How to Draw a Tarsier (Easy Step by Step)
The tarsier is a tiny animal with enormous eyes, which makes it a fun one to draw. It is built from simple shapes: a wide oval head, two big round ears, two circles for eyes, and a pear-shaped body. Once you have those, the rest is just a few curved lines and a branch to sit on.
- Easy
- 12 minutes
- 7 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 tarsier step by step
How to Draw a Tarsier · 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: Head and ears
Draw a wide oval for the head, but leave a small gap on each side near the bottom. Then add a big rounded ear on the left and the right, curving out from the top corners of the head and ending in those gaps.
Step 3: Body sides
Under the head, draw one curved line down from each side of the chin. Let them bow outward a little, like the sides of a pear, and stop partway down.
Step 4: Giant eyes
Draw two big circles side by side in the middle of the face. Draw a smaller circle inside each one, then fill the small circle in solid dark.
Step 5: Inner ears and nose
Inside each ear, draw a curved line that follows the edge of the face. Between the eyes, draw a tiny curve for the nose.
Step 6: Hands
Low on the body, draw two little hands side by side. Give each hand a few small bumps for fingers, with a short line joining them across the belly.
Step 7: Branch and feet
Draw two long lines slanting across the bottom for the branch, so the hands rest on it. Then add two small feet with little toe bumps hanging below the branch.
All done!
Erase the guide shapes, go over your lines, then color it in.
Finished your tarsier? Keep the pencils out and learn how to draw a fox or how to draw a hedgehog next.
Tips for drawing a tarsier
- Draw the two eye circles the same size by making the first one, then copying it right beside it at the same height.
- Keep the nose very small and low between the eyes. A tiny nose makes the eyes look even bigger.
- For the hands, draw small finger bumps side by side. Two or three small bumps on each hand is plenty.
Free tarsier coloring page
Want to go straight to coloring? Open this tarsier 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 tarsier drawing
Try soft browns and tans for the fur, with a lighter color on the face and big black pupils. For a creative twist, color the branch in rainbow stripes or draw a bright moon in the background, since tarsiers are awake at night.
Tarsier fun fact for kids
A tarsier cannot roll its eyes around, because they are fixed in place. Instead it can turn its head almost halfway around in each direction to look behind it.
Questions about drawing a tarsier
What shapes do I need to draw a tarsier?
You need a wide oval for the head, rounded shapes for the ears, circles for the eyes, and two curved lines for the body. Small bumps make the hands and feet, and two long lines make the branch.
How do I make my tarsier look cuter?
Make the eyes extra large and keep the nose tiny. Leaving a white ring around each dark pupil makes the eyes look shiny.
Why does a tarsier have such big eyes?
Tarsiers hunt at night, and big eyes help them see in the dark. That is why artists draw them with huge round eyes.
