You Want to Draw Your Favorite Pokemon But Don’t Know Where to Start
You see amazing fan art online of Charizard, Pikachu, and Mewtwo, and you think, “I wish I could do that.” Maybe you’ve tried sketching from the official artwork, but the proportions felt off, or the pose looked flat. Perhaps your kid loves Pokemon and keeps asking you to draw them together, but your attempts end up looking more like strange blobs than beloved pocket monsters.
This is a common hurdle. Pokemon have a very specific, iconic style that blends simple, appealing shapes with just enough detail to make them feel alive. The good news is that this style is actually perfect for learning to draw. It’s built on foundational art principles that anyone can learn.
This guide will break down the “Art Hub” approach—a method focused on using basic shapes as a construction framework—and apply it directly to drawing Pokemon. You don’t need innate talent, just a pencil, some paper, and the willingness to follow a process.
Understanding the Art Hub Method: Construction is Key
Before we draw a single Pokemon, it’s crucial to understand the philosophy behind the approach. Art Hub, popularized by online tutorials, isn’t about magic tricks. It’s about construction drawing.
Think of it like building a house. You don’t start by drawing the detailed brickwork or the fancy front door. You start with the foundation, then the frame, and then you add the walls and roof. Finally, you add the details that make it a home.
Drawing a Pokemon works the same way. You never start with the final lines. You start with simple, overlapping shapes that map out the character’s pose, proportions, and volume. These are your guide lines. They are meant to be drawn lightly, as you will erase them later. This step removes the pressure of getting it “perfect” on the first try and allows you to correct mistakes easily.
The core shapes are almost always circles, ovals, rectangles, and triangles. Pikachu’s head is a circle. Charmander’s body is an oval. Squirtle’s shell is a modified circle. By breaking a complex subject into these simple parts, you make the entire process manageable and accurate.
Gathering Your Essential Drawing Tools
You don’t need professional-grade supplies to begin. In fact, starting simple is best.
– A few sheets of plain printer paper or a basic sketchbook.
– A standard #2 pencil or an HB drawing pencil. Have a second, sharper pencil or a mechanical pencil for finer details.
– A good eraser. A white vinyl or kneaded eraser is ideal as it erases cleanly without smudging.
– A reference image of the Pokemon you want to draw. Have it open on your phone or computer screen. Always draw from a reference.
Optional but helpful tools include a ruler for straight lines (useful for perspective or certain tech-like Pokemon) and a blending stump or cotton swab for smoothing shading later on.
Step-by-Step: Drawing Pikachu Using Basic Shapes
Let’s apply the method to the most iconic Pokemon of all. We’ll build Pikachu from the ground up.
Laying the Foundation with Guide Shapes
Start by lightly drawing a large circle in the center of your paper. This will be Pikachu’s head and main body mass—they are essentially fused. Below this circle, draw a smaller, horizontal oval that overlaps the bottom of the circle. This is the base for the lower body and legs.
Now, add the limb guides. For each ear, draw two long, narrow ovals extending upward from the top of the head circle. For the arms, draw two short sausage-like shapes on either side of the main body circle. For the legs, draw two slightly thicker sausage shapes extending down from the small body oval.
Finally, add a simple line for the tail’s path—a big, zigzagging shape coming off the back. Don’t draw the lightning bolt details yet, just the flow of the tail. You should now have a page of light, overlapping shapes that vaguely resemble a bunny-like creature. This is your construction framework.
Defining the Silhouette and Features
Now, using your framework as a map, start to define the actual outline of Pikachu. Trace around the head circle, but make the cheeks slightly fuller. Connect the head circle to the body oval smoothly, creating the classic chubby Pikachu shape.
Refine the ears, making them black at the tips. Draw the arms and legs, giving them rounded ends for paws and feet. Now, draw the famous lightning bolt tail, following the zigzag guide you made earlier.
Time for the face. Lightly draw a vertical center line down the head and a horizontal line across the middle. These lines will help you place the features symmetrically. The eyes are two large ovals sitting on the horizontal line. Leave a small white dot in each for a highlight. The nose is a simple black dot just below where the lines cross. The mouth is a small “w” shape below the nose, with two red circles on the cheeks.
Inking, Erasing, and Adding Life
Once you’re happy with your pencil sketch, you can go over your final lines with a darker pencil or a fine-tip pen. This is called “inking.” Be confident and use smooth, continuous strokes where you can.
After the ink dries (if you used a pen), carefully erase all your light construction lines. Your clean Pikachu drawing will emerge. Now, add minimal shading to give it volume. Imagine a light source from the top left. Add a thin shadow under Pikachu’s chin, under its arms, and along the bottom of its body and legs. You can use your pencil lightly or a blending tool to soften these shadows.
Congratulations. You’ve just drawn Pikachu using the Art Hub construction method.
