Hello, and welcome to another tutorial by Emily Drawing! Today’s tutorial is all about drawing the capybara! We’ll go through nine easy steps to draw this animal.
Capybaras are known as the world’s largest rodents. They can grow up to 4 feet long and over 145 to 170 pounds as adults. At birth, capybara pups weigh about 2 to 3 pounds.
There are three largest capybaras on record. The first is a wild female capybara from Brazil, weighing 201 pounds. The second capybara is a wild male from Uruguay who weighed 162 pounds when he was recorded. Finally, a capybara from São Paulo weighed 81 kg in 2001 or 2002.
It’s time to get started on the tutorial for drawing a capybara. Grab your colored pencils or markers, and learn how to draw this large rodent.
Materials:
- a piece of paper
- a pencil for the guiding lines and sketching
- an eraser
- a black Sharpie or a pen for the outlines
- markers or colored pencils for coloring
- our printable drawing guide (Join my Email List below to get this Tutorial)
Here are my RECOMMENDED Art Supplies!
- Crayola Coloring Set (140 Pieces – Mega Value!)
- 24 Colored Crayon Set
- A4 Printer Paper
- Crayola Coloring Pencils
- HP Home Printer with Instant Ink!
Time needed:
15 minutes.
How to Draw a Capybara — Let’s get started!
Step 1 – Draw The Capybara’s Head
The first step is to draw the capybara’s head. This is a round shape, and it’s sort of long horizontally. You want to leave an open space around the neck area, as you’ll add the rest of the body to this space.
Step 2 –Draw The Capybara’s’ Body
Starting at the top of the opening, draw the capybara’s back with a line that curves down to the backside. The backside should curve outward, creating a round shape for the body. Leave the rest of the space open for now.
Step 3 – Draw The Capybara’s First Hind Leg
Next, you’ll draw the capybara’s first hind leg. The leg starts where you just left the space open in the previous step. Draw downward to create the leg, and then draw the foot. Bring the line back up for the front of this leg. Keep in mind that this is a side view of the capybara.
Step 4 – Draw The Capybara’s Second Hind Leg
The fourth step is to draw the capybara’s second hind leg. The hind leg is somewhat hidden behind the first hind leg. However, you’ll still draw a good portion of the leg. Starting from the backside, you’ll draw this leg similar to the first one. Did you know that a capybara’s hind legs are slightly longer than the forelegs? They also have three toes on their hind feet.
Step 5 – Draw The Capybara’s Belly and First Foreleg
Starting slightly below the top of the first hind leg, you’ll draw a curved line for the belly. The line only curves slightly outward. Then, you’ll add the first foreleg. It’s similar to the hind legs but slightly shorter. You can use this step to connect the body to the bottom of the opening from step one. Fun fact: capybara’s feet are slightly webbed. They also have four toes on their front feet.
Step 6 – Draw The Capybara’s Second Foreleg and Ears
Now, you’ll draw the capybara’s second foreleg, which slightly sticks out from behind the first foreleg. Then, you’ll add the capybara’s ears. The ears are two round shapes on the top of the head. It should look like one is in front of the other to capture the side view. Capybaras have great hearing, and they can even hear while mostly submerged in water.
Step 7 – Draw The Capybara’s Details
For this step, you’ll add a few extra details to the capybara’s body. Start by adding a small curved line inside the front ear. This is the inner ear. You don’t need to add this detail to the other ear because you’re looking at it from the back. Next, add a line to each foot to resemble the hooves.
Step 8 – Draw The Capybara’s Face
The eighth step is to add the capybara’s face. As usual, we decided to go with an adorable look to appeal to various ages. Instead of dots, you’ll add a line that slightly curves upward for the eye. Next, you’ll add an upside-down rounded triangle for the nose, which you can shade in if desired. Then, you’ll draw the mouth coming down from the nose, complete with a friendly smile.
Step 9 – Color In Your Drawing!
Lastly, you’ll color in your capybara drawing, and we’ve attached a drawing to show how we colored our animal. Our capybara is brown with a darker shade of brown on the ears and hooves. We decided to use black for the other details, such as the face. You want to color in the background as well, so you can create a fun, colorful environment for your adorable capybara.
Pin it now, Draw later!
Interesting Facts About The Capybara
Capybaras are found in South America. Specifically, you can find them east of the Andes Mountains, in lowland areas near the water. They prefer habitats of brackish wetlands, swamps, marshes, and rainforest lakes and rivers. Capybaras also enjoy savannas and grasslands that are seasonally flooded.
These animals are strong swimmers and adapt well to the water. For instance, they use their webbed toes to paddle, and their fur dries quickly on land. Furthermore, capybaras can hold their breath underwater for up to 5 minutes.
Did You Know?
- Capybaras already have their cheek teeth at birth, allowing them to eat right away.
- They also have high-crowned, narrow-edge teeth that make it easier to eat. Their teeth also continuously grow to make up for wear and tear.
- Capybaras are herbivores, and their diet is mostly grass, leaves, shoots, water plants, and sticks. They also sometimes eat fruits and vegetables.
- One of the reasons capybaras can hold their breath underwater for up to 5 minutes is the nostrils on top of their heads.
- The average lifespan of a wild capybara is 7 to 10 years. In captivity, capybaras live for up to 12 years.
We hope you had fun with our “How To Draw A Capybara” tutorial. You’re welcome to share your drawing by posting on social media with #EmilyDrawing! If you’re interested in drawing other animals, feel free to browse the tutorials on our site. We offer a range of easy drawing tutorials.
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