How to Draw Opossum — Free Practice Sheets

Drawing an opossum is a manageable project when you break it into a few clear shapes. The animal has a distinctive silhouette: a rounded back, a tapering rear, a pointed snout, and a long bare tail that curls away from the body. This page explains how to build that silhouette step by step, then how to use the free printable practice sheets to trace, copy, or complete the drawing independently.

Start With the Body Silhouette

Begin with the largest shape: an oval body with a rounded back and a rear end that tapers rather than ending in a blunt circle. Keep the oval slightly tilted so the head sits higher than the hips. This single shape carries most of the opossum's recognizable outline, so take a moment to check that the back curve is smooth and the rear narrows gradually.

Next, decide where the head attaches. The head is small relative to the body and sits forward of the shoulders. Lightly mark its position before adding details, so the snout and ears have room to develop without crowding the body oval.

1. Draw an oval body with a rounded back and a tapering rear end.
2. Mark a small head position forward of the shoulders.
3. Check that the back curve is smooth and the rear narrows gradually.

Add the Identifying Head Features

The opossum's face is what makes the drawing read as an opossum rather than a generic small mammal. Give the head a pointed snout that extends forward and slightly downward. Add two rounded ears on top of the head, keeping them small and close to the skull.

Then place a dark mask around the eye area. This marking is a key identifying feature, so keep it contained to the face rather than spreading across the whole head. The eye itself sits within the mask. Work lightly at first, then darken the mask once you are satisfied with its shape and position.

1. Add a pointed snout extending forward and slightly down.
2. Place two rounded ears on top of the head.
3. Sketch a dark mask around the eye, keeping it on the face.

Legs, Feet, and the Bare Tail

Under the body, sketch four short legs. Opossum legs are not long, so keep them compact and place the feet close beneath the body rather than splaying them outward. Small clawed feet finish each leg; simple curved marks for the claws are enough at this stage.

The tail is the final distinctive feature. Attach a long, bare, hairless-looking tail at the rear and curve it outward, for example curling to the right. Draw it as a tapering line rather than a thick furry shape, since the bare tail contrasts with the body. Check that the tail emerges from the rear of the body oval, not from the middle of the back.

1. Sketch four short legs beneath the body.
2. Add small clawed feet at the end of each leg.
3. Attach a long bare tail at the rear and curve it outward.
4. Check that the tail emerges from the rear, not the middle of the back.

Using the Practice Sheets

The printable sheets offer different ways to practise the same drawing. On the tracing sheet, follow the reference outline first, then attempt the contour independently and compare your result with the separate full reference sheet. On the grid sheet, copy the reference onto the blank grid using matching grid intersections to guide placement. On the framed sheet, use the bounding frame and center guide to position the silhouette before adding identifying details. On the partial sheet, complete the blank right-hand portion using the full reference.

Each sheet trains a slightly different skill, so rotate between them rather than repeating one. Remember that several drawings can be correct: assess the visible features and proportions rather than expecting a pixel-perfect match.

1. Trace the reference outline, then redraw the contour without tracing.
2. Copy the reference onto the blank grid using matching intersections.
3. Place the silhouette with the bounding frame and center guide.
4. Complete the blank portion using the full reference sheet.

Check your work

• The body is an oval with a rounded back and a tapering rear end.
• The snout is pointed and extends forward from the head.
• Two rounded ears sit on top of the head.
• A dark mask surrounds the eye and stays on the face.
• Four short legs with small clawed feet sit beneath the body.
• A long, bare, tapering tail emerges from the rear and curves outward.
• Proportions are plausible: the head is small relative to the body and the legs are short.

Worked example

opossum: Trace the reference outline, then practise the contour independently. Compare with the separate full reference sheet.

Common mistakes

• Drawing a thick, furry tail instead of a bare, tapering one. Redraw the tail as a long, thin, tapering curve that emerges from the rear of the body.
• Making the snout blunt or rounded like a generic mammal. Extend the snout forward into a clear point and keep the ears small and rounded on top of the head.
• Spreading the dark facial mask across the whole head. Confine the mask to the eye area and darken it only after the shape and position look right.

Questions and answers