Chibi Art Class

Contents
Introduction
Materials
PART I: Chibi Basics

Sketching Your Chibis
Bodies
Facial Features
Hair
Clothing
Props and Backgrounds
Shading Basics
Coloring Your Chibis
Practice Chibis
PART 2: Chibi Cuties

Jamie
Phoebe
Spring
Abel
Mother
Father
Jules
Audrey
Stefan
Oliver
Ember
Desiree
PART 3: Chibi Beasties

Kit
Goldie
Cotton
Devin
Dot
PART 4: Inspiration Gallery
Eyes
Hairstyles
Clothing
Props and Accessories
Ears and Tails
PART 5: Practice and Coloring Pages

Draw Your Own
Color Your Own
Introduction
HELLO!
My name is Anny and Yoai is my artist alias. I grew up
making little doodles and whatnot, but I started taking
drawing more seriously in 2012. The first things I drew were
chibis, because I loved the style of them and they were easy
to draw. After I began posting my chibi artwork on social
media sites such as DeviantArt and Instagram, I began to
explore and diversify what I drew. Today, I continue to draw
chibis in addition to my anime-style drawings, and I share
them online regularly on my social media accounts.
WHAT IS A CHIBI?
Chibis are mini versions of Japanese-style anime and manga
characters. They are defined by their large heads and tiny
bodies, both of which contribute to their kawaii, or cuteness,
factor. In anime shows and manga comics, chibis are
incorporated to deviate from the current mood or feeling of
a scene, to make it more lighthearted, poke fun at it, or add
comic relief. The drastic change in the art style and mood
can show the characters in a more casual light, contributing
a fun and interesting addition to the story. For example,
characters may be having a serious conversation, when,
suddenly, one of them cracks a joke, which prompts the
scene to turn the characters into chibis, changing the tone
of the conversation with the art style. Over the years, chibis
have become more diverse, with many different styles of
drawing them (i.e., variations in details, anatomy, art style,
etc.). Essentially, chibis are kind of like stylized caricatures
of regular anime characters; certain facial and anatomical
features are exaggerated while maintaining the overall
identifying appearance of the character. Here are some key
characteristics of chibis:
A small body and huge head—bodies can even be smaller

than the head.
Faces with huge eyes and small noses and mouths.
The hands and feet can be exaggerated to give a more
“cartoon”-style look.
ANIME CHARACTER
CHIBI CHARACTER
HOW TO USE THIS BOOK?

In this book, there are lots of tips and tricks for drawing your
own chibis, including bodies, faces, hairstyles, and clothing,
along with coloring and shading techniques; nineteen step-
by-step tutorials of chibi cuties and beasties; and an
inspiration gallery of hairstyles, clothing, and much more!
Also included are blank body bases for you to start your own
chibi drawings and coloring pages for you to practice
coloring and shading. With that said, let’s get started with
our Chibi Art Class!
Materials
GETTING STARTED
You don’t need to invest in many materials to get started
drawing your chibis. In this section, I have made
suggestions, but feel free to experiment. These items can
easily be found in the art section of your local craft store or
online.
Paper
For illustrations with heavy color layering and shading, I
prefer to use Canson Comic and Manga Illustration Bristol,
which is a heavyweight paper. For illustrations with single-
layer coloring and blending, I like Canson XL Mix Media,
which is a mid-weight paper that can be used with a variety
of mediums.
Markers
Markers are my go-to for coloring chibis. They are simple to
use and versatile, especially brush-tip markers. For the art
in this book, I used a mix of brands of alcohol-based
markers (see here), spanning a range of prices, from the
expensive Copic and Touchnew markers to the budget-
friendly Bic Marking (set of 36) and Crayola Signature
Blending (set of 16) markers. Though my step-by-step
tutorials list specific marker types and colors, feel free to
substitute what you like.
Alcohol-Based Markers vs. Water-Based Markers
For the art in this book, I primarily used alcohol-based markers. You can use water-
based markers; however, there are some key differences between the two types. Though
water-based markers are nontoxic, washable, and cheaper, the result will differ from
that of alcohol-based markers, the most noticeable being when applying a solid color
and when blending two or more colors. When applying a solid color, water-based
markers tend to leave streaks and overlaps, while the resulting color of alcohol-based
markers is (mostly) smooth. When blending, water-based markers are difficult to blend
and leave obvious “choppy” borders, while alcohol-based markers are easily blended
for a smooth, seamless look.
WATER-BASED SOLID COLOR
ALCOHOL-BASED SOLID COLOR

WATER-BASED BLENDING
ALCOHOL-BASED BLENDING
Fineliner Pens
Fineliner pens are an artist’s staple and perfect for outlining
your art. They come in a variety of colors and nib sizes for
different line weights and are easy to use. Be warned,
however, that if you want to outline or color your chibi with
a fineliner, use one that is waterproof, or your lines become
smudged when you add in color with marker or colored
pencil. I like to use the Sakura Pigma Micron 0.1mm in black.
If coloring your chibi with watercolors instead of markers or
colored pencils, outline your chibi with pencil (regular or
waterproof colored pencil) instead (never use pencil with
marker).
Watercolors
Watercolors are slightly more difficult to work with than
markers when coloring your chibis, as it is harder to control
the opacity and consistency of the color. However, overall, it
offers much more variety in colors as color-mixing allows
you to create any color imaginable, unlike markers. I like
using the Sargent Watercolor Art-Time Pan (8-color set) and
its accompanying brush. Remember to rinse and dry your
brush every time you change colors.
Pencils
Before you begin drawing and coloring your chibis, I suggest
using a pencil to make a rough sketch, so you can erase any
mistakes. I like using a wood HB pencil (any brand), with a
lead that is not too dark or too light. Colored pencils are a
great way to add soft colors and shades into your artwork;
however, if you want a more solid color when using colored
pencils, you will need to press harder onto the paper when
coloring. I prefer Prismacolor colored pencils (set of 24).
White gel pen
This pen is great for adding details and highlights to your
chibis. If you find it to be too opaque when used on an
illustration, you can slightly scratch it with your fingernail to
remove some pigment, but only if it has completely dried;
otherwise, it will smudge and ruin your drawing! I like to use
the Uni-ball Signo gel pen.
Erasers
There are two types of erasers you will want to have on
hand when you are using a pencil to make a rough sketch of
your chibis: a white plastic eraser, such as a Pentel Hi-
Polymer eraser, and a gray, kneadable eraser, such as a
Prismacolor Kneaded Rubber eraser. The plastic eraser will
erase and obliterate everything in its path, while the soft,
kneadable eraser is better for selective erasing, such as
removing soft shading. Here, I have made a couple sketch
patches with an “X” in the middle. The white plastic eraser
erased everything, while the gray, kneadable eraser erased
the shaded background but not the “X.”
WHITE ERASER
GRAY ERASER
Additional Tools
Pencil sharpener: Keep your pencils sharp with a high-
quality pencil sharpener that isn’t made of flimsy plastic.
Additionally, the blade tends to wear down after frequent
use, so ensure that your blade is sharp or it will damage
your pencil.
Ruler: Use a ruler that is at least 12 inches (30 cm) long.

Do not use a folding ruler, as most don’t line up perfectly
when straightened out.
1
CHIBI BASICS
Are you ready to learn how to draw chibis?! This section is chock-full
of information to get you started, including how to draw bodies,
faces, hairstyles, clothing, and props and backgrounds, along with
coloring and shading techniques. There are even a couple practice
step-by-step tutorials! Refer back to this section whenever you need a
chibi how-to refresher.
Sketching Your Chibis
Before you begin drawing and coloring your chibis, you should do
rough sketches of them first—ink is permanent, but pencil can always
be erased! A good sketch makes for a great foundation for your
drawings.
BODIES
Unlike regular Japanese anime and manga characters, chibi
characters do not have realistic proportions, having more in
common with cartoon characters in terms of size and shape,
with their large heads and tiny bodies. In this section, I will
show you how to draw the proportions and body types for
your chibis.
Components
As you will see with my illustrations throughout this book,
the components that make up a chibi’s body are simple to
draw and usually consist of a large oval head, small
trapezoid-shape torso, simple arms and legs (and hands and
feet!), thin neck, and arcs off the sides of the head for ears.
Once you have this simple base down, you can then play
with their proportions, poses, and looks. There’s no limit to
what you can do with chibis!
Proportions
A good rule of thumb when drawing a chibi is that the body
should be roughly the same length as the head. Use the
head of the chibi as a unit of measurement when planning
out the proportions of your character, like I’ve done here.
This chibi is two “heads” tall, with the body being the same
length as the head.
You do not have to make every chibi two “heads” tall. Here
are examples of one that is one-and-a-half “heads” tall and
one that is three “heads” tall. You can adjust the head and
body proportions to your liking.
A more precise way to measure out the body proportions is
by making checkpoints at different parts of the body. First,
indicate the lines for the top of the head, bottom of the feet,
and bottom of the chin before adding the others. These are
visual parameters to ensure your chibi character is the size
that you intended it to be.
If you want your chibi to have an action pose, you can still
use the checkpoints to measure the proportions. Here are a
few examples.
Body Types
When drawing the torso and limbs, there are many different
body types to choose from. Here are the four that I use most
often.
Thin: These chibis have lean limbs and torsos, and are a
good base for adding puffy or loose clothing.
Medium: These chibis have well-rounded bodies for any
kind of clothing.
Larger lower: These chibis have longer, thicker legs,
perfect for showing off clothing with more detail on the
bottom, as well as shoes.
Tall: These chibis’ bodies have more surface area to work
with and are the best type for emphasizing clothing details.
FACIAL FEATURES
The face is, no doubt, the first thing that draws your eyes to
a chibi drawing (no pun intended!). In this section, I will
show you how to place facial features, along with tips on
showing expression through the features.
Proportions and Placement

