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Oddish-Style Plant Creature Grid Drawing: Leaf and Body Guides
Learn to draw an Oddish-style plant creature on a grid using leaf and body guide boxes, a square-by-square sequence, and a self-check rubric.
Free lesson
Four exercises
Worked answers
Object Drawing Lessons
This lesson teaches a reliable method for drawing an Oddish-style plant creature on a square grid. You will use two guide boxes: one for the rounded body and one for the leaf crown. The grid lets you copy one square at a time, so proportions stay consistent even if your hand is shaky. The convention is simple: columns are labeled left to right and rows bottom to top, so any square can be named by its column letter and row number. All numerical values here are hypothetical examples for practice, not manufacturing standards. Measure your own paper and pencil if you need exact sizes. The goal is a recognizable plant creature with a round body, two feet, and a fan of leaves, not a perfect replica of any franchise character.
Practice materials: Printable downloads are not available for this lesson yet. Use the instructions and four exercises below.
Set up the grid and guide boxes
Draw a square grid on your paper. A hypothetical example is a 12 by 12 grid with each square 2 cm wide, giving a 24 cm by 24 cm drawing area for the grid alone. With a 2 cm margin on each side, the paper must be at least 28 cm by 28 cm. Measure your actual paper first and adjust the square size so the grid fits with a margin. Label columns A to L left to right and rows 1 to 12 bottom to top. This coordinate system lets you describe any square, such as C4 or J9.
Inside the grid, mark two guide boxes with light pencil. The body guide box is a rectangle that will contain the round body and feet. A hypothetical example is columns C to J and rows 2 to 7. The leaf guide box sits above it, for example columns D to I and rows 8 to 11. These boxes are not the final outline; they are fences that keep the parts in proportion. You can shift them by one square if your creature looks better, but write down the new coordinates so your copy sequence stays consistent.
- Measure your paper and choose a square size that fits a 12 by 12 grid with a 2 cm margin.
- Draw the grid lightly and label columns A to L and rows 1 to 12.
- Mark the body guide box, for example C2 to J7, and the leaf guide box, for example D8 to I11.
- Check that the two boxes do not overlap and that the leaf box is centered above the body box.
Draw the body and feet square by square
Start with the body outline inside the body guide box. The body is a rounded shape, wider at the bottom than the top. Work one square at a time: in each square, draw only the part of the curve that passes through it. For example, in square E3 the left edge of the body may curve gently, while in square H3 the right edge mirrors it. Keep your pencil light so you can adjust.
Add two small feet at the bottom of the body guide box. A hypothetical example places the left foot in squares D2 and E2 and the right foot in squares H2 and I2, leaving F2 and G2 empty between them. Each foot is a short rounded bump, not a long leg. After the outline, add two small dot eyes inside the upper half of the body and a tiny curved mouth below them. The face should sit within the body guide box, not on its edge.
- In row 7, draw the top curve of the body from column E to column H.
- In rows 3 to 6, draw the left and right sides of the body, one square at a time.
- In row 2, draw the bottom curve and add the two feet in the squares you chose.
- Add two dot eyes and a small mouth inside the upper body area.
Draw the leaf crown and check proportions
The leaf crown is a fan of pointed leaves above the body. Use the leaf guide box to keep the fan centered. A hypothetical example draws five leaves: a tall center leaf in columns F and G, two side leaves angled outward, and two shorter outer leaves. Each leaf is a narrow triangle or teardrop that starts near the top of the body and ends inside the leaf guide box.
After drawing the leaves, compare your drawing to the guide boxes. The body should fill most of the body box, and the leaf fan should fill most of the leaf box. If one part spills outside its box, erase that part and redraw it one square inward. This check keeps the creature from looking top-heavy or squashed. Any labels you add are approximate and do not affect the drawing.
- Draw the center leaf from the top of the body up to row 11, staying in columns F and G.
- Add two side leaves angled left and right, ending in rows 9 and 10.
- Add two shorter outer leaves if your leaf box has room.
- Check that every leaf tip stays inside the leaf guide box and that the body stays inside its box.
Worked example
On a 12 by 12 grid with columns A to L and rows 1 to 12, the body guide box is C2 to J7 and the leaf guide box is D8 to I11. Describe the first four square-by-square moves to draw the body outline.
Worked answer
Move 1: in row 7, draw a gentle top curve from E7 to H7. Move 2: in row 6, draw the left side in D6 and the right side in I6. Move 3: in row 5, draw the left side in C5 and the right side in J5. Move 4: in row 4, keep the left side in C4 and the right side in J4. Move 5: close the bottom curve in row 2 from D2 through I2. Check that all points remain inside the C2-J7 body box and that the lower curve stays centered.
Why: The body widens from row 6 to row 5 and remains on the C/J guide edges through row 4. The C-J box center is halfway between columns F and G. The six-cell bottom curve D-I is centered on that same axis; a C-H curve would sit one column left. The feet can remain balanced on the two sides of the centered outline.
Check: Check the stated moves: E7-H7, D6/I6, C5/J5, C4/J4, and D2-I2. The C-J body box has midpoint 6.5 in column-index coordinates; the D-I curve midpoint is also (4+9)/2=6.5. Confirm no body point leaves columns C-J or rows 2-7 and the lower curve is not shifted left.
