How to Draw Pikachu from Pokemon

This simple tutorial will show you how to draw Pikachu and give you skills that will help you draw other Pokémon.

This character from the famous anime series is one of the most popular creatures, and there are likely very few people who would not recognize it.

Despite its simplicity, Pikachu includes all the classic elements of drawing similar anime characters, with simplified body features, characteristic anime-style shading, and exaggerated emotions.

In this tutorial, we will show how to gradually build from simple circles into overall forms and details to create a finished and highly recognizable drawing of Pikachu from Pokémon.

How to Draw Pikachu step by step

Step 1: Sketch the head and body of Pikachu

Pikachu has a generally rounded form, so start with simple, smooth shapes. Sketch the head as a circle and the body as an oval below it, allowing them to slightly overlap where they connect. That the lines at this step should be very light and smooth.

Step 2: Draw the facial guidelines and ears

To draw Pikachu’s minimalistic facial features correctly, sketch symmetry guidelines across the head. First, draw a vertical line dividing the head into left and right halves, then add a horizontal line dividing it into upper and lower parts. These lines should intersect roughly at the center of the face. In the upper part of the head, sketch the elongated shapes of the ears.

Step 3: Draw the arms and legs of Pikachu

In addition to its characteristic ears and round facial features, one of Pikachu’s defining traits is its small limbs. First, sketch the outlines of the arms folded in front of the body in a typical pose, then add the small legs beneath the outline of the torso.

Step 4: Draw the face of Pikachu

On the horizontal guideline, draw the eyes as circles placed evenly on either side of the center line. Just below the intersection of the guidelines, draw the nose as an inverted triangle. Slightly lower, using the center line, draw the mouth with two symmetrical curved lines in the area where the head visually meets the torso. On the sides of the head, add circular cheek marks.

Step 5: Clean and refine the face

Now begin turning the initial sketch into a finished drawing, starting with the head and gradually working your way across the entire body. Refine the facial outline with smoother, cleaner lines, gradually adjusting the details, making them more symmetrical and accurate, and erasing unnecessary construction lines.

Step 6: Refine the head and ears

Adjust the head to better match the original Pokémon design, with wider cheeks and a slightly narrower upper part. Then refine the outlines of the ears, giving them a smoother appearance.

Step 7: Refine the body and limbs

Outline the torso, making it slightly wider toward the bottom near the legs. Refine the arms, adding small fingers with smooth lines. Then draw the feet angled outward and add short lines to indicate the toes.

Step 8: Draw the tail of Pikachu

You can draw Pikachu’s tail either starting from the wide end toward the body or from the torso outward, extending the lines from behind the back. The key point is that the tail widens as it moves away from the body and has a distinctly angular shape.

Step 9: Erase remaining construction lines

Now carefully remove all unnecessary construction lines without affecting the main outlines so the drawing does not look messy. As you clean up the sketch, correct any mistakes, refine the proportions, and trace over the drawing with darker lines.

Step 10: Draw shadows on Pikachu

Anime-style shading, including that used in Pokémon, is quite minimal and appears only on a few planes. Pay attention to where shadows are typically placed on Pikachu in a standing pose: first outline the shadow areas, then fill them in. Add shading on the cheeks, at the base of the tail, and at the tips of the ears. Fill in the eyes with black, leaving small round highlights inside.

Practice drawing Pikachu

The main principles of drawing Pikachu are essentially the same as the general basics we covered in the Pokémon drawing tutorial, but with a few specific nuances.

All Pokémon are built from simple basic shapes and remain easy to recognize even without any details. That’s why, if you think of the “Who’s That Pokémon?” game, you can instantly recognize Pikachu just by its silhouette.

This strong visual recognizability of form is what makes Pikachu one of the most iconic Pokémon. Even in more dynamic poses, Pikachu remains easy to identify thanks to its overall shape, ears, and tail.

Keeping this in mind, try drawing Pikachu in more dynamic poses. Let it jump, shoot lightning, or show different gestures on your page.

Practicing more complex drawings of Pikachu in various poses, forms, and from different angles will help you truly improve your drawing skills.