How To Draw Pikachu - Simple Step-By-Step Tutorial for Beginners
This post is all about how to draw Pikachu from Pokémon step by step and is perfect for Pokémon fans who want to learn how to sketch and color Pikachu with a pencil and alcohol markers.
In this tutorial, I'll show you how to draw Pikachu from Pokémon in 7 steps.
In these steps, I show you exactly how to use simple shapes to sketch Pikachu, how to outline him, and lastly, how to use alcohol markers to color him in. Each step is clearly explained, so you can easily follow along and create your own Pikachu drawing, even if you're a beginner.
Let's get started and create your very own Pikachu fan art!
Disclaimer: In the name of full transparency, please be aware that this blog post contains affiliate links and any purchases made through such links will result in a small commission for me (at no extra cost for you).
In This Guide
Drawing Supplies I Used To Draw Pikachu
To sketch Pikachu, I used a regular HB pencil and an eraser.
And I made this drawing on A4-sized Canson Illustration Manga paper, which I cut in half. In my experience, this paper is by far the best for using alcohol markers.
To outline the sketch, I used a black fineliner.
To color this Pikachu drawing, I used 7 Ohuhu Honolulu markers in the colors Lemon Yellow (Y6), Melon Yellow (YR33), Rouge Orange (Y5), Coral Pink (R1), Carolessence (R200), Geranium (R8), and Black (120).
You can buy these colors in the 320 set on Ohuhu's website or on Amazon, or you can buy these colors individually on Ohuhu.com.
In the image below, you can see what the colors look like, so you can match them to your own markers if you have some already.
How To Draw Pikachu?
Step 1: Sketch The Base & A Box
To sketch Pikachu, I first marked his bottom edge with a short straight line on the bottom of the paper, slightly left of the middle.
I also sketched a tilted box for his head just above the center of my paper. I only sketch the left, top, and right sides of the box, as the bottom side connects to the rest of Pikachu's body.
Step 2: Round The Corners Of The Box & Add The Side Of His Body
Next, I rounded the edges of the box to shape it more like his head, and I added the sides of Pikachu.
The sides are round at the bottom and curve upwards towards his head.
It's starting to look more like Pikachu already.
Step 3: Sketch Pikachu's Ears & Feet
After that, I sketched his ears and feet.
His ears are very long and pointy. The one on the left points almost straight up, and the one on the right dangles down towards the side.
His feet are pretty short, bean-shaped, and point outwards.
Step 4: Sketch Pikachu's Arms
Then, I sketched his arms.
I first sketched the sides of his arms, starting wider near his body and narrowing toward his hands. Pikachu's arm on the left points almost straight up, and his other arm points towards the right.
I also sketched a diagonal line in both of his ears where the yellow ends and the black starts.
Next, I sketched his hands, which are basically just long W-shapes with 5 points instead of 2. It doesn't matter too much if it's not perfect. Pikachu's hands leave a lot of room for error, unlike human hands.
I also marked an upside-down triangle of shadow below his chin and added 2 lines to each foot to separate his toes.
Step 5: Sketch His Facial Features & Tail
After that, I sketched his face, starting with his round cheeks on both sides of his head and the flat 3-shape of his mouth right in between.
Next, I added a dot above the 3-shape to mark his nose, and to make him smile, I added the bottom edge of his mouth, which looks like a rounded V.
Lastly, I sketched his eyes. First, just 2 small circles, then I added 2 smaller circles at the top of the inside.
I also sketched his iconic lightning bolt-shaped tail, which is mostly behind his body. You can see a small part of it below his arm on the right and below his ear.
Step 6: Outline Pikachu
To prepare Pikachu for the coloring process, I like to first outline him using a black fineliner.
During the outlining, I mistakenly outlined the triangular shadow below his chin... F :( This spot should not be outlined as it's just a shadow.
But you're smarter than me, so uh, don't do what I did.
Step 7: Color Pikachu With Markers
Next up, I colored Pikachu with alcohol markers.
If you're new to alcohol-based markers or want to learn how to use them, make sure to check out my reviews and guides on how to use alcohol markers.
I started by coloring the base colors first.
To do that, I used:
- Y6 to color the yellow parts of his body. I should've added a second layer to smooth the color out, but I didn't...
- Y5 to color his bright cheeks;
- Black to color his eyes and the tips of his ears;
- R1 to color his tongue;
- and R8 to color the inside of his mouth.
If your coloring looks uneven, you can easily fix that by adding another layer of the same color. Oftentimes, this makes it look a lot smoother than the first layer. I definitely should've added another layer of yellow to make it look smoother, but it also looks more uneven because of the way I edit the photos for my step-by-step guides.
Next, I added a few bits of shadow.
I used:
- YR33 to add shadow to the yellow bits;
- and R200 to add the shadow on the top half of his tongue.
And that's how to create fan art of Pikachu.
I hope you enjoyed this tutorial on how to draw Pikachu!
If you did, you might like my other drawing tutorials for beginners as well.
Articles You Might Also Like
I love bringing cars to life with alcohol markers and colored pencils.
Whether you're just starting out or looking to improve your skills, I'm here to help!
Click here to learn more about me.
Add a comment
Comments
I love your drawings