Four practice exercises
Exercise 1
On a 10 by 10 grid with columns A to J and rows 1 to 10, the body guide box is B2 to I7. Describe how to draw the bottom curve and two feet in row 2.
Show answer and check
Draw the bottom curve across C2 to H2. Place the left foot as a bump in D2 and E2, and the right foot as a bump in G2 and H2, leaving F2 as the single empty square between the feet. The feet are drawn as bumps on the bottom edge, not as separate squares below the curve.
Why: The bottom curve spans the middle of the body box. Two short feet at the bottom edge keep the creature stable, and one empty square between them prevents the feet from merging.
Check: Count the squares in row 2. The curve spans C2 to H2, which is six squares: C2, D2, E2, F2, G2, H2. The feet bumps sit on D2, E2, G2, and H2, and F2 is the single empty square between them. Confirm that no foot square lies outside C2 to H2 and that F2 is empty.
Exercise 2
A leaf guide box is D8 to I11 on a 12 by 12 grid. You want five leaves: one center leaf, two side leaves, and two outer leaves. Describe where each leaf tip should end.
Show answer and check
Center leaf tip in F11 or G11. Left side leaf tip in E10. Right side leaf tip in H10. Left outer leaf tip in D9. Right outer leaf tip in I9.
Why: The center leaf is tallest and stays near the middle columns. Side leaves are shorter and angle outward, and outer leaves are shortest and sit near the edges of the leaf box.
Check: Check that every tip is inside columns D to I and rows 8 to 11. The tips should form a fan shape, with the center tip highest and the outer tips lowest.
Exercise 3
Your body guide box is C2 to J7. After drawing, you notice the left side of the body reaches column B in row 4. What is the mistake and how do you fix it?
Show answer and check
The body outline spilled one square outside the body guide box on the left. Erase the segment in B4 and redraw it in C4 so the left side stays inside the box.
Why: Guide boxes are fences that keep proportions consistent. A spill on one side makes the body look lopsided and can push the face off center.
Check: Trace the left outline from row 7 down to row 2 and confirm every square is in column C or to the right. Repeat for the right outline, which should stay in column J or to the left.
Exercise 4
On a 12 by 12 grid, the body guide box is C2 to J7 and the leaf guide box is D8 to I11. You want the face centered. Describe where to place two dot eyes and a mouth using square coordinates.
Show answer and check
Place the left eye in E5 and the right eye in H5. Place the mouth across F4 and G4 together, so it is centered between the eyes.
Why: The body box spans columns C to J, so the center is between F and G. Eyes in E5 and H5 are symmetric around that center, and a mouth in F4 or G4 sits below the eyes.
Check: Count the squares between each eye and the nearest side of the body box. The body box spans columns C to J. The left eye in E5 has C and D to its left, which is two squares. The right eye in H5 has I and J to its right, which is two squares. The mouth spans F4 and G4 together, which is centered between the E and H eye columns.
Common mistakes
- Drawing the whole outline in one continuous line without using the grid squares. Work one square at a time and draw only the curve segment inside that square. This keeps proportions steady.
- Making the leaf crown wider than the body guide box. Keep leaf tips inside the leaf guide box. If a leaf spills out, redraw it one square inward.
- Placing the feet too far apart or too low. Keep both feet inside the bottom row of the body guide box and leave at least one empty square between them.
- Using heavy pencil lines that are hard to erase. Draw guide boxes and first outlines lightly. Darken only the final outline after the proportion check.
Self-check rubric
- The body outline stays inside the body guide box and is wider at the bottom than at the top.
- Two feet appear in the bottom row of the body guide box with at least one empty square between them.
- The leaf crown has three to five leaves and every leaf tip stays inside the leaf guide box.
- The face has two dot eyes and a small mouth inside the upper half of the body.
- The final outline is darker than the guide boxes, and guide lines are erased or left light.
- Valid alternatives are accepted: leaf count, exact curve shape, and face placement may vary as long as the guide boxes and proportion checks are respected.
Questions and answers
Do I have to use a 12 by 12 grid?
No. A 12 by 12 grid is a hypothetical example. Any square grid works if you label columns and rows and keep the two guide boxes proportional.
How many leaves should the creature have?
Three to five leaves is a practical range. The exact number is a style choice; what matters is that the fan stays inside the leaf guide box.
Can I change the guide box positions?
Yes. Shift a box by one or two squares if it improves the drawing, but write down the new coordinates so your square-by-square sequence stays consistent.
How do I keep the grid square if my paper is smaller than the example?
Measure your paper first, then choose a smaller square size so the full 12 by 12 grid fits with a margin. The 2 cm margin is a hypothetical example, not a rule. For example, if your paper is 20 cm by 20 cm, a 1.5 cm square gives an 18 cm by 18 cm grid, leaving 2 cm total, or 1 cm on each side. That is less than the 2 cm-per-side example margin, so either accept a smaller margin or use a smaller square: about 1.33 cm squares give a 15.96 cm grid, leaving about 4.04 cm total, or about 2.02 cm on each side. Keep the guide boxes proportional to the grid.