Hedgehog fine ink study
FinelinerEasy
Drawing referenceAbout reference use
A frog sitting quietly
Build a seated frog from a rounded head and body, then show how the folded legs overlap. A few spots and small gray shadows give the sketch form.
Follow the drawing tutorial
Draw this seated frog with a measured pencil layout, clearly placed forms and toes, then selected contours, black marker and a little gray.
Start the 24-step tutorialA small thing to tryCheck the gaps between the legs before adding spots. Those open spaces make the seated pose readable.
Draw it, one step at a time
How to draw this seated frog
Draw this seated frog with a measured pencil layout, clearly placed forms and toes, then selected contours, black marker and a little gray.
What you’ll need
- HB pencil
- Soft or kneaded eraser
- Ruler for the light starting layout
- Fine black felt-tip marker
- Light gray marker (optional)
- Sketchbook paper
Before you start
This lesson uses the proportions of this exact stylized frog, not rules for every frog. Choose 1 unit=1 cm, or scale every distance together. All “across/down” distances start at the working box’s top-left corner unless a step names a local anchor. Approximate quarter-unit measurements are enough; check overlaps and outer extents before darkening. Use the ruler for layout, then draw curves freehand. Light guides locate volume or direction; only the selected clean-pencil contours are traced in ink. Allow about an hour, with pauses as needed.
Step 1 of 24View larger PencilSet one scale for the whole pose
Lightly draw a rectangle 17 units wide and 15 units high, centered on your paper with room around it. Use 1 unit=1 cm for a 17 cm by 15 cm drawing area; for a smaller version use half a centimetre per unit everywhere. Keep its top and bottom level with the paper edge. This box holds the whole pose, from the top of the far eye to the lowest front toe; it is not a ground line. Later, “across” and “down” mean measured from its top-left corner.
Next stepCheck before moving on
Measure both widths and both heights before continuing. The box should be a little wider than tall, with square corners. Correct its proportions now; every later measurement uses this same unit.
Step 2 of 24View larger PencilPlace the head with four tips
Mark the head center about 5½ units across and 3½ down. Draw its long axis 8 units long through that point, dropping about 1½ units from the left end to the right end. Through the same center draw a 5-unit short axis at a right angle to the first. Its top tip leans a little right and its bottom tip a little left. These are the width and depth of the head mass, not an eye line. Rehearse each stroke in the air between its ends, then draw lightly; you do not need a protractor.
Next stepCheck before moving on
The four tips make a broad tilted cross, not a plus sign: the left tip is about 1½ across and 2½ down; the right is about 9½ across and 4 down. The top tip is about 6 across and 1 down. Recheck these against the box and move a tip before drawing the oval if needed.
Step 3 of 24View larger PencilWrap the head oval around its cross
Join the four tips with one light oval, rounding smoothly between them. Touch each tip without making corners; turn more tightly around the left and right ends and use broader, flatter arcs across the top and bottom. Rehearse the full loop above the page before touching down. A loose second light pass is fine; do not scratch many short repairs over a wrong edge. Keep the cross and box visible.
Next stepCheck before moving on
The oval is roughly 8 units long and 5 wide, sloping down toward the right. The cross meets at its center, with similar space on opposite sides. If one side bulges or misses a tip, lift that part lightly and redraw the curve; keep the tips fixed.
Step 4 of 24View larger PencilAdd the overlapping body mass
Place the body center about 3¼ units right and 4¼ down from the head center. Repeat the same four-tip method for a rounded oval about 11½ units wide and 10 high; let its long axis drop about 1½ units toward the right. Draw both light axes and the rounded curve as you did for the head. Keep the head oval unchanged: overlapping lines show one mass sitting in front of another, not two separate balls.
Next stepCheck before moving on
The body’s top passes through the lower-right part of the head oval; the two forms overlap by about 3 units vertically. Its right edge is about 2½ units inside the box and its bottom about 2¼ units above the bottom. If it only touches the head at one point, move the body up before adding legs.
Step 5 of 24View larger PencilPlace the two raised eye masses
For the far eye mound on the left, place a small oval center about 3¼ across and 1¼ down in the box, about 2 units wide and 2½ high. Place its top tip about ½ unit left of its center and its bottom tip about ½ right. For the nearer mound, place a rounder form centered about 7½ across and 2¼ down, about 2½ units across. Judge each small oval’s center and four tips before curving around them; no new full crosses are needed for these small forms. These shapes locate raised volumes; they are not the rims of the visible eyes. Leave their interiors empty for now.
