Cartoon Rat

Here are the basic steps to get a cartoon rat something like this (on the right). If you want more detailed steps (like the cartoon rat above), scroll down more...


Step 1

Start by drawing a large circle for the body and two smaller overlapping circles for the head and snout.


Step 2

Draw two small circles for ears. Another two ovals over the middle of the body make the paws. Add another two ovals for the feet.You can connect the paws to the body with curved lines. Don't forget your curvy rat-tail!


Step 3

Next, clean off some of the lines you don't need.Add some longer curved lines for the whiskers and a little black dot for the end of the snout makes a nose.


Step 4

In this step you can add some detail on the paws and face. A tiny rectangle gives this rat some teeth. To draw the eye, start by drawing the large, outside circle. Inside that, draw another circle leaving the center clear.


Step 5

Next, add some color and expression to bring your rat character to life.


Cartoon Rat (detailed steps)

Drawing with shapes

Make your canvas 500 x 500.

Set the Ellipse tool to the following settings: no fill, black stroke, 1 px Pencil-Soft.

Start by drawing a large circle for the body and a smaller overlapping circle for the head. Don't forget to hold SHIFT while drawing the circles.

Select the 2 circles/layers and Modify>Combine Paths>Union.

You may want to zoom in to 200% for parts like this.

Add an oval for the nose, place it so it is over the left part of the head. Use the Scale tool to rotate it.

Add circles for the ears, and ovals over the middle of the body make the paws. Rotate the paws.

Don't forget to name your Layers.

Draw the rest of the circles/ovals needed for the end of the nose, the eye and the feet. Name your layers.

drawing with Pen/Knife/Line tools

Add paths using the Pen tool for the arms.

Add the tail also using the Pen tool.

Adjust the feet shape with the Subselect tool.

Fill the end of the nose with black. Also adjust the shape of the nose a bit.

Add details

Adjust the eye - black pupil and tiny white circle with white for the light hitting the eye.

Cut a bit from the nose with the Knife tool.

Cut out a piece of the right ear with the Knife tool.

Add some whiskers with the Pen tool. Click to start, then go to the end point, click and drag there. To finish it, double-click on the last point to stop the path, then start the next one.

Also some details to the paws and feet. You can use the Line tool.

Add a tooth.

Fill with color

Now start to fill with color. Fill with Radial gradients, solid colors, or fill with effect Inner Shadow (for the body). Adjust parts of the body as needed to make it look good.