As with the method used to make proportional checkpoints
for the body (shown here), the same rules can be applied to
positioning features on a face, including the start of the
hairline, eyebrows, base of the eyes and nose, mouth, and
chin. When adding these guidelines, work from the outside
in. It also helps to draw a vertical line down the center of
the face to establish where the nose will go. If the character
is facing to the right or left, then the vertical line should be
slightly to the left or right of center.
The placement of facial features can also emphasize a

character’s age. Placing the features lower on the face and
closer together will make your character look younger, while
placing them higher and farther apart will make them
appear older. Making the eyes bigger also contributes to a
more youthful appearance.
YOUNGER
OLDER
Eyes
The eyes can be one of the hardest things to draw on the
face, and yet the most important. A good tip to remember is
that the distance between the eyes should be the width of
one eye. For a straight-on view, the eyes should be the
same size; on a tilted face, the iris of the eye farther away
from view should be about half the width of the nearer eye,
and even smaller, the farther the head is tilted to the side.
See the Inspiration Gallery shown here for lots of cool eye
styles!
STRAIGHT ON
TILTED
Perspective also affects the shape of the eye. For a straight-
on view, there is no dramatic shifting of the iris within the
eye. If the viewing angle is from the bottom, the iris will shift
lower on the eye, exposing the white of the eye to the top of
the iris. The opposite is true if the viewing angle is from the
top.
STRAIGHT ON
BOTTOM
TOP
Eyes might just appear to be simple circles, but there are

actually a lot of components to them, with many ways to
draw them. Japanese anime and manga eyes resemble
realistic eyes, but with some features exaggerated or
removed. Here is a comparison of a (somewhat) realistic eye
and an anime eye. The most notable difference is the iris—
the anime one is huge! The entire eye itself is narrow and
vertically long, and the corners and tear ducts are nowhere
to be seen. The eyelashes are more defined and clumped
together, and the eyebrow is simplified. There is also a large
distance between the brow and the eyelid.
REALISTIC
ANIME
Shine
The shine of the eyes should be consistent with the light source. While you should add a
main “shine” point to the eye reflecting the light source, additional shine can be added
with a white gel pen for cosmetic effect.
There are also a few differences between an anime eye and
a chibi eye. Chibi eyes should ideally be longer, have larger
irises, and smaller eyebrows to add to the cuteness factor.
ANIME
CHIBI
The shape of the eyelids can cover different amounts of the
eye and also affect the expression. When drawing eyelids,
the fold should appear as a crease above the lash line; it
can either go along the whole length or just start at the
inner corner of the lash line. If eyes are half open, the
crease can be drawn lighter for a more realistic effect. Here
are examples of different eyelid shapes, the arrows indicate
which directions to draw the lash lines.
Eyebrows should always be drawn starting from the inner
corners (from the nose) outward (to the sides of the head).
Here are examples of different shapes for eyebrows.
Let’s not forget the side view! The same rules apply when
drawing an eye, but you want the general shape to be a flat
side for the iris with a curved top and bottom for the top and
bottom lids.
Here are some different shapes and designs of eyes for
inspiration. Try drawing them or adding them to your own
chibi drawings!
Noses
Here are a few examples of noses, though in some cases
drawing a nose is unnecessary if you prefer to add in the
contour of one when shading instead.
Mouths
When drawing the mouth, don’t forget to add teeth or a
tongue for a more realistic look, instead of just what
appears to be an endless void through a hole in the middle
of their face. The tongue should be a shade lighter than the
inside of the cheek to add more depth. Don’t forget to add a
crease below the mouth for the bottom lip.
Expressions
Certain features should not be left out if you want your
character to be expressive. The most important ones to
keep are the eyebrows and the mouth. Here are some
examples of how changing the eyebrows or mouth can
affect the expression and emotion of your chibi character.
HAIR
Just like our hair is an important way of expressing
ourselves, hair for chibi characters does the same thing!
Hair can be long or short, curly or straight, tied up or loose—
anything you desire! Don’t forget to check out the
Inspiration Gallery shown here for hairstyle ideas.
Texture
In order to simplify the process of drawing hair strands, you
can draw in the general shape of the hair first before adding
in details.
GENERAL SHAPE
WITH ADDED DETAIL
GENERAL SHAPE
WITH ADDED DETAIL
Make the strands vary in width; they will look more realistic
and give the hair depth, rather than looking like a squiggly
tube or ramen noodles.
When drawing hair, remember that not every strand is on

the same plane, meaning there is hair in the front as well as
the back. Because the hair in the back is farther away, you
don’t have to define individual strands. Also make it a
darker shade than the hair in the front, as the light source is
not going to be hitting it directly.
Technique
Have you ever wondered where to start when drawing hair?
In order to prevent hair from looking like a cheap party wig
that you slapped on your chibi, you should ensure that the
hair is branching out from one or more points of the scalp.
Here, the blue line serves as the hairline. This means that
everything above this line is the scalp, where hair can
“grow“ and branch out from, and the area below this line is
the head, where hair can fall over and overlap. Here are
some different ways the hair can “grow“ and branch out
from your chibi’s head.
Here, the hair parts and branches out to the sides from the
center of the head.
This hairstyle parts in the center; however, there are bangs,
so it comes from the same parting, just in a different
direction than the sides
Instead of having hair parting from a straight line, you can
also have it part from a single point. Here, the hair branches
out from a point and spirals outward.
You can put a part anywhere in the hair!
CLOTHING
Clothes and shoes help give chibis their “character,” but
these things can also be a bit of a challenge to draw, since
chibis have small bodies and tiny feet. Don’t forget to check
out the Inspiration Gallery shown here for fashion ideas.
Clothes
Even though chibis have small bodies, this doesn’t mean
their clothes have to be small too. Clothes can be drawn
loose-fitting to make the chibis look bigger and to give the
“fabric” flow. Doing this also helps balance the body with
the large head.
REGULAR
LOOSE
STILL
MOVEMENT
When your chibi character is in motion, remember that the

clothes will move with them (unless the clothes are meant
to be tight).
A good way to add details to pants and avoid having them
looking like tubes is to add seams along the sides and
creases at the knees and ankles, as the pants will be looser
in these areas since they are narrower than the rest of the
leg.
NO SEAMS AND CREASES

SEAMS AND CREASES
When drawing clothing that folds over itself, remember to
maintain a flow to the shape of the clothing and add
shading to the parts that avoid the light source.
A sleeve should have creases where the elbow is bent

inward, so follow the direction of the elbow bend to create
creases in the cloth.
Here are some examples of clothing folds with arrows

indicating the direction of the creases. A twisted sleeve pulls
in one direction. An elbow crease fold branches from the
point from the inside of the elbow where the upper arm and
lower arm touch. Cloth pinched or tight at the top should fan
out and downward.
ELBOW CREASE
TWISTED SLEEVE
PINCHED CLOTH
To create a more dynamic look to clothing, openings should

not be drawn flat, but with a twist.
When you are drawing an open coat, it can be hard to figure

out how it will fit your character. If you simplify it by
converting it to a simple shape before adding details, it will
be much easier. Here, the basic shape of the coat’s body is
drawn before adding in details such as sleeves and buttons.
Shoes
Chibi characters have tiny feet, so drawing shoes can be
quite a challenge. There’s hardly room to indicate where the
toes are, much less figure out how to fit a shoe on a foot!
Even though chibis’ feet are small, the heel and toe can still
be highlighted. Here, the heels and toes are marked in blue
on a wide chibi foot and a thin one.
WIDE
THIN
TOES/ HEEL
Once you know where the heel and toe of the foot are, you
can start drawing a shoe. A good method is to start drawing
it from the heel and form the shoe around the entire foot.
Here are some examples.
Here is the basic shape of a shoe—a sole and a cover to
wrap around the top of the foot. The shape of the shoe also
depends on the sole, which in turn depends on the shape of
the foot.
PROPS AND BACKGROUNDS
In order to bring your chibis to life, you can add some props
and/or backgrounds for them to interact with. Here are
some tips on how to suspend reality and make your chibi
drawings more engaging. Don’t forget to check out the
Inspiration Gallery shown here for prop ideas.
Props
The chibi world doesn’t have to shrink to match a chibi’s
size. When this cat is drawn in proportion to the character, it
is kind of boring, right? But when the cat is bigger, there’s
some meaningful interaction!
Who would choose a tiny ice cream cone when you can
have a giant one?!
Another reason to draw big props is to help fill empty space,
especially if you don’t want to add a background. You can
also include many props!
Backgrounds
Another way to fill empty space is to add a background. You
don’t want your chibi to be all alone in an endless white
void, do you? Like with props, the background doesn’t have
to be realistic—even a simple pattern will do.
This fishing scene is an example of a partial background,