Adapting the Method for Different Pokemon Types
The same principle applies to any Pokemon, but the primary shapes change based on their design.
Drawing Round and Cute Pokemon (Jigglypuff, Bulbasaur)
For spherical Pokemon, your main construction shape is, unsurprisingly, a circle or a series of overlapping circles. For Bulbasaur, start with a medium circle for the head and a larger circle beneath it for the body. The bulb on its back is another circle overlapping the body. Use simple lines for legs and the vine. The key is getting the circles’ sizes and overlap right before adding any plant or dinosaur details.
Drawing Angular and Reptilian Pokemon (Charizard, Garchomp)
For these designs, incorporate more triangles and sharp angles into your construction. Charizard’s head can start as a circle, but you’ll quickly extend a triangular shape for the snout. Its wings are large triangular shapes attached to the body oval. Use straight lines and sharp angles in your guide shapes to capture their aggressive, draconic feel before rounding out the muscles and adding scales.
Drawing Complex or Mechanized Pokemon (Magnemite, Porygon)
For geometric or robotic Pokemon, basic shapes are your entire blueprint. Magnemite is a sphere with rectangular magnets and screws (small circles). Use a ruler to get the magnets straight. Porygon is entirely composed of triangles, rectangles, and a single circle for the eye. For these, precision with your simple shapes is even more critical. Draw the shapes perfectly first, then connect and refine them.
Common Mistakes and How to Fix Them
Even following a method, beginners hit specific snags. Here’s how to troubleshoot your drawing.
My Pokemon Looks Flat and Two-Dimensional. This usually means you skipped the step of thinking about your guide shapes as 3D forms. When you draw that circle for the head, imagine it as a ball. The oval for the body is an egg shape. Drawing light “equator” lines on these shapes can help you visualize their volume before attaching limbs.
The Proportions Look Wrong. This almost always traces back to the size and placement of your initial construction shapes. Is the head circle too big compared to the body oval? Is an arm guide too long? Constantly check your reference image and compare the size relationships of your basic shapes to those in the picture. It’s easier to erase and resize a light circle than a fully detailed arm.
The Lines Are Wobbly and Unsure. This is a confidence issue. When you ink or draw your final lines, try to draw with your whole arm, not just your wrist. Make longer, flowing strokes. It’s okay if a line isn’t perfect; you can often go back over it to thicken and smooth it. Practice drawing sheets of straight lines, curves, and circles to build muscle memory.
It Doesn’t Look Like the Pokemon. Ask yourself: what is the most iconic, simple silhouette of this Pokemon? For Pikachu, it’s the round cheeks and lightning tail. For Squirtle, it’s the rounded shell and curly tail. For Eevee, it’s the big collar of fur and large ears. If you nail that one key silhouette feature, the rest can be slightly off and it will still be recognizable. Identify that feature in your reference and make it a priority in your construction.
Taking Your Pokemon Art to the Next Level
Once you’re comfortable drawing static Pokemon from official art, you can start to expand your skills.
Practice Dynamic Poses. Don’t just draw Pokemon standing still. Use your construction shapes to create action. If you want to draw Charizard using Flamethrower, start with a large curved line (an “action line”) for its spine. Then build the circles and ovals for its head, body, and wings along that curved line. This immediately gives your drawing energy.
Experiment with Simple Shading and Color. Grab a set of colored pencils or markers. Start with flat colors, staying within your lines. Then, to add depth, choose a single light source direction. Add a darker shade of the same color on the opposite side of the light. For example, on Pikachu’s yellow body, add a light brown or orange in the shadow areas. This simple step makes your drawing pop.
Create Your Own Pokemon Scenes. Draw two or more Pokemon interacting. Use the same construction method for each, but pay attention to their relative sizes. Who is in the foreground? Make them larger on the page. Who is in the background? Draw them smaller and with lighter lines. This creates a sense of space and story.
Your Journey as a Pokemon Artist Starts Now
The barrier to drawing great Pokemon art isn’t a lack of talent—it’s a lack of the right method. By consistently using the Art Hub approach of breaking subjects into simple shapes, you build a reliable skill that works on any character, not just Pokemon.
The most important step is the first one: putting pencil to paper and drawing those light guide circles. Don’t aim for a masterpiece on your first try. Aim for understanding the process. Your first Pikachu might be lopsided. Your first Charizard might look goofy. That’s not failure; it’s essential practice. Each drawing teaches your hand and eye to work together better.
Pick one Pokemon you love, gather your basic tools, and follow the construction steps. Do it again tomorrow with a different Pokemon. This repetitive, focused practice is how you build muscle memory and confidence. Soon, you won’t be following a tutorial—you’ll be creating your own poses, your own scenes, and sharing your unique Pokemon art with the world.