Next stepCheck before moving on
Both mounds straddle the top arc of the head, rather than float above it. The far mound reaches almost to the top of the box; the near mound is about 1 unit lower and slightly larger. Correct their centers and size before adding openings inside them.
Step 6 of 24View larger PencilSet the folded hind leg
Center the folded hind-leg oval about 14¾ across and 10¼ down. Make it about 5½ units long and 3½ wide, with its long direction rising toward the right: from its lower-left tip to its upper-right tip go about 3 units right and 5 up. Use the same four-tip method; the long axis runs through the middle of the mass. Keep the overlapping body curve visible for the later contour decision.
Next stepCheck before moving on
The haunch overlaps the body’s lower-right edge. Its upper tip sits around 16¼ across and 7¾ down; its outside edge comes close to the box’s right side. Its bottom stays above the lowest front toe, which has not been placed yet. Adjust this large form now if it sits completely outside the body.
Step 7 of 24View larger PencilMap the near shoulder, elbow and wrist
Start with the nearer front leg, on the right. Mark the shoulder about 10 across and 8 down, the elbow about 11 across and 10 down, and the wrist about 9¾ across and 13 down. Connect shoulder to elbow, then elbow to wrist, with two light straight strokes; circle the elbow lightly. These are internal directions, not two outside edges. The wrist is where the palm will begin, not the lowest toe.
Next stepCheck before moving on
The upper segment travels down and slightly right; the longer forearm travels down and left. The elbow is about 2 units below the shoulder and 3 above the wrist. Check the three separate points against the box; move a point before thickening the leg if the bend faces the wrong way.
Step 8 of 24View larger PencilMap the far front-leg bend
For the farther front leg, on the left, place the shoulder about 4 across and 6¾ down, the elbow about 2¾ across and 9¾ down, and the wrist about 3 across and 12¼ down. Join those points with two light strokes and mark the elbow with a small circle. The left shoulder begins just under the head. Keep the near leg unchanged. Neither wrist is a ground line: the toes will extend below and sideways from the palms.
Next stepCheck before moving on
This upper segment slopes down-left, while its forearm is almost upright with a slight lean right. The far elbow is a little higher than the near elbow; the far wrist is about ¾ unit higher than the near wrist. Check both wrists together and correct a misplaced point before adding volume.
Step 9 of 24View larger PencilWrap volume around the joint chains
Around each shoulder-to-elbow segment, wrap a tapered upper-arm shape about 1½ units wide at its fullest point. Around each elbow-to-wrist segment, draw a longer oval about 1½ units across, overlapping the upper arm at the elbow and narrowing toward the wrist. Use short axes/four tips if helpful, repeating the first oval method. Keep both joint chains visible. These soft overlaps locate the limb thickness; later contours will join them into a smoother leg.
Next stepCheck before moving on
Each centerline stays inside its arm volume and both bends remain visible. The near upper arm slopes down-right and the far upper arm down-left. There must be an open wedge between the two forearms and the belly; reduce a bulging oval rather than moving its fixed elbow or wrist.
Step 10 of 24View larger PencilLocate the four foot bases
At each front wrist add a shallow palm oval about 1¾ units wide and ¾ unit high, with its center just below the wrist. At the bottom-left of the right haunch add a hind-foot base centered about 14¼ across and 12¾ down, about 2 units long and ¾ high, with its right end about ¾ unit higher than its left. Behind the far forearm add a small horizontal hidden hind-foot wedge about 1¼ units long and ½ high, centered around 1½ across and 11½ down. These are palm or foot bases, not finished toes or a common ground level. Keep each group distinct; the small hidden wedge is intentionally partly covered by the far forearm.
Next stepCheck before moving on
Identify all four groups before continuing: far front below the left forearm; near front below the right forearm; visible hind beneath the right haunch; hidden hind peeking left from behind the far arm. The near front palm is lower than the far one. If two bases merge, shorten the hidden wedge rather than inventing another front leg.
Step 11 of 24View larger PencilSet the front toe directions and lengths
From the far front palm center, place three toe tips roughly 1½ units left and ¾ down, ½ right and 1¼ down, and 2 right and ½ down. From the near front palm center, place tips 2½ units left at about the same height, 1¾ left and 1 down, and ¼ right and 1½ down. Join each center to its three tips with light rays. Measure these offsets from the relevant palm center, not from the elbow or the box corner. The rays are internal directions; they will not become dark seams. Leave space around each for the rounded outline.