with an interactive foreground. It is always a good idea to
think of the full scenario before you begin sketching your
chibi to ensure that the chibi’s pose fits with the chosen
environment.
You can even pretend your chibi is interacting with you in
your daily life. Look how small it is compared to your
notebook and pencil!
Shading Basics
Adding shading to your chibis is just as important as
coloring them. Shading adds depth and volume to your
drawings and helps bring them to life. In this section, we will
explore some basics of shading to achieve an overall
understanding. (This is a general tutorial for practicing with
pencil. For shading with color, see Coloring Your Chibis
shown here.)
Pencils
It is my recommendation that mechanical pencils not be
used for shading. The graphite leads of mechanical pencils
are made hard to prevent flaking and chipping, and as a
result, they only make solid, thin lines. You also cannot
adjust the thickness of your lines by tilting the pencil, and
the hard lead can leave a noticeable dent in the paper,
which will linger even after erasing the line. The graphite
leads of wooden pencils are much softer, allowing you to
draw a variety of lines of different densities and thicknesses.
They also can be more easily erased and do not damage
paper. While the leads of wooden pencils can flake and chip,
these “flaws” can easily be used to your advantage when
shading, as they provide more graphite on the paper to
blend around.
Light Source
Before you begin shading, it’s important to establish a
consistent light source for each element of your drawing.
For each of these spheres, the blue arrows indicate which
side the light is coming from.
The spot that the light is hitting on this sphere is white; the
area around it, where the shading is, is not being hit by the
light source. The shading should be darkest closest to the
highlighted area, slowly softening and fading as it moves
farther away.
Shading Techniques
Here are the three easiest techniques for shading with
pencil.
Straight lines: Tilt your pencil and make diagonal lines in

one direction, filling up the area you want to shade. This is a
quick and easy method of shading and provides a light feel
to your artwork. It is also a good method for amplifying
actions or movement.
Crosshatching: After shading with the straight-lines
technique, repeat drawing diagonal lines in a different
direction. The lines do not need to be perpendicular to the
first set. Crosshatching creates a more solid look than
straight lines.
Solid shading: Using a pencil with a blunt tip, hold the

