How to Draw a Muskrat (Easy Step by Step)
Learn to draw a muskrat easily, starting with a big round body and adding a wide head, small ears, dots, and a flat tail. You can also create a fun pond scene by including a cattail.
- Begin your muskrat drawing with a large, round body shape.
- Add a wide head, two small ears, and a flat tail to your muskrat.
- Use a few dots to define the muskrat's facial features.
- Enhance your drawing by adding a cattail for a pond scene.
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A muskrat is a round, chubby little animal, which makes it a great pick for beginners. You build it from a big round body, a wide head with two small ears, a few dots, and a flat tail. A cattail next to it makes a fun pond scene with just a long oval and two thin leaves.
- Easy
- 15 minutes
- 10 steps
You need: paper, a pencil, an eraser, and crayons or markers for coloring.
Start drawing
In this article (7 sections)
How to draw a muskrat step by step
How to Draw a Muskrat · tinyhandscreate.com
Step 1: Guide shapes
Lightly sketch this oval. It only shows where the big parts go, so press softly. You will erase it at the end.
Step 2: Body sides
Draw a wavy line down the left side, starting near the top and ending in a little curl at the bottom for a foot. Then draw a big round curve on the right side, from the top down to a flat bottom, and leave the top open for the head.
Step 3: Head and ears
Draw the top of the head as a wide, gently curved line across the top of the body. Add a small round bump at each end of that line for the ears, and let the right side come down a little to meet the body.
Step 4: Dot in the ear
Make one tiny dot inside the right ear. Keep it small and round.
Step 5: Eyes and nose
Draw two small round dots for the eyes, spaced apart on the face. Between them and a little lower, draw a small rounded nose and color it in.
Step 6: The little mouth
Under the nose, draw a very short line going down. Then add a tiny bend at the bottom of it to make a small mouth.
Step 7: Feet and toes
Along the bottom of the body, draw a few short, wiggly lines for the feet and toes. Make little bumps and tiny lines so it looks like paws tucked under the body.
Step 8: The flat tail
On the right side, at the bottom of the body, draw a long, flat tail. Make one long curve out and a second curve back to the body, so it looks like a thin, rounded paddle.
Step 9: Cattail top
To the left of the muskrat, draw a tall, thin oval for the fuzzy cattail top, with a tiny stick on its tip. Then draw a small blob below it, low down, where the leaves will meet.
Step 10: Cattail leaves
Draw two long, skinny leaves that start at the small blob. Make one lean to the left and one lean to the right, and let each leaf come to a point at the top.
All done!
Erase the guide shapes, go over your lines, then color it in.
Finished your muskrat? Keep the pencils out and learn how to draw a fox or how to draw a hedgehog next.
Tips for drawing a muskrat
- Draw the body first and leave the top open, so the head can sit right on top of it.
- The feet are the trickiest part. Keep them small and use short, wiggly lines for the toes.
- Draw the cattail last and keep its leaves thin and pointed, so the muskrat stays the star.
Free muskrat coloring page
Want to go straight to coloring? Open this muskrat coloring page at full size and print it. It is the same drawing you just learned, with clean lines ready for crayons or markers.
How to color your muskrat drawing
Try warm browns for the fur, a darker brown for the nose and tail, and green leaves with a brown cattail top. For a twist, draw a blue pond under the muskrat and add some water ripples.
Muskrat fun fact for kids
Muskrats are excellent swimmers, and they build dome-shaped homes called lodges out of cattails, reeds, and mud.
Questions about drawing a muskrat
What shapes do I need to draw a muskrat?
You need a big round shape for the body and a wide, rounded top for the head. Add two small round ears, dots for the eyes, a rounded nose, and a long flat tail.
How do I make my muskrat look cuter?
Keep the eyes small and set wide apart, and make the head wide and round. A tiny mouth under the nose gives it a sweet, gentle face.
How do I draw a cattail?
Start with a tall, thin oval and add a tiny stick on its tip. Then add two skinny pointed leaves that lean out from a small spot below it.