Next stepCheck before moving on
Each front palm has a three-ray fan, not three parallel lines. The near fan is wider and its lowest tip nearly reaches the bottom of the box; the far fan ends about 1 unit higher. Compare those outer tips with the box before outlining toes. If they crowd, move a tip while keeping its palm center fixed.
Step 12 of 24View larger PencilPlace the visible and hidden hind toes
From the right hind-foot base center, mark tips about 2¼ units left and ¼ down, 1¾ left and 1 down, and directly below by 1 unit. Connect them lightly. From the center of the small hidden left wedge, draw only two visible rays: about 1½ units left and ¼ down, and ½ left and ½ down. Keep these groups separate from the two front fans. A hidden limb need not show a complete fan: draw only the visible parts in this reference.
Next stepCheck before moving on
The right hind toes spread leftward beneath the haunch and stop higher than the lowest near front toe. The tiny hidden fan peeks out to the far left behind the far forearm, close to the box’s left side. If it looks like a third hand, check its behind-the-arm attachment instead of adding more visible toes.
Step 13 of 24View larger PencilCheck the whole pose, then remove the layout
Pause before the outlines. Use the still-visible box to compare all four outer extents and the negative spaces described below. After checking the whole layout, erase the outer working box and the straight head and body crosses. Keep every mass oval, joint chain, foot base and toe ray; those still locate the contours.
Next stepCheck before moving on
Before erasing, compare top eye, right haunch, far-left hidden toe and lowest near-front toe with the box. Check the head/body overlap and the open wedge between forearms. If an extremity is well outside its planned edge, fix its placement first. After erasing, all oval and limb/toe guides should remain unchanged.
Step 14 of 24View larger PencilChoose the head, brow, back and belly edges
Use the head oval to choose a blunt snout on the left. From the snout turn, let the visible contour flow down through the throat toward the far shoulder; do not close the lower head oval as a jaw across the body. Round over the raised eye mounds for the brow. Follow the body envelope around the right back and lower belly, stopping wherever a leg sits in front. Keep the light mass curves visible behind the chosen darker edges. The snout extends around the left oval tip; do not move the head center to make a pointed nose.
Next stepCheck before moving on
The brow follows the tops of the raised masses. The light lower head oval stays unused inside the body; the chosen left contour flows from the snout through the throat toward the far shoulder. The back belongs behind the haunch and the belly behind the forearms. If an edge cuts through a front limb, lift that short contour before continuing.
Step 15 of 24View larger PencilJoin the leg volumes into visible limbs
Join each upper-arm and forearm envelope with a smoother outer edge, narrowing at its fixed wrist. Round the elbow instead of tracing the pointed crossing of the ovals. Around the right haunch, keep the full outer curve and bring its lower edge toward the slanted hind-foot base. Do not draw the internal joint chains as seams. Let the near arm cover the belly edge and the far arm cover part of the small hidden hind-foot base.
Next stepCheck before moving on
Both wrists still meet their own palm bases; the near forearm leans down-left and the far one is more upright. The belly remains behind the limbs with the open central wedge visible. If a join is pinched, smooth that join without moving its elbow or wrist.
Step 16 of 24View larger PencilGive each toe a rounded outline
Around each toe ray, draw two narrow sides that meet in a rounded tip near its endpoint. Make each toe about ½ unit wide, then return to the palm with a shallow U-shaped gap before the next toe. Outline only the visible two toes of the small hidden left hind foot. The ray stays inside each toe; do not darken it as a central seam. Work one foot at a time, starting with the nearer front fan, then the far front, right hind and small hidden hind group.
Next stepCheck before moving on
Each chosen outline wraps around its ray and reaches close to the planned endpoint. Keep clear U-shaped spaces between toes and retain the four separate foot attachments. If toes fuse, lift the inner sides and reopen the gap without moving the palm.
Step 17 of 24View larger PencilAdd short bends and sparse surface accents
Add a few short curves inside the elbow bends and wrist-to-palm joins, and beside both arm/body joins. Let these echo the nearby selected edges, tapering before they cross the form. Add a short descending accent just inside the right back, a little above the near shoulder’s height. For the tiny brow and cheek/upper-chest accents, work inside the raised mounds and in the open region below the near mound and above the shoulders. These surface accents are optional stylized marks: their exact positions may vary, and they do not define new anatomy. Keep them short and sparse; do not copy every paper fleck.