pencil vertically and press lightly in a circular motion around
the area you want to shade. It is very important to not press
too hard, as you will need to go over the area multiple
times. This technique is more time-consuming than the
other two methods, but it will provide a clean, consistent,
and soft patch of shading.
Shadows
When there is an object between the light source and
another object, the object in front will cast a shadow onto
the object behind it. The shape of this shadow should be
consistent with the object it came from. For example, this
sphere is casting a circular shadow onto the rectangle
behind it. The light source is indicated with the blue arrow.
When shading objects with different textures, the shadow
will also be affected. Here, the shadow on the strands of hair
follows the flow of the hair, and the shadows on the sleeve
follow the folds of the clothing.
Coloring Your Chibis
Now that you understand shading basics, it’s time to add
color to your chibis. Here’s where you can really have fun
with your chibis and experiment with color. The step-by-step
tutorials following this section will guide you even further
with this process!
COLOR
Certain colors complement each other, whether they are
contrasting or not (by “contrasting,” I’m referring to two
colors with a significant difference in tone or that are far
apart on the color spectrum, such as black and white or red
and indigo blue). Colors that are on opposite sides of the
color wheel are complementary colors, such as red and
green, orange and blue, and yellow and purple. When used
together in an illustration, complementary colors can
overwhelm the artwork, so use a lot of one color with a
small “pop” of the other color, or use a tint of one of the
colors if you want to feature both colors. Here’s a color
wheel for your reference to see which colors are
complementary. And don’t be afraid to experiment with
color to come up with your own unique color combinations!
Warm, Cool, and Neutral Colors
Colors often fall into three categories: warm, cool, and
neutral. Warm colors are easy on the eye and give a feeling
of “warmth,” and include colors such as red, orange, yellow,
and brown. Cool colors are bolder and more striking, and
include colors such as blue, green, cyan, purple, and indigo.
Neutral colors, also called tones, are black, white, and all
shades of gray in between.
SHADING
Here, I’ve included my method for adding color shading to
your chibi art. These are my preferences, but feel free to
experiment to find what you like. I like to use cool colors for
shading any color. I find that blues and purples work
universally well as a shadow color (exceptions are warm
yellow and orange, because they are too far on the warm
end of the spectrum). When adding shading, you don’t
always have to use a darker version of the base color. Using
a slightly different color will give your art more liveliness
and make it look less “flat.” When shading, the left side
should have the base color and the right side the shading
color (assuming the light source is a white light coming from
the top-left side). Here are some color combinations (base
color and shading color) that I recommend.
Base Color Shading Color
red red-purple
orange brown
yellow orange, light pink, beige
green blue-green
blue purple
purple indigo
indigo deep purple
pink purple
brown purple
white pale blue, lavender, color most dominant in
object’s surroundings
pastels lighter versions of colors above
BLENDING
Whether you’re mixing colors together to create a new color
or are adding shading, here’s how to seamlessly blend your
colors together when using markers, colored pencils, and
watercolor paints.
Markers
When blending together two colors, always use the lighter
of the two to blend. Blend with downward strokes; circular
strokes can cause the ink to bleed (spread). “Blender” or
“clear” markers will significantly lighten the color, so only
use if dispersing a single color around; they are not for
blending two or more colors together.
Colored pencils
When blending together two colors, always use the lighter
of the two to blend. Blend in a circular motion with
moderate pressure; otherwise, streaks will appear and you
could make dents in the paper. Use a white pencil to blend
and smooth out colors, though doing this will make the
colors lighter.
Watercolor
When using watercolor paint, you can only fully blend colors
while the paint is wet. If you must blend a color that has
already dried on the paper, re-wet that color with a small
amount of water before adding the new color. Watercolor
strokes can streak if the brush is too dry, so make sure it’s
damp. Blend in a circular motion to help prevent streaking.
If you have trouble blending with the brush because there is
excess water, try blending using a cotton swab or paper
towel. Doing this absorbs the extra water while providing a
texture to move the colors around with.
GRADIENT
When you apply a gradient, you’re applying color that goes
from being darker to lighter. If making a gradient with two
colors, lay down the lighter color first for the entire area that
you are coloring, and then use the darker color on top of the
lighter color only in the area you want darker; blend with the
lighter color. If using three or more colors, lay down the
colors from lightest to darkest, and then use the darker
colors on top of the lightest color only in the areas you want
darker; blend with the lightest color.
Practice Chibis
Ava
It’s Ava’s first day of school, and she has mastered the innocent
“puppy dog” look! Let’s hope she can charm her way into the hearts
of her classmates and instructors.
Materials
Pencil
Eraser
Black Sakura Pigma Micron 0.1mm fineliner
Copic markers: Skin White (E00), Baby Skin Pink (E21), Mauve Shadow (BV00), Frost Blue
(B00), Sea Green (G12), Blush (R20), Barley Beige (E11), Pale Lilac (V12), Powder Blue
(B41), Soft Violet (BV11)
White Uni-ball Signo gel pen
1 Using a pencil, draw a large oval for the head and a
trapezoid for the body—Ava is facing forward.
2 Draw Ava’s arms and legs, with her arms straight out
from her sides and her legs in a standing position, with her
toes pointed inward. Add the guidelines for the face and the
neck and ears.
3 Sketch in her face—let’s give Ava a happy expression, as
she is excited about going to school.
4 Ava needs some hair and clothes to complete her look!
Let’s give her thick, straight, short hair with long bangs and
a ribbon headband. She wears a school uniform of a short-
sleeve, sailor-style blouse, pleated skirt, and loafers.
5 Our sketch is messy—clean it up with your eraser! Add
more details, such as clothing folds and seams and strands
of hair.
6 Using your fineliner, go over your pencil lines. Draw in
the lines, making sure to vary the thickness to add more
depth. When drawing the hair, press lighter toward the ends
of the strands. Make sure the ink is dry before you begin
erasing.
7 Let’s add some base color! Color Ava’s skin with the Skin
White marker and her hair with Baby Skin Pink. Use Mauve
Shadow for her skirt, headband, and piping around her shirt
collar and Frost Blue for her shoes and shirt bow. Finally,
color her irises with Sea Green.
8 Now that we have the base color down, let’s add some
shading. Use the Blush marker where Ava’s hair and clothing
meet her skin. Also color her cheeks with this color. Apply
shading with Barley Beige on her bangs, the underside of
her hair and where the bangs fold over themselves, and
around the headband. Use Pale Lilac to make a gradient of
the shaded parts of her hair only, and then completely go
over the underside of the hair and where it folds over itself
at the bangs. Add shading to her shirt with Powder Blue and
use Soft Violet for her skirt and headband. Use Mauve
Shadow to shade in her shirt bow and shoes. Finally, use
your gel pen to add highlights to her hair and eyes.
Draw your own!
Bonnie
Ava’s older sister, Bonnie, has done the school thing for a while now.
She drinks soda to keep her alert during the most boring lessons.
Materials
Pencil
Eraser
Copic markers: Skin White (E00), Baby Skin Pink (E21), Robin’s Egg Blue (B02), Apple
Green (G14), Prawn (R24), Blush (R20), Pale Lilac (V12), Light Hydrangea (B63), Toner
Gray No. 1 (T1), Amethyst (V17)
trapezoid for the body—Bonnie is facing to the left (well …
your left and her right) but looking straight at you.
2 Draw Bonnie’s arms and legs, with her left arm straight
out from her side, her right arm slightly bent with the palm
up to hold a soda can, and her legs in a walking position,
with the left one crossed in front of the right one. Add the
guidelines for the face and the neck and ears.
3 Sketch in her face—let’s give Bonnie a look of
confidence (note the wink!), as she’s now one of the older
students at school.
4 Bonnie needs some hair and clothes to complete her
look! Let’s give her thick, straight hair with blunt bangs and
loose tendrils. Her hair is tied into pigtails with ribbons. She
wears a school uniform of a long-sleeve, sailor-style blouse,
pleated skirt, tights, and loafers. Add some “bounce” to her
skirt and a soda can in her right hand.
of hair. Don’t forget the straw in her soda can and the can
design!
erasing.
7 Let’s add some base color! Color Bonnie’s skin with the
Skin White marker and her hair with Baby Skin Pink. Use
Robin’s Egg Blur for her skirt, shoes, hair ties, piping around
her shirt collar and cuffs, and the straw in the soda can.
Color her eyes with Apple Green. Finally, use Prawn for the
stripe on the soda can.
shading. Use the Blush marker around Bonnie’s bangs, for
her cheeks, and in her ears. Apply Pale Lilac in the upper
creases of her bangs, around her eyes, and on her neck. Use
Light Hydrangea to shade in her skirt, hair ties, and shoes
and Toner Gray No. 1 and Pale Lilac for her shirt and the top
of the soda can. Add shading to the inside of her skirt with
Amethyst and use Pale Lilac for the skirt’s white stripe.
Finally, use your gel pen to add highlights to her hair and
eyes.
Draw your own!
2
Chibi Cuties
The chibis in this section are not only cute, but each one represents a
different month of the year! Have fun learning how to draw these
chibis as they celebrate holidays and the changing seasons, from
January to December.
Jamie
January
Kick off the start of the New Year with some fireworks! Of course,
Jamie is being safe and using sparklers instead.
Materials
Pencil
Eraser
Bic Marking markers: Sunset Orange, Summer Melon
Copic markers: Lapis Lazuli (B18), Light Suntan (E13), Toner Gray No. 1 (T1), Powder Blue
(B41), Pale Cherry Pink (R11), Skin White (E00), Pale Lilac (V12)
Crayola Signature Blending marker: Polynesian Purple
trapezoid shape for the body—Jamie is facing to the left
(well … your left and his right side).
2 Draw Jamie’s arms and legs, with both arms bent
upward to hold a sparkler and the legs in a standing
position. Draw the (unlit) sparkler too! Draw a rectangle on
the ground next to Jamie—this will be a box that holds
fireworks. Add the guidelines for the face and the neck and
ear.
3 Sketch in his face—let’s give Jamie an expression of
amazement, as he will be looking at a lit sparkler.
4 Jamie needs some hair and clothes to complete his look!
Let’s give him thick, straight hair. He wears a sweater,
jeans, and a leather coat and shoes. He also needs round
wire glasses. Add the sparkle to the sparkler and define the
shape of the box, drawing in additional fireworks.
of hair.
erasing.
7 Let’s add some base color! Using an equal blend of the
Bic Sunset Orange and Summer Melon markers, color in
Jamie’s coat, irises, and the box. It will be easier to blend if
you lay down Sunset Orange first, as it is a darker color that
you can dilute with the Summer Melon. Individually using
these markers, color in some of the fireworks in the box (as
shown). Summer Melon can also be used to color in the
sparkles of the sparkler. Color in Jamie’s skin, starting from
the outside in, avoiding the whites of the eyes—be heavier
with the color where his hair touches his face and lighter
toward the center. Using your Copic markers, color in his
jeans and the remaining firework in the box with Lapis
Lazuli, his shoes with Light Suntan, and his sweater with
Toner Gray No. 1.
shading. Using the Powder Blue Copic marker, draw the
shading in Jamie’s bangs in a zig-zag formation. Using a mix
of Copic Pale Cherry Pink and Skin White, blend downward in
his bangs, starting from the edge of the blue shading. Use
the Pale Cherry Pink to shade in his skin, from the outside in.
Also dot some of this color under his eyes for blush. Using
the Pale Lilac Copic marker, shade in his irises and very
gently go over the coat to give the appearance of a fabric
texture. Using the Crayola Polynesian Purple, add more
opaque shading under the sleeves, inside the coat, and to
the fireworks in the box.
Draw your own!
Phoebe
February
The month of February includes the celebration of Valentine’s Day.
Who is Phoebe confessing her affection to?
Materials
Pencil
Eraser
Prismacolor colored pencils: Peach (939), Pink (929), Parma Violet (1008), Spanish
Orange (1003), Poppy Red (922), White (938), Light Cerulean Blue (904)
trapezoid shape for the body—Phoebe is facing forward.
2 Draw Phoebe’s arms and legs, with both arms bent
upward to hold a letter and the legs slightly bent with the
knees inward. Add the guidelines for the face and the neck
and ears.
3 Sketch in her face—let’s give Phoebe an expression of
being in love, as she holds a Valentine with her eyes closed.
4 Phoebe needs some hair and clothes to complete her
look! Let’s give her thick, straight, long hair, swept to the
