How to Draw Raccoon — Free Practice Sheets

A raccoon face is recognisable because of a few clear features: a rounded head, two large rounded ears, a dark mask around both eyes, a light stripe down the forehead, and a pointed snout with a dark nose. This page shows how to trace a reference outline first, then practise the same contour without tracing. Compare your drawing with the separate full reference sheet and judge the visible features and proportions rather than expecting a pixel-perfect match.

Start With the Head and Ears

Begin with the overall shape before adding any dark areas. Draw a rounded head outline that is slightly wider at the cheeks than at the top. Place two large rounded ears on top of the head, leaving a small gap between them. Keep both ears similar in size so the face stays balanced.

The ears are not simple circles; they curve outward and sit close to the head. Sketch them lightly first, then firm the line once the head shape looks right. A light sketch is easier to adjust than a heavy line.

1. Draw a rounded head outline, wider at the cheeks.
2. Add two large rounded ears on top, with a small gap between them.
3. Check that both ears are similar in size and sit close to the head.

Build the Eye Mask and Forehead Stripe

The dark eye mask is the raccoon's most important identifying feature. Draw it as two connected patches around the eyes, one patch per eye, joined across the bridge of the nose. Leave a light stripe running down the forehead between the patches. If the stripe disappears, the face stops reading as a raccoon.

Place the eyes inside the dark patches. Keep them level with each other and spaced so the muzzle has room below. The mask should surround both eyes, not sit above them like eyebrows.

1. Draw one dark patch around each eye.
2. Connect the two patches across the bridge of the nose.
3. Leave a light stripe down the forehead between the patches.
4. Place the eyes inside the patches, level and evenly spaced.

Add the Muzzle, Nose and Shading

Below the mask, draw a pointed snout with a white muzzle. Place the nose at the centre of the muzzle, then add whisker lines radiating outward. Keep the snout narrow and pointed rather than round.

Finish by shading the ears, the mask and the lower neck fur with dark strokes. Use the shading to define the face, not to fill every space. Leave the muzzle and forehead stripe light so the contrast stays clear.

1. Draw a pointed snout below the mask.
2. Place the nose at the centre of the white muzzle.
3. Add whisker lines radiating outward from the muzzle.
4. Shade the ears, mask and lower neck fur with dark strokes.

Trace, Then Work Independently

Trace the reference outline first to learn where each feature sits. Then cover the reference and draw the same contour on a blank sheet. Compare your independent drawing with the separate full reference sheet.

Other drawings can be correct. Assess the visible features and proportions rather than pixel-perfect matching. Ask whether the mask surrounds both eyes, the ears are rounded with dark inner shading, the snout is pointed, the nose is dark and the muzzle is white.

1. Trace the reference outline once.
2. Draw the contour independently on a blank sheet.
3. Compare with the full reference sheet and check each feature.

Check your work

• The eye mask surrounds both eyes and connects across the bridge of the nose.
• A light stripe runs down the forehead between the mask patches.
• Two large rounded ears sit on top of the head with dark inner shading.
• The snout is pointed, with a dark nose at the centre of a white muzzle.
• Whisker lines radiate outward from the muzzle.
• Dark shading defines the ears, mask and lower neck fur without hiding the light areas.
• The head outline is rounded and the features are placed in balanced proportion.

Worked example

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

Common mistakes

• Drawing the eye mask as two separate patches that do not connect. Join the patches across the bridge of the nose so the mask surrounds both eyes.
• Filling the forehead with dark shading and losing the light stripe. Keep a clear light stripe between the mask patches, running down the forehead.
• Making the snout round instead of pointed. Narrow the muzzle to a point and place the dark nose at its centre.

Questions and answers