How to Draw Bat — Free Practice Sheets

Realistic bat drawing depends on a few clear features: a small furry body, a rounded head with two large pointed ears, and wide membrane wings with scalloped trailing edges and radiating finger lines. This page explains how to build those parts in order, then how to check your work against a separate full reference sheet. The practice sheets support tracing, grid copying, guide placement and partial completion, so you can train the same features through different routes.

Start with the body and head

Begin with the central body as a small vertical oval. Keep it compact; a bat's body should not dominate the wings. Add a rounded head above the oval, then place two large pointed ears on top. The ears are a key identifying feature, so make them clearly pointed rather than rounded or tiny.

Add the face details next: two small eyes, a simple nose, and a slightly open mouth. Keep these marks small and centered on the head. Light fur texture lines can follow later on the chest, so leave the body outline clean for now.

1. Draw a small vertical oval for the body.
2. Add a rounded head above the oval.
3. Place two large pointed ears on the head.
4. Add two small eyes, a simple nose and a slightly open mouth.

Build the membrane wings

Extend symmetrical membrane wings from the sides of the body. Use curved outer edges and give the trailing edge a scalloped shape rather than a straight line. Inside each wing, add lines that radiate outward to suggest wing fingers. These internal lines should follow the direction of the wing, not cross it randomly.

Check symmetry by comparing the left and right wing shapes. The wings should look wide and thin, like stretched membrane, not like feathered bird wings. Keep the outer curve smooth and the scallops shallow so the wing still reads as one continuous surface.

1. Extend a curved wing from each side of the body.
2. Shape the trailing edge with shallow scallops.
3. Add radiating lines inside each wing for the fingers.
4. Compare left and right wings for balance.

Finish the feet and fur texture

Draw two small feet at the bottom of the body. Keep them simple and close together. Then add light fur texture lines on the chest and along the wings where fur would show. These lines should be short and sparse; heavy shading can hide the wing structure you have already drawn.

When the drawing is complete, compare it with the separate full reference sheet. Look for the membrane wings with scalloped trailing edges and radiating finger lines, the large pointed ears on a small furry head, the small furry body with visible facial features, and the two feet at the bottom. Other drawings can be correct, so assess the visible features and proportions rather than pixel-perfect matching.

1. Draw two small feet at the bottom of the body.
2. Add light fur texture lines on the chest and wings.
3. Compare your drawing with the separate full reference sheet.
4. Check each key feature and adjust proportions where needed.

Check your work

• Membrane wings show curved outer edges and scalloped trailing edges.
• Radiating finger lines are visible inside both wings.
• Two large pointed ears sit on a rounded head.
• The body is small and furry with visible eyes, nose and mouth.
• Two small feet appear at the bottom of the body.
• Left and right wings are roughly symmetrical in size and shape.
• Fur texture lines are light and do not hide the wing structure.

Worked example

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

Common mistakes

• Drawing wings with straight trailing edges and no internal finger lines. Curve the outer edge, add shallow scallops along the trailing edge, and draw radiating lines inside each wing.
• Making the ears small or rounded so the head looks generic. Enlarge the ears and give them clear points on top of the rounded head.
• Covering the wings with heavy fur shading that hides the membrane structure. Keep fur lines short and sparse, and leave the wing outline and finger lines visible.

Questions and answers