side with a ribbon tied in a bow. She wears an off-the-
shoulder blouse, pleated skirt with a bow, and flats. Draw a
simple rectangle for the letter she holds in her hands.
more details to the love letter, including a heart sealing the
envelope, along with clothing folds and seams and strands
of hair.
erasing.
7 Let’s add some base color! Use a thin, even layer of
color as we will be smoothing and blending it later. Using
the Peach pencil, color in Phoebe’s skin, avoiding the middle
of her face. Use Pink for blush under her eyes, as well as on
her knees and elbows and where her hair touches her
forehead. Also color in her hair with this pencil; however,
when coloring her bangs, leave a band clear of color to
serve as a highlight—color from the edge of the highlight,
pushing your pencil outward. Fill in the underside of her hair
and the edges of the highlight with Parma Violet, gently
going over areas on her hair to make the color warmer. Use
Spanish Orange on the ends of her hair. Finally, use Spanish
Orange to color in her hair ribbon and skirt, adding Poppy
Red to the skirt’s pleats and ribbon, as well as her shoes.
Don’t forget to color in the heart on the envelope with the
Pink pencil!
8 Now that we have the base color down, let’s blend. If
you prefer a traditional pencil look, skip this step; otherwise,
using the White pencil, blend all the colors together. To do
this, first press firmly with the pencil and go over the whole
area in a “straight-line” fashion (see here), then press lightly
going over it again in a circular motion. Try to avoid the
fineliner lines; you may need to use your fineliner to go over
some lines that have become too faded. Use the Light
Cerulean Blue pencil to add a blue hue to the underside of
Phoebe’s hair, on some of the outer strands, and on the
sides where the hair is tucked away with the ribbon—blend
again with the White pencil if needed.
Draw your own!
Spring
March
Spring loves flowers and is attentive to each and every one she
plants. Now that the cold weather is starting to subside, little budding
plants may appear toward the end of this month.
Materials
Pencil
Eraser
Sargent Watercolor Art-Time Pan (8-color set) and accompanying brush
Palette or flat piece of plastic (such as an old credit card or container lid)
Cup of water
Paper towel (for cleaning/drying the brush and wiping away/cleaning up excess paint)
trapezoid shape for the body that slightly bends at the
waist. Spring is facing to the left (well … your left and her
right side).
2 Draw Spring’s arms and legs, with her arms holding a
watering can and her legs bent at the knees. Draw a flower
to be watered! Add the guidelines for the face and the neck
and ear.
3 Sketch in her face—let’s give Spring a sweet expression,
as she looks downward to attend to the flower.
4 Spring needs some hair and clothes to complete her
look! Let’s give her thick, straight, long hair with long bangs,
loose tendrils, and a topknot. She wears a T-shirt, short
overalls, and flats.
5 Our sketch is messy—clean it up with your eraser! Draw
in the sun and a flower accessory in her hair, along with any
clothing folds and seams and strands of hair.
6 Using your pencil (or a waterproof colored pencil), go
over your pencil lines. Draw in the lines, making sure to vary
the thickness to add more depth. When drawing the hair,
press lighter toward the ends of the strands. Make sure the
ink is dry before you begin erasing.
7 Let’s add some base color! Remember to rinse and dry
your brush every time you change colors. Mix a dab of
orange paint with a tiny dot of yellow. Dilute with enough
water so it creates a translucent, pale skin tone and apply
an even layer all over Spring’s exposed skin avoiding the
center of her face, hands, and knees—these areas are
where the main highlights will be. Next, use a dab of yellow
mixed with water on the sun and the center of the flower in
her hair. Make sure it’s slightly opaquer than the color we
mixed for her skin. Before this yellow dries, add some green
into it until it is a yellow-green, and color in her irises, shoes,
and the flower leaves. To get a gray-blue color, individually
mix the black and blue paints with a lot of water and then
apply them to the watering can and overall shorts,
respectively. Finally, add a dab of brown into the skin color
you mixed and color in her hair.
shading. Dilute a dab of red with water and use it to shade
in her shirt and color in the flower petals. Also use this color
to shade her skin, beginning at the edges of the highlights
on her face, hands, and knees. On your palette, darken this
red by adding a bit more of the red paint and a small dab of
orange, and use this to color Spring’s cheeks. Add some
brown to this color and add shading to her hair (as shown),
leaving the top area highlighted because it is facing the sun.
Mix a bit of red into purple and dilute with water until it is
about the same opacity as the previous color we used to
shade her hair. Use this to shade in the flower petals, irises
(don’t forget the pupil!), watering can, and overall shorts.
Also use this color to add additional shading to the
underside of her hair and where the hair folds over itself.
Draw your own!
Abel
April
It’s April Fools’ Day and Abel is having some fun. It’s the one day of
the year where practical jokes are customary; however, remember
that pulling pranks is about making everyone laugh, not just you.
Materials
Pencil
Eraser
Touchnew markers: 25, 94, 70, 143, 140, 144, CG5
waist. Abel is facing to the right (well … your right and his
left side).
2 Draw Abel’s arms and legs, with his right arm holding a
cookie bottom and his left arm squeezing a tube of
toothpaste. His legs are bent at the knees as he kneels with
his right leg with the bottom of the foot facing up. Draw the
outline of a simple rectangle that will be a box that holds
cookie sandwiches. Add the guidelines for the face and the
neck and ear.
3 Sketch in his face—let’s give Abel a mischievous
expression, as he carries out his prank. Give the tube of
toothpaste more detail with an image of a tooth and a line
at the base of the tube.
4 Abel needs some hair and clothes to complete his look!
Let’s give him thick, straight hair with a side part. He wears
a T-shirt, jeans, and sneakers.
more details to the cookie box and sandwich cookies, along
with clothing folds and seams and strands of hair.
erasing.
7 Let’s add some base color! Color in Abel’s shoes and the
cookies with your black fineliner, leaving the middle of each
cookie and the soles of his shoes white. Using the Touchnew
25 marker, color in his skin. Add an extra layer of this color
around his forehead. Color in his hair with 94, his jeans with
70, and the toothpaste tube with 143. Leave the toothpaste,
toothpaste-tube design, and his shirt white.
shading. Using the Touchnew 140 marker, add shading
along Abel’s hairline, on his neck and arms, inside his ears,
and above his eyelids and eyebrows. Add blush with this
color to his cheeks—slightly blend this in a circular motion
with 25. Using 94, go over his hair again, starting at the part
in his hair and shading lighter as you move outward toward
the edge of his head. If desired, add shading to the bottom
parts of his hair too. Using 144, press lightly and shade in
his shirt and the bottom of the cookie plate. Using CG5, add
shading to the back of his jeans (as shown). Use your white
gel pen to add highlights to Abel’s cheeks and hair, and for
the dotted design on the toothpaste tube.
Draw your own!
Mother
May
May is the month for celebrating Mother’s Day. This is what I imagine
Mother Nature might look like it if she was a human.
Materials
Pencil
Eraser
Cup of water
trapezoid shape for the body. Mother is facing forward.
2 Draw Mother’s arms and legs, with both arms bent up
toward her face and the legs slightly bent with the knees
inward. Add the guidelines for the face and the neck and
ears.
3 Sketch in her face—let’s give Mother an expression of
smiling peacefully, as she enjoys nurturing everything on
this great planet of ours.
4 Mother needs some hair and clothes to complete her
look! Let’s give her long, wavy hair with a side part,
sideswept bangs, and a flower accessory. She wears a flowy
dress that is shorter in the front and longer in the back,
along with a scalloped capelet and bows at her waist and
neck.
flowers to her dress and hair. Dot two spots below the inner
corners of her eyes to make her look older.
over your pencil lines. Draw in the lines, making sure to vary
the thickness to add more depth. When drawing the hair,
ink is dry before you begin erasing.
your brush every time you change colors. Dilute some
brown paint with water and color in all areas of Mother’s
skin. Wait until it dries, and then go over her hairline area,
side of her face, and thighs once again. Dilute some yellow
with water and add a tiny dot of black; dilute the mixture
with more water. Color in her hair and the inside of the
bottom of her skirt. Add a dab of the brown we used for her
skin and go over her hair again, avoiding the outer sides
and tips. Mix equal amounts of red and purple, dilute with
lots of water, and color in her capelet. Finally, mix together
a dab of blue and a tiny dot of green, dilute, and color in the
flowers and bows. Go over the capelet and the inside of her
skirt with this color to add an overall blue glow.
shading. Continuing with the same blue color as in the
previous step, shade in the bows (as shown). Dilute this
color further and add it to the inside of the top of her skirt.
Add a bit of red and brown to the brown we used for
Mother’s skin in the previous step and shade in the areas of
her skin that are touching her hair and clothes. Dilute this
color once more and add shading to her hair, starting from
the back and working toward the front. Make sure your
brushstrokes follow the direction her hair is flowing! Using
the same blue for shading the bows, dab it onto some of the
white of the dress, capelet, and underside of the hair (only
at the bottom).
Draw your own!
Father
June
June is the month for celebrating Father’s Day. Father is making
pancakes for himself to celebrate, but why aren’t his children making
them for him?!
Materials
Pencil
Eraser
Cup of water
trapezoid shape for the body that is slightly bent at the
waist. Father is facing to the left (well … your left and his
right side).
2 Draw Father’s arms and legs, with both arms holding a
skillet, the right leg kicked out diagonally, and the left leg
bent at the knee. Add the guidelines for the face and the
neck and ears.
3 Sketch in his face—let’s give Father a look of
concentration, as he focuses on flipping some pancakes.
Don’t forget to draw the pancakes!
4 Father needs some hair and clothes to complete his
look! Let’s give him short hair that is styled upward. He also
has a goatee! He wears a polo shirt, cargo shorts, and
sneakers.
more details, such as clothing folds, seams, and pockets, as
well as strands of hair.
over your lines. Draw in the lines, making sure to vary the
thickness to add more depth. When drawing the hair, press
lighter toward the ends of the strands. Make sure the ink is
dry before you begin erasing.
your brush every time you change colors. The following
paint colors and mixes should be diluted with large amounts
of water before being applied, in order to ensure the base
colors are light so the end result has more contrast when
dramatic shading is added. For Father’s hair, goatee, and
shoes, use the brown paint. Use an equal mix of yellow and
orange for his skin, going over the area underneath his
eyebrows a second time. Add a dab of the diluted brown
used for the hair to green and apply this color to the shorts
and irises. Add some more yellow to the skin mixture and
color in the pancakes. Paint a blue gradient on the front of
his shirt to serve as a shadow from the pan. For the pan,
dilute black to make gray. Also, use that blue to make a
gradient in his eyes.
shading. When you mix the colors for the shading, make
sure there’s slightly more pigment in them than the base
colors. The color combinations are as follows: a mix of more
brown than red for Father’s hair and shoes; an equal mix of
red and orange for his face and the pancakes; an equal mix
of purple and brown for his shorts and eyes; and purple for
his shirt. When shading the hair, start from the bottom
moving up, making sure the tips of the shading look “spiky“
to emphasize the texture of the hair. For his shirt, make sure
the shading starts with the “shadow“ from the pan. Shade
the pan with gray, and add hints of blue paint to areas of
the hair that have no shading. Finally, add highlights to his
eyes and cheeks with your gel pen.
Draw your own!
Jules
July
Get out the fireworks to celebrate, whether it’s Bastille Day in France,
Independence Day in the United States, or Canada Day in Canada.
Materials
Pencil
Eraser
Touchnew markers: 36, 18, 14, 163, 68, 144, 48, BG1
trapezoid shape for the body that is slightly bent at the
waist. Jules is facing to the left (well … your left and his right
side).
2 Draw Jules’ arms and legs, with both arms bent upward
to cover his ears and the legs bent at the knees in a sitting
position. Add the guidelines for the face and the neck and
ears. Draw a rectangle at a diagonal on a thin stick for the
outline of the firecracker.
3 Sketch in his face—let’s give Jules a frightened
expression, as he anticipates the loud launch of the
firecracker. Add some drops to highlight his shocked
emotion. Also give the firecracker more detail.
4 Jules needs some hair and clothes to complete his look!
