they think first is always Pikachu.
Pikachu is a cute, chubby Pokemon. I like watching the anime, especially when Pikachu appears beside Ash and the sound of pika-pika. Pokemon are fun to draw, especially Pikachu.
This step-by-step guide will break down the process into small steps, from sketching the basic shapes to coloring your drawing.
Table of Contents
Tools Needed
You’ll need paper, a soft pencil (HB) for sketching, a hard pencil (2B-4B) for drawing, and colored pencils if you want to add color. If drawing digitally, use any app you like.
I will use Procreate on my iPad for my Pikachu drawing. Besides Procreate, you can use Krita, Medibang, ibisPaint, Clip Studio Paint or other drawing apps to draw your Pikachu.
Step-by-Step Instructions on How to Draw Pikachu
Step 1: Sketch the Basic Shapes of the Pikachu
For the first step of our drawing, we need to draw the basic shapes of the Pikachu.
If you don’t know, to make drawing easier and faster, we should draw 2D shapes like a circle, rectangle, triangle, and square to help you draw the Pikachu body part.
Start thinking about what 2D or 3D shapes you can use to draw your Pikachu. You must draw the outline for the Pikachu’s body, head, ear, arms, legs and tail.
Head and Body:
- Start by drawing a circle slightly off-center on your paper or canvas. This will be the base of Pikachu’s head.
- Below the circle, draw a trapezoid wider than the head. This will represent Pikachu’s body. Below the trapezoid, draw another trapezoid for the lower body.
Ears:
- On top of the head, draw two triangular shapes and long rectangles with rounded corners for Pikachu’s iconic ears.
- Tilt them slightly outwards and forward for a playful look.
Arm and Leg
- As shown in the image above, draw circles and rectangles to outline the arm and leg.
Tail:
- Draw a long triangle and a small triangle on the right of the trapezoid to outline the Pikachu tail.
Now, check the overall proportions of your shapes. The head should be slightly smaller than the body, and the tail should be about the same height as the body.
You can adjust the sizes slightly to match your favorite style.
Step 2: Draw the Right Part of Pikachu’s Head
Now, start drawing the Pikachu head by following your circle. Locate the circle you drew for the head in Step 1.
Divide it into two halves with a vertical line drawn down the center. This will help you place the facial features symmetrically. Start drawing the right part of the head (left in our point of view).
Our head drawing has two curves: the bottom curve for the cheek and the top for the eye location. We will skip the eyes drawing for now. The cheek should be bigger, broader and more curved than the top part of the head.
After drawing the right part of the head, draw the right ear from the triangle you have drawn.
Draw confidently, without any hesitation, in one stroke. Avoid sketch and hesitant lines; a chicken scratch line is terrible for drawing and shows you’re not confident with your line.
Step 3: Draw the Left Part of the Head
Use the right side you just finished as a blueprint. Draw the left part of Pikachu’s head by following the left part of the circle from step 1.
Make sure it looks symmetrical. It’s okay if it’s imperfect because the head shouldn’t be 100% perfectly symmetrical.
Start by drawing the top head, then the left ear. The left ear is similar to the right ear. After drawing the ear, draw the left head and cheek.
After finishing the head, check the proportion. Use an eraser to fix any mistake in the proportion of your drawing.
Step 4: Draw the Pikachu’s Mouth and Nose
Draw the mouth by drawing two short, curved lines from the left and right sides of the vertical line dividing the head, gently dipping down and then curving back up slightly in the middle. These two lines form the top part of the “W”
Just above the mouth, directly centered on the vertical line, draw a tiny upside-down triangle. This is Pikachu’s little black nose.
Adjust the size and position of the mouth and nose to create your unique Pikachu expression!
Don’t forget to complete the cute cheek by drawing a circle at the right and left of the head.
Step 5: Draw the Eyes
Now, draw the eyes of the Pikachu. Draw two elongated circles above the nose at the right and left of the head.
After drawing the circles, draw a small circle inside it for the eye’s pupil.
Step 6: Draw the Body
Refine the outline of Pikachu’s body using the basic shapes you drew in Step 1 as a guide. The stomach should be wider than the chest to make your Pikachu look cuter.
Smooth out any curves and ensure the proportions are balanced.
Step 7: Draw the Arm
Now, draw the arm using the basic shapes you drew in Step 1 as a guide.
First, draw the right arm and slightly curve at the top to indicate the elbow. Then, draw the finger and refine the outlines of Pikachu’s arms.
You can draw three short lines extending from each hand to represent fingers. For Pikachu’s chubby hands, you should draw two lines for the thumb and middle finger and a small nub for the other three fingers grouped.
Repeat the step to the left arm.
Step 8: Draw the Feet
Now draw the Pikachu’s feet. You can follow my example of how I draw the feet.
First, draw the heel and ankle. Draw a short, curved line at the back of each foot to define the heel. Then, draw the toes.
Pay attention to the size and placement of the toes. They should be evenly spaced and positioned around the foot.
Erase your sketch to make your drawing look cleaner.
Step 9: Draw the Tail and Color the Pikachu
Now, you only need to draw the tail. Use the outline from the triangle you drew for the tail base in Step 1.
Start drawing the tail of the triangle as a guide, and extend the tail upwards with a thick, zig-zagging line resembling a lightning bolt.
The tail should gradually become bigger and wider towards the end. Add a few short lines branching off the main zig-zag line to suggest fur texture and add depth.
Your Pikachu drawing is finally finished. Finally, you can color your Pikachu drawing.
If you draw it digitally, you can use these color codes:
Body: (244,220,40
Shadow/Darker body: (255,230,45)
The brown part of the tail: (92,55,20)
If you draw it traditionally, then follow these tips:
- Start by filling in the entire Pikachu with a light yellow pencil. Use gentle strokes and layer the color gradually to avoid harsh lines.
- Use a black pencil to add details like the eyes, pupils, mouth, nose, and tail tip.
- Add two small red circles on the cheeks for Pikachu’s adorable rosy cheeks.
Important notice:
All trademarks, copyrights, and character designs related to Pokémon are the sole property of Nintendo, Creatures Inc., and GAME FREAK Inc.
The information and instructions provided here are intended solely for educational and entertainment purposes and do not infringe upon any existing intellectual property rights held by Nintendo, Creatures Inc., or GAME FREAK Inc.
