How to Draw Minions

In this step-by-step lesson, our team will show you how to draw two Minions from the famous animated movie Despicable Me.

The Minions in this popular series have a very distinctive look and can differ quite a lot from each other. They can have different hairstyles, different details, and even a different number of eyes.

In this tutorial, we will demonstrate a method that will allow you to draw two of these characters on one sheet of paper, and later you will be able to draw any other Minion in any style and in any pose.

And for even more depth and detail, at the very end we will also show another method in which we will demonstrate how to draw a jumping Minion.

How to draw minions step by step

Step 1: Sketch bean-shaped body outlines

Minions look like big beans with arms and facial features, so start drawing these funny yellow characters with simple oval shapes. For now, don’t add any details – you only need to outline the overall bean-like body shape. The curve of this shape will determine the pose of the future character.

Step 2: Add guidelines for face and limbs

Now outline the construction shapes and guidelines that will help you build the Minions’ details more accurately later. Start with facial symmetry guidelines by drawing long vertical lines running from top to bottom. Then mark the eye lines using horizontal guidelines. After that, lightly sketch the placement of the Minions’ arms and legs with very light, almost invisible lines.

Step 3: Draw the minion goggles

Starting from this step, begin building the details gradually. Move to the upper part of the bodies and draw the goggles with rounded outlines, then add the side horizontal straps. Minions can be both two-eyed and one-eyed, so you can experiment and draw one of the Minions with a single goggle lens instead of two.

Step 4: Sketch the eye shapes inside the goggles

Inside the goggle lenses, sketch the eyelids using light, slightly curved lines. You can draw the eyes fully open or slightly closed. Inside the eyes, sketch round pupils, placing them where you want to show the direction of the gaze. Add any extra details to the goggles if needed.

Step 5: Draw the mouths of the minions

Now move to the central part of the Minions’ bodies and draw their mouths as uneven ovals. Inside the mouth outlines, you can sketch the teeth and tongue. The shape of the mouth determines the character’s emotion, so you can give each Minion any facial expression you like.

Step 6: Sketch overalls, arms, and gloves

In the lower part of the body, use light lines to sketch the outline of the overalls and the shoulder straps- you will add more detail to them later. After that, use smooth lines to build the volume of the arms and draw the gloves. You can place the arms in any position.

Step 7: Draw the legs of the minions

Now use cleaner, smoother lines to carefully outline the overalls and straps. Then, in the central part of the overalls, draw the pockets and add a few seams and buttons. After that, move to the lower part of the figures and draw the pants and boots.

Step 8: Add the hair and suit details

In the upper part of the heads, draw the hairstyles using a series of short, slightly curved strokes. Minion hairstyles can also vary, so you can experiment here. Detail the goggles by adding some texture. In the center of the pockets, draw the letter “G.” Add more detail to the overalls by including seams and folds.

Step 9: Draw shadows on the minions

To finish your Minions drawing, you can either add color or use shading. In our example, as usual, we used classic academic hatching. As with any other drawing subject, first determine the light source, then outline the borders of the shadows on the opposite sides of the forms. Use smooth, even hatching to fill in the shadow areas. Darken the boots and any other necessary parts, and add a cast shadow.

So far, you’ve learned how to draw Minions in slightly different poses and with different facial expressions. Now let’s continue practicing and draw a Minion in a more dynamic pose.

How to draw a minion

As you can see, the Minion in this lesson is drawn using the same basic principles as in the first, main tutorial.

Just like in the previous variation, start by sketching the overall bean-like shape, then add simple guidelines for the face and body parts, and gradually refine the details while building up the volume.

At the end, add the final small details and finish with shading or hatching, just as you did in the first version.

Now that you can draw Minions in different variations, you can keep experimenting by changing the hairstyle shapes, the number of eyes, facial expressions, and poses.

You can also try drawing a Minion in a full scene by adding a background, extra details, and even a simple story.

The skill of drawing a Minion is closely connected to the general ability to draw cartoon characters and includes basic techniques that can be applied to other animated heroes and villains as well.

In our Cartoons category, we cover all these variations, show how to draw different characters in detail, and share the fundamentals of cartoon-style illustration.

In this category, for example, you can learn the basics of drawing Winnie the Pooh and see that many of the methods used in that lesson are similar to the step-by-step process of drawing a Minion.

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