Let’s give him thick, straight hair that peeks out from under
a baseball cap with the brim flipped up. He wears a short-
sleeved hoodie, jean shorts, and sneakers.
more details, such as clothing folds and seams and a tooth.
erasing.
7 Let’s add some base color! The colors for this illustration
should be opaque and flat, so if you find that your
application is streaky, you may need to go over them a few
times until you get solid colors. Use the Touchnew 36
marker for Jules’ skin and the tip, tail, spark, and stand of
the firework. Color the inside of his mouth with 18, making
sure to avoid the tooth. Using 14, dot in blush underneath
the outer corners of his eyes and color in the body of the
firework. Use 163 for his hair and shoes, and 68 for the top
of his cap. Finally, use BG1 for the sweat drops and jean
shorts.
shading; however, if you prefer the flat color, skip this step.
As thinly as you can, use the Touchnew 14 marker to add
shading along Jules’ hairline, creating a contrast between
his hair and skin colors. Using 48, shade a semicircle on his
hair, creating a shadow that follows the brim of his cap. Use
144 to add a gradient at the base of his cap and go over his
shorts a few times with this marker to get a darker shade.
Use the Blue Grey Marker to add a shadow to the front of his
shirt. Finally, dot highlights on Jules’ hair and cheeks with
the white gel pen and add squiggly lines around him with
your fineliner.
Draw your own!
Audrey
August
Summer’s over, so it’s back-to-school time! However, that doesn’t mean
everyone will go happily, as demonstrated here by Audrey.
Materials
Pencil
Eraser
Prismacolor colored pencils: Peach (939), Pink (929), Apple Green (912), Spanish Orange
(1003), True Blue (903), White (938), Parma Violet (1008)
trapezoid shape for the body. Audrey is facing to the right
(well … your right and her left side).
2 Draw Audrey’s arms and legs, with both arms bent
upward to hold on to her backpack straps and the legs in a
walking position. Add the guidelines for the face and the
neck and ear. Add a bubblegum bubble at her mouth and
the outline of a backpack.
3 Sketch in her face—let’s give Audrey an annoyed
expression, as she clearly does not want to return to class.
Define the backpack more.
4 Audrey needs some hair and clothes to complete her
look! Let’s give her long bangs with loose tendrils and a
super-long ponytail fastened with a bow. She wears a
sleeveless A-line blouse with a ruffled hem, jean shorts, and
flats. Add more detail to her backpack, including a charm
hanging off it.
of hair.
erasing.
7 Let’s add some base color! Use the Peach pencil for
Audrey’s skin, avoiding the white of her eye and her nose
area. Use the Pink pencil to add blush to her cheeks and to
color in her shoes, backpack, and bubble (leaving a white
highlight on the top of the bubble). Alternating among the
Apple Green, Spanish Orange, and True Blue pencils, lightly
add in the color for her hair. Make sure to leave highlights
on the top of her head and on the ponytail (as shown),
preferably in a jagged pattern. Add a bit of Apple Green to
the top of the bubble and some Pink to the tips of of the
loose tendrils touching her face. Color in the hair bow and
jean shorts with the True Blue pencil and her blouse with the
Spanish Orange pencil.
area in a “staright-line” fashion (see here), then press lightly
going over it again in a circular motion. Try to avoid the
fineliner lines; you may need to use your fineliner to go over
some lines that have become too faded. Use the Parma
Violet pencil to add a purple hue to the underside of
Audrey’s hair, where it folds over itself—blend again with
the White pencil if needed.
Draw your own!
Stefan
September
Autumn has finally arrived! Stefan likes to rake up all the leaves and
then undo his hard work by jumping into the pile. Whee!
Materials
Pencil
Eraser
Copic markers: Skin White (E00), Pink (RV11), Hazelnut (E23)
Touchnew markers: 16, WG3, 35
Crayola Signature Blending markers: Wisteria, Slate
trapezoid shape for the body. Stefan is facing forward.
2 Draw Stefan’s arms, with both of them straight and
raised up to the sides of the head. Add the guidelines for the
face and the neck and ears. From the base of the body, add
an outline of a large pile of leaves, along with leaves on the
ground and in the air around him.
3 Sketch in his face—let’s give Stefan an expression of
exhilaration, as he plays in the pile of leaves. Add more
definition to the leaves in the large pile.
4 Stefan needs some hair and clothes to complete her
look! Let’s give him thick, straight hair with a cowlick
sticking up at the crown of the head. He wears a cardigan
with a T-shirt underneath.
of hair.
erasing.
7 Let’s add some base color! Using the Skin White Copic
marker, color in Stefan’s skin starting from the top moving
down, focusing on his forehead, ears, cheeks, inside of his
mouth, neck, and hands. Using the Touchnew markers, color
in his hair with 16 and his sweater with WG3. For the leaves,
use 35; color in one layer and then go over it a second time,
making the ink thicker in some areas and thinner in others.
shading. Using the Wisteria Crayola marker, add shading to
Stefan’s hair, mainly focusing on the bangs and where the
hair folds over itself. Using the Pink Copic marker, shade in
the skin around his hairline, his cheeks, the insides of his
ears, the inside of his mouth, his neck, and his hands. Use
the Slate Crayola marker to add shading to his sweater (as
shown). For adding shade to the leaves, use the Copic
Hazelnut marker. It is easiest to focus on one small area at a
time and fill in any cracks between the sections; of course,
you will need to ensure that the shading follows the shapes
of the leaves. Finally, use your white gel pen to add
highlights to his hair.
Draw your own!
Oliver
October
Trick-or-treat! It’s Halloween. Hardly anyone ever gives out tricks
anymore, so Oliver is collecting as many treats as he can.
Materials
Pencil
Eraser
Touchnew markers: 29, WG9, 13, 23, 35
Crayola Signature Blending markers: Slate, Violet, Wisteria
Copic markers: Toner Gray No. 1 (T1), Light Suntan (E13)
trapezoid shape for the body. Oliver is facing forward with
his head slightly tilted to the right (well … your right and his
left side).
2 Draw Oliver’s arms and legs, with the arms bent upward
to hold a jack-o’-lantern for trick-or-treating and the legs in a
straight position, pointing slightly inward. Add the guidelines
for the face and the neck and ears.
3 Sketch in his face—let’s give Oliver a look of uncertainty,
as he’s out a little too late alone. Draw the jack-o’-lantern
for collecting candy and the bats hanging down.
4 Oliver needs some hair and clothes to complete his look!
Let’s give him thick, straight hair that is slicked back. He
wears a Halloween costume, which is of Count Dracula.
Scatter some loose candy on the ground around him.
of hair.
erasing.
7 Let’s add some base color! Apply the layers of color as
flat and opaque as possible. Using the Touchnew markers,
color Oliver’s skin with 29, avoiding the whites of his eyes;
color his cape, bow tie, and pants with WG9; color the inside
of the cape and shoes with 13; and color the jack-o’-lantern
with 23. Use the Slate Crayola marker for the bats and
Crayola Violet for his vest. Use any combination of colors for
the candies scattered on the ground.
shading. Use the Toner Gray No. 1 Copic marker to add
shading to Oliver’s hair, starting from the hairline moving
upward. Blend some the Touchnew 29 into the Copic Toner
Gray No. 1 in the hair and use the same colors on the white
shirt. Use the Light Suntan Copic marker to add shading
along his hairline, neck, and the insides of the ears. Lightly
blend in some of the Touchnew 35 with the orange of the
jack-o’-lantern, focusing on the top left—this adds a slight
tone variation while still maintaining the “flat” look. Use
Crayola Wisteria to shade in the red of his cape, but leave a
small area highlighted (as shown). Finally, use the white gel
pen to outline the bow tie and seams of his pants and add
shine to his eyes.
Draw your own!
Ember
November
It’s been getting colder and colder, so make sure to dress warmly!
Ember knows what to do, as she snuggles in a blanket with a cup of
tea.
Materials
Pencil
Eraser
Copic markers: Skin White (E00), Barley Beige (E11), Pink (RV11), Mint Green (BG13),
Toner Gray No. 1 (T1), Powder Blue (B41), Light Suntan (E13), Pale Lilac (V12)
trapezoid shape for the body that is slightly bent near the
chest. Ember is facing to the right (well … your right and her
left side).
2 Draw Ember’s arms and legs, with the arms bent up to
hold a mug of tea and the legs bent underneath her. Add the
guidelines for the face and the neck and ear.
3 Sketch in her face—let’s give Ember a look of
contentment, as she is feeling quite cozy. Add more detail to
the mug, including steam and the tea-bag string, and draw
the outline of the blanket around her.
4 Ember needs some hair and clothes to complete her
look! Let’s give her thick, straight hair with blunt bangs. Her
hair is tied up in a messy topknot with a bow. She wears
cozy pajamas, which are a long-sleeve sweatshirt and
shorts.
even more steam coming off the mug, along with clothing
folds and seams and strands of hair.
erasing.
7 Let’s add some base color! Using the Skin White marker,
color in Ember’s skin, avoiding the middle of her face. Use
Barley Beige on her hair; Pink on her blanket, hair bow, and
the heart; Mint Green on her shorts; Toner Gray No. 1 on the
mug; and Powder Blue for the stripes on her shirt.
shading. To shade Ember’s hair, use Light Suntan and start
from the top where you want the edge of the shading to be
and outline it in sharp zig-zags. Now, starting from the zig-
zag line you drew, push and pull your marker downward so
there is no chance of going over the lines. At the edges of
the shading, gently blend in a tint of Pale Lilac. Use Pink to
add shading to her cheeks, along her hairline, and her legs,
avoiding the tops of them. Use Pale Lilac to add shading to
her shorts, making sure that this shading lines up with the
shading on her legs (as shown). Also use Pale Lilac to shade
in her hair bow, mug, and blanket, applying more pressure
where the fabric is folded or dented inward. Use Powder
Blue to add a blue glow to the inside of the blanket and top
of the blanket, where her face meets her shoulder—and
apply this same method to the mug. Finally, use Toner Gray
No. 1 to add shading to her sweatshirt (focus on the area
where the blanket covers it).
Draw your own!
Desiree
December
Though winter has arrived, Desiree can’t resist playing in the snow
and hugging cute snowmen, even grumpy-looking ones!
Materials
Pencil
Eraser
Prismacolor colored pencils: Pink (929), Mulberry (995), Parma Violet (1008), Peach
(939), Poppy Red (922), Spanish Orange (1003), Orange (918), Goldenrod (1034),
Apple Green (912), Light Cerulean Blue (904), White (938), True Blue (903)
trapezoid shape for the body. Desiree is facing to the left
(well … your left and her right side).
2 Draw Desiree’s arms, with the arms outstretched in front
of her and the right leg kicked up behind her. Add the
guidelines for the face and the neck and ear.
3 Sketch in her face—let’s give Desiree a blissful
expression, as she moves in to hug a snowman. Draw the
snowman to the left of her so part of his head is between
her arms. Add details to the snowman, including its grumpy
face, stick arms, and buttons. Don’t forget the carrot
sticking out the top of its head!
4 Desiree needs some hair and clothes to complete her
look! Let’s give her long bangs with loose tendrils and space
buns. She wears a dress with tights underneath a coat,
along with a scarf and flats.
5 Our sketch is messy—clean it up with your eraser! Add a
heart between Desiree and the snowman, along with
clothing folds and seams and strands of hair.
erasing.
7 Let’s add some base color! Use your fineliner or a black
marker to fill in her tights. For this illustration, the pigment
needs to be heavier, so apply the base colors as smooth and
even as possible. Color in Desiree’s hair with Pink, using
Mulberry at the tips of the loose tendrils and the bottom of
the left space bun, Parma Violet on the strands of hair, and
Peach on the top of her head and tips of her bangs. Use
Peach for her skin, making the color heavier along her
bangs. Add a blush to her face with Pink. Color in the scarf,
shoes, snowman’s buttons, and heart with Poppy Red, using
Parma Violet for the underside of the scarf. Evenly blend
together Spanish Orange, Orange, and Goldenrod for the
coat, using more Goldenrod on her right sleeve and the
snowman’s stick arm. Evenly blend together Spanish
Orange and Orange for the carrot, using Apple Green for the
stem. Color in her dress and parts of the snowman,
following its curves, with Light Cerulean Blue, Parma Violet,
Pink, and Goldenrod (as shown).
area in a “straight-lines” fashion (see here), then press
lightly going over it again in a heavily circular motion. If you
applied enough base color, you should not be seeing any
streaks; if you are seeing streaks, add more of the base
color(s) to those sections. You may need to use your
fineliner to go over some lines that have become too faded.
Use True Blue to add a blue hue to the warm colors (pinks)
and Parma Violet to darken any areas that have become too
light.
Draw your own!
3
Chibi Beasties
The chibis in this section are anthropomorphic, or anthro for short,
which means they are nonhuman creatures that have humanoid
features. Have fun learning how to draw these chibis with bodies and
builds of humans, along with their nonhuman features, such as animal
