How to Draw a Rat

1. Begin the cartoon rat outline by drawing a curved line. This is the front of the face. Double the line back upon itself at one end, forming the teardrop-shaped nose. Below the line, draw an oval with two small circles inside it. Shade around the circles to form the eye.

2. Draw a curved line below the nose, and another one overlapping it. This forms the rat’s mouth. Draw short lines to contour the jaws and base of the head.

3. Use overlapping curved lines to draw the rat’s ears. Enclose more curved lines inside the nearest ear to contour inside it. Continue the line of the neck.

4. Draw the rat’s leg. Use curved lines that meet at jagged points to give the limb a furry appearance. Notice the overlapping lines of the toes as the sharply pointed claws.

5. Draw the rat’s remaining foreleg, again using overlapping curved lines. Then, use a long curved line for the animal’s belly.

6. Draw a long curved line from the ear, forming the rat’s back and rump.

7. Draw a “C” shaped line to form the hip of the rat’s rear leg. Use short curved lines that meet at jagged points to give the bottom of the leg a furry appearance.

8. Use a series of overlapping curved lines to draw the rat’s rear foot and toes. Notice how the toes are pointed to indicate claws.

9. From the rump, extend two long, curved, loosely parallel lines. This is the rat’s tail. Allow the lines to meet at a sharp point, and texture it with short curved lines.

Your cartoon rat outline is now complete. Color your drawing. Rats come in a range of colors. Their fur can be white, black, brown, gray, or some combination of these colors. The hairless skin of the tail, paws, and inner ears is often pink or peach.