A mouse or plural mice is a small mammal from the rodent order of animals. They can be pests, but also cute, too! Use simple shapes to start off this critter, then add short lines for texture.
Step 1: Start with an oval shape for the body guideline and a rounded triangle shape for the head. Draw a smaller circle for the eye.
Step 2: Add legs with toes, tail, and curve for ears. Refine the body shape. See lines on the mouse’s belly.
Step 3: Erase parts of original guideline circles no longer needed. Add ear and eye details. Draw short lines for whiskers near cheek.
Step 4: Add a light layer of tone to the whole mouse. Add more pressure with the pencil to the inner ears, eye, and at the base of the body and neck to make these areas slightly darker.
Step 5: Add more tone using a back-and-forth motion that follows the contour of the body to help give the illusion of a fur texture. Use this same motion over the outline of the body. Darken shadows near base of body, where head meets the body and around nose. Darken eye leaving white, shiny areas for highlights.
Extra time: Add more fur texture to the body, showing subtle differences in tone around the eyes, belly, cheek, nose, and back. Smooth tones just a bit to blend but not too much, otherwise, the textured appearance will be removed. Add a shadow to the underside of the tail and dots for whiskers on cheeks. Add tone for a light shadow under the body. Add small lines for claws at ends of the tiny toes.