ears and tails, insect wings and antennas, and more!
Kit
Cats are cool, right? They are essentially tiny tigers that walk around
your home silently watching you, wreaking havoc, or cuddling with
you … depending on the cat.
Materials
Pencil
Eraser
Copic markers: Barley Beige (E11), Toner Gray No. 1 (T1)
Bic Marking markers: Summer Melon, Cloud Nine, Sunset Orange, Oceanview Blue,
Peach Parfait
Crayola Signature Blending markers: Slate, Bubblegum
trapezoid shape for the body that bends a little bit up by the
chest—Kit is facing to the left (well … your left and his right
side).
2 Wouldn’t it be cool if Kit had his hands in his pockets?
Diagonally draw the legs, as Kit likes to lean. Add the
guidelines for the face and the neck.
3 Draw the catlike ears and tail. When drawing tails, make
sure they branch out from the spinal cord. Sketch in his face
—let’s give Kit a cool, smiling expression, as he looks at you.
4 Kit needs some hair and clothes to complete his look!
Let’s give him thick, straight hair. He wears a varsity jacket
with a fish patch on the sleeve, T-shirt, jeans, and sneakers.
5 Our sketch is messy—clean it up with your eraser! Now
add tufts of fur inside Kit’s ears, along with clothing folds
and seams and strands of hair.
erasing the pencil lines.
7 Let’s add some base color! Using your Barley Beige
Copic marker, fill in his face and neck, avoiding the whites of
the eyes. Use the Summer Melon Bic marker to fill in his
irises, as well as the fish patch on the jacket sleeve. Using
the Bic markers, color in his hair, outer ears, tail, and shoes
with Cloud Nine, his jacket with Sunset Orange, his jeans
with Oceanview Blue, and the insides of his ears with Peach
Parfait, leaving the tufts of fur inside the ears white.
shading. Using your Slate Crayola marker, shade in Kit’s hair
and tail, starting with strokes from the bottom moving
upward—you want your shade to be thicker on the bottom
and thinner toward the top. Use the Bubblegum Crayola
marker to shade in the insides of Kit’s ears, along his
hairline, and on the overlap of his eyelids. Add some blush
too. Using your Toner Gray No. 1 Copic marker, lightly add
shading to the white areas of the ears and jacket sleeves.
Finally, use the white gel pen to add some highlights to Kit’s
hair and jeans.
Draw your own!
Goldie
Dogs are our loyal companions and no matter what they do, they are
always adorable. It would be great if they would stop digging up
yards looking for nonexistent bones though …
Materials
Pencil
Eraser
Prismacolor colored pencils: Spanish Orange (1003), Sienna Brown (945), Peach (939),
Apple Green (912), True Blue (903), Pink (929), Parma Violet (1008), White (938)
waist. Goldie is facing to the right (well … your right and her
left side).
2 Draw Goldie’s arms and legs, with the arms raised to her
chin and her legs folded under at the knees. Add guidelines
for her face and the neck. Add a small blob next to Goldie—
this will become a bird.
3 Draw the doglike ears and tail; golden retrievers have
floppy ears and fluffy tails. Draw the curve on the inner
corner of the ear to show that it is folded over. When
drawing tails, make sure they branch out from the spinal
cord. Sketch in Goldie’s face, making her eyes wide—she is
looking at that bird and wondering what it is doing there.
Add some feathers and a face to the bird.
4 Goldie needs some hair and clothes to complete her
look! Let’s give her straight, thick hair with bangs and a hair
bow—giving her a shorter hairstyle will help make her head
look bigger and more puppy-like. She wears a sleeveless
polo shirt and pleated miniskirt.
some drops to highlight her shocked emotion, and make
sure the bird looks like a baby chicken. Add more details,
such as clothing folds and seams and strands of hair.
7 Let’s add some base color! Using the Spanish Orange
and Sienna Brown pencils, color in Goldie’s hair and tail,
going over the areas several times—using the Sienna Brown
pencil at the ends serves as both gradient and shading.
Don’t forget to color in the baby chicken! Color her skin with
the Peach pencil, avoiding the whites of her eyes and the
center of her face. Using Apple Green, color in Goldie’s
irises, adding a dash of True Blue (also use this color for the
drops!). Color in her hair bow and skirt with Pink, and use
Parma Violet to add shading to the bow and skirt, as well as
her shirt.
area in a “straight-lines” fashion (see here), then press
lightly going over it again in a circular motion. Try to avoid
the fineliner lines; you may need to use your fineliner to go
over some lines that have become too faded. Use the Parma
Violet pencil to re-shade in some areas that may have
become too faded, as well as the darker parts of her hair.
Draw your own!
Cotton
Cotton is a fox, so why is she pink? No one really knows the answer
to that; however, in the world of chibis, anything is possible.
Materials
Pencil
Eraser
Copic markers: Pink (RV11), Powder Blue (B41), Soft Sun (E21), Pale Lilac (V12), Toner
Gray No. 1 (T1)
Crayola Signature Blending marker: Wisteria
Bic Marking marker: Oceanview Blue
waist. Cotton is facing to the left (well … your left and her
right side).
2 Draw Cotton’s arms and legs as if she is leaning back on
her arms, with her knees bent. Leave some space
underneath for her tail! Add guidelines for her face and the
neck.
3 Draw the foxlike ears and tail. Fox ears are similar to cat
ears, but longer and wider. Don’t forget the little fur inside
the ear! When drawing tails, make sure they branch out
from the spinal cord. Sketch in Cotton’s face so she’s
looking at you.
4 Cotton needs some hair and clothes to complete her
look! Let’s give her blunt bangs with loose tendrils and long,
twisty pigtails that are flowy and bouncy. She wears a baggy
T-shirt, short overalls, and loafers. Don’t forget to add a little
pocket on the overalls so she can hold things in there.
5 Our sketch is messy—clean it up with your eraser! Let’s
refine the shape of Cotton’s tail a little more, so it looks less
like a mophead. Add more details, such as clothing folds and
seams and strands of hair.
7 Let’s add some base color! Using your Pink Copic
marker, color in Cotton’s hair, tail, and overalls pocket. Use
the Powder Blue Copic marker for the overalls and the
Wisteria Crayola marker for her eyes and shoes. Color in her
skin and the inside of her ears with the Soft Sun Copic
marker. Make sure to leave her ear fur, T-shirt, and socks
white.
8 Now that we have the base colors down, let’s add
shading. Use the Pink Copic marker to add shading to
Cotton’s face, neck, and limbs. Don’t forget the inside of her
ears and dots for blush on her face! Using a blend of your
Pale Lilac Copic and Wisteria Crayola markers, shade in her
hair, making sure your strokes are going in the same
direction. Add some blue tints to the shaded areas with the
Powder Blue Copic marker to serve as contrast points. Using
your Oceanview Blue Bic marker, add shading to Cotton’s
eyes, overalls, and shoes. With the Pale Lilac Copic marker,
draw stripes on her T-shirt. Using the Toner Gray No. 1 Copic
marker, shade in all the white areas. Finally, use the white
gel pen to add some highlights to Cotton’s hair and eyes.
Draw your own!
Devin
Bats are nocturnal, so don’t expect to “hang” out with Devin during
the day! If you do encounter a bat during the day, it’s probably best
not to interact with it.
Materials
Pencil
Eraser
Copic markers: Skin White (E00), Pink (RV11), Toner Gray No. 1 (T1)
Bic Marking markers: Sunset Orange, Misty Blue, Polynesian Purple
Touchnew marker: BG3
Crayola Signature Blending markers: Slate, Wisteria
trapezoid shape for the body that slightly bends near the
chest—Devin is facing to the right (well … your right and his
left side).
2 Draw Devin’s arms and legs as if he is leaning backward,
with his arms straight down his sides and the left leg bent at
the knee and the right foot pointing up. This pose makes
him look active. Add the neck.
3 Add the guidelines for the face. Make his ears long and
pointy like bat ears—these are the same type of ears used
on vampire characters. Sketch in his face—let’s give Devin
an expression that is a mix of surprise and confusion, as
he’s probably not too happy to see you right now. Draw
upside-down arcs from Devin’s shoulders and at the tips,
make 3 branches that fan out in the same direction. These
will be the base of his wings. Don’t forget to add a long, thin
tail! When drawing tails, make sure they branch out from
the spinal cord.
4 Devin needs some hair and clothes to complete his look!
For his hair, start with a part on the side of his head,
branching out the hair to swoop down over one side of his
face, while keeping his hair short and tidy on the other side.
Draw a casual dress shirt and jeans, ensuring that the tie is
flipped upward slightly to indicate movement and make it
look more realistic. Draw curved lines at the bottom of the
wing “branches” for the skin on his wings. If you are having
trouble with the wings, try thinking of them as umbrellas!
5 Our sketch is messy—clean it up with your eraser! Be
sure to add some details such as clothing folds, seams,
pockets, and buttons.
6 Using your fineliner, go over your pencil lines. Take
special care when lining the small details, such as on the
wings and jeans—it might help to press lightly at first, and
then go over it again if you want a thicker line. Draw in the
lines, making sure to vary the thickness to add more depth.
When drawing the hair, press lighter toward the ends of the
strands. Make sure the ink is dry before you begin erasing
the pencil lines.
7 Let’s add some base color! Using the Skin White Copic
marker, color in Devin’s skin, avoiding the whites of his
eyes. Color in his eyes, tie, and shoes with the Sunset
Orange Bic marker. Using the Touchnew BG3 marker marker,
color in his hair, wing branches, and tail. When coloring his
hair, be sure to start from the inside and drag your marker
outward. Use the Crayola Slate marker for the insides of the
wings and Bic Misty Blue for his jeans.
shading. Using your Pink Copic marker, add shading along
his hairline, inside his ears, and on his cheeks and arms.
Shade in his eyes and tie with Crayola Wisteria and the
white shirt with Copic Toner Gray No. 1. Add shading to the
backs of his jeans and underside of his hair with the
Polynesian Purple Bic marker. Finally, use the white gel pen
to add some highlights to Devin’s hair and irises.
Draw your own!
Dot
Ladybugs are known for their dots, but they’re not all ladies. Though
Dot is a giant ladybug, she is harmless, which is what these cute
insects are known for.
Materials
Pencil
Eraser
Bic Marking markers: Sunset Orange, Summer Melon, Polynesian Purple
Touchnew marker: WG3
Copic markers: Skin White (E00), Toner Gray No. 1 (T1), Powder Blue (B41), Pink (RV11)
trapezoid shape for the body that slightly bends near the
chest—Dot is facing to the left (well … your left and her
right side).
2 Draw Dot’s left arm bent up in a thinking position and
her legs rocking back, with her feet pointing up. Add the
guidelines for the face, defining the nose on her lower face.
Draw the neck and an ear for a reference point for the body
tilt—it can be erased later.
3 Sketch in her face—let’s give Dot a delighted expression,
as she will be looking at a bumblebee. Draw the simple
antennas and delicate insect wings.
4 Dot needs some hair and clothes to complete her look!
Let’s give her long bangs with loose tendrils and a long
ponytail fastened with a tie that matches her wings. Add
lines in her hair that connect to where her ponytail is tied up
—this is to indicate which direction her hair is going. She
wears a sleeveless sundress with a back pleat and frilly
underlayer and flats. Add a cute bumblebee!
some more detail; ladybugs have spots on them, so add
them to her dress.
6 Using your fineliner, go over your pencil lines and color
in her eyes, antenna, and the pleat of her dress. Draw in the
lines, making sure to vary the thickness to add more depth.
In areas where many lines meet, you might want to go over
some of those lines a second time. When drawing the hair,
ink is dry before you begin erasing the pencil lines.
7 Let’s add some base color! Using your Bic Sunset
Orange marker, color in Dot’s hair tie, dress, and shoes.
Color the spots on her dress with the Touchnew WG3 marker
and the bee with Bic Summer Melon. Using the Skin White
Copic marker, carefully add some color to her face, starting
from the edges of her face inward, avoiding the whites of
her eyes. With her legs and arms, start from the top moving
downward, making sure to press lightly.
shading. Shade in all of the red and gray parts with Bic
Polynesian Purple, ensuring that the shading stays on the
right and bottom sides at all times. Using a blend of the
Copic Toner Gray No. 1, Powder Blue, and Skin White
markers, shade in her hair, wings, and dress underlayer.
Since the light is coming from the top left, avoid shading in
those areas. Finally, use Copic Pink along her hairline and on
the backs of her arms and legs.
Draw your own!
4
Inspiration Gallery
Now that you know how to draw chibis, put your imagination to work
and create your own characters! This gallery is here to inspire you
with all aspects of your chibis, including eyes, hairstyles, clothing,
props, and much more.
Eyes
Hairstyles
Clothing
Props and Accessories
Ears and Tails
5
Practice and Coloring Pages
These pages include body forms for drawing your own chibi
characters, as well as chibis for you to practice coloring and shading
with markers, colored pencils, or watercolors. Mistakes welcome!
Draw your own

