How to Draw Squirrel — Free Practice Sheets

A squirrel drawing reads clearly when the big shapes are placed first and the small details come last. This guide shows a reliable order: the sweeping tail, the rounded body with a curved back, the head with pointed ears, then the paws holding a nut. Practice sheets let you trace the outline, copy it onto a grid, or place the silhouette inside a frame before drawing it independently.

Start With the Tail and Body

The tail is the squirrel's largest and most recognizable shape, so place it before anything else. Draw a thick curved form that sweeps up behind the body and curls over the back. Keep the width generous along most of its length and taper it slightly at the tip. A thin tail makes the animal look like a different creature.

Next, connect a rounded body outline to the base of the tail. Give the back a gentle curve and keep the belly compact. The body should look small compared with the tail, because that contrast is part of what makes a squirrel recognizable. Check that the tail attaches low on the body rather than floating beside it.

1. Draw the large bushy tail as a thick curved shape sweeping up and over the back.
2. Sketch the rounded body outline connected to the base of the tail, with a curved back line.

Add the Head, Face, and Limbs

Place the head at the upper right of the body, sitting on a short neck. Add pointed ears, an eye, and a small snout. Keep the ears upright and close together; wide, round ears change the silhouette. The eye sits forward on the face, and the snout points slightly outward from the body.

Draw the front arms bent inward so the paws meet in front of the chest, holding a small round nut. Then add the visible hind leg and foot at the bottom of the body. The hind foot should sit under the body and point forward. Leave the far-side limbs out or keep them minimal so the drawing stays readable.

1. Add the head with pointed ears, eye, and snout at the upper right of the body.
2. Draw the front arms bent inward holding a small round nut, and add the visible hind leg and foot at the bottom.

Using the Practice Sheets

Each sheet type trains a different skill. Tracing the reference outline builds familiarity with the contour. Copying onto a blank grid trains you to judge position and size by matching grid intersections. Using a bounding frame and center guide trains you to place the whole silhouette before adding details. Completing a blank right-hand portion trains you to continue a drawing from partial information.

After any sheet, compare your drawing with the separate full reference sheet. Look at the tail's curve, the body's proportions, and the position of the paws. Small differences are fine; the goal is to preserve the visible features and their relationships, not to match every line.

1. Trace the reference outline once to learn the contour.
2. Redraw the same squirrel on a blank sheet without tracing.
3. Compare both attempts with the full reference and note one proportion to adjust next time.

Checking Your Drawing

A finished squirrel should show a large bushy tail curling up behind the body, a small rounded body with a curved back, front paws held together around a small round food item, and a head with pointed ears at the upper right. If one of these is missing or misplaced, the drawing loses clarity.

Use a rubric rather than expecting one exact answer. Different line styles, tail widths, and face details can all be correct. Judge whether the main features are present, whether the proportions feel consistent, and whether the tail and body connect naturally.

1. Check that the tail is the largest shape and curls above the back.
2. Check that the body is compact and the back curves gently.
3. Check that the paws meet in front and hold a small round nut.

Check your work

• The tail is the largest shape and curls up behind and over the back.
• The body is compact with a gently curved back and connects to the tail base.
• The head sits at the upper right with pointed ears, an eye, and a snout.
• The front paws meet in front of the chest and hold a small round nut.
• A visible hind leg and foot sit at the bottom of the body.
• The overall proportions keep the tail dominant and the body small.

Worked example

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

Common mistakes

• Drawing the tail thin and straight. Redraw the tail as a thick curved shape that sweeps up and over the back, tapering only near the tip.
• Making the body as large as the tail. Shrink the body so it looks compact beside the tail, and keep the back gently curved.
• Placing the head low or centered on the body. Move the head to the upper right of the body and add upright pointed ears.

Questions and answers