Color your own
Text and illustration © 2019 by Yoai
First published in 2019 by Race Point Publishing, an imprint of The Quarto Group,
142 West 36th Street, 4th Floor, New York, NY 10018, USA.
T (212) 779-4972 F (212) 779-6058 www.QuartoKnows.com
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without
written permission of the copyright owners. All images in this book have been
reproduced with the knowledge and prior consent of the artists concerned, and
no responsibility is accepted by producer, publisher, or printer for any
infringement of copyright or otherwise, arising from the contents of this
publication. Every effort has been made to ensure that credits accurately
comply with information supplied. We apologize for any inaccuracies that may
have occurred and will resolve inaccurate or missing information in a
subsequent reprinting of the book.
Race Point Publishing titles are also available at discount for retail, wholesale,
promotional, and bulk purchase. For details, contact the Special Sales Manager
by email at specialsales@quarto.com or by mail at The Quarto Group, Attn:
Special Sales Manager, 100 Cummings Center Suite 265D, Beverly, MA 01915,
USA.
Digital edition: 978-0-76036-429-1

Softcover edition: 978-1-63106-583-5
Project Editor: Erin Canning

Design and Page Layout: Laia Albaladejo
Illustrations: Yoai

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Contents

PART I: Chibi Basics

PART 2: Chibi Cuties

PART 3: Chibi Beasties

PART 5: Practice and Coloring Pages

A small body and huge head—bodies can even be smaller

HOW TO USE THIS BOOK?

WATER-BASED SOLID COLOR

ALCOHOL-BASED SOLID COLOR

Ruler: Use a ruler that is at least 12 inches (30 cm) long.

Proportions and Placement

The placement of facial features can also emphasize a

Eyes might just appear to be simple circles, but there are

When drawing hair, remember that not every strand is on

When your chibi character is in motion, remember that the

NO SEAMS AND CREASES

A sleeve should have creases where the elbow is bent

Here are some examples of clothing folds with arrows

To create a more dynamic look to clothing, openings should

When you are drawing an open coat, it can be hard to ﬁgure

This ﬁshing scene is an example of a partial background,

Straight lines: Tilt your pencil and make diagonal lines in

Solid shading: Using a pencil with a blunt tip, hold the

Draw your own

Digital edition: 978-0-76036-429-1

Project Editor: Erin Canning

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