Next stepCheck before moving on
The joint marks stay beside their bends; the back accent follows the back without becoming a second outline. The tiny interior accents remain separate with open paper around them. If a mark looks like a cut or a new boundary, shorten, soften or omit it.
Step 18 of 24View larger PencilPlace and choose the open eye rims
Place the near visible eye center just below the center of its raised mound, about ¼ unit down. Give it a roundish opening about 1¾ units wide and 1½ high. Place the far opening about ⅝ unit toward the snout and ¼ down from its mound center, about ¾ unit wide and 1 unit high, with its top tip about ¼ unit right of the center and its bottom tip about ¼ left. Inside the near opening, sketch a light horizontal pupil oval about 1¼ units wide and ¾ high, centered just below the opening center. Inside the far opening, sketch a narrower oval about ⅜ unit wide and ⅝ high, almost sharing its center and following its tilt. Keep both pupil guides unfilled. Lightly connect the two opening centers to check that the line drops about 1 unit from left to right over roughly 5 units across. Inside these placement areas, choose the darker eye rims: tuck each upper rim under its brow, narrow the far opening, and leave both interiors unfilled. The connecting line is only an alignment check for visible openings, not the head’s centerline. Keep it and the light placement shapes until cleanup.
Next stepCheck before moving on
The far opening sits toward the snout inside its mound; it is not centered on that mound or traced around its full oval. Its lower end leans left beneath the brow. The near opening is rounder. Check these open shapes before filling anything; lift a wrong rim while keeping its mound fixed. Both light pupil ovals sit inside the selected rims: the near one is broad and horizontal, while the far one is narrow and tilted. If a pupil guide touches or crosses a rim, reduce or recenter it before darkening.
Step 19 of 24View larger PencilPlace the mouth and nostril pair
Mark the mouth guide’s left end about ¼ unit right and ¼ down from the visible snout turn, just inside the outline. Mark its right end about ½ unit right and 2½ down from the near visible eye’s center. Join them with a shallow curve that drops toward the right, bowing gently downward between its ends. Place the first small nostril roughly 1¼ units right and 1 unit up from the snout’s mouth start. Place the second another 1¼ units right and ¼ down. Use tiny light ovals about ¼ to ⅜ unit long: make the first taller, with its top leaning right, and the second wider, with its long direction rising a little right. Keep these placement marks light; the next stage will select the mouth and darken the nostrils.
Next stepCheck before moving on
The light mouth guide begins just inside the snout turn and finishes below the near eye. Its short left gap will be joined when choosing the darker mouth next. Both nostrils lie above the mouth; the second sits slightly lower. If either nostril crowds an eye or touches the mouth, recheck its offset before darkening.
Step 20 of 24View larger PencilFinish pupils, mouth and nostrils
Inside the chosen near rim, keep a broad horizontal pupil about 1¼ units wide and ¾ unit high. Inside the far rim, use a narrower tilted pupil following that opening. Reserve a tiny white highlight near the upper edge of each pupil, then darken around those spaces instead of filling them. Extend the mouth’s left placement end about ¼ unit up and ¼ left to meet the visible snout turn, then choose the shallow mouth curve toward its right end below the near eye. Darken the two small nostril ovals where they were placed, keeping them separate from the mouth. Keep the light alignment and placement guides visible; they will be erased together next.
Next stepCheck before moving on
Both white highlights remain visible near the pupils’ upper edges. The far pupil follows the narrow tilted opening and the near one stays broad. The mouth joins the snout and the nostrils stay above it. If filling swallows a highlight or reshapes a rim, lift the pupil area before adding ink.
Step 21 of 24View larger PencilRemove construction and keep chosen edges
Erase the light head, body, eye-mass and haunch ovals, the joint chains and arm-volume overlaps, the foot bases and toe rays, and the facial alignment and placement guides. Keep the darker selected contours, pupils, highlights, mouth, nostrils and short accents. Lift gently with the eraser rather than scrubbing the whole page. You are removing the scaffolding, not redrawing the frog.
Next stepCheck before moving on
The light internal guides are gone, including the opening-center line; no ray runs down a toe. Chosen limb outlines remain in front of the body, and the small hidden hind foot stays partly covered. If a selected contour lifts with a guide, restore only that checked edge lightly before inking.
Step 22 of 24View larger MarkerTrace the checked pencil drawing
Trace only the chosen clean-pencil contours with the fine black marker: head, visible limb and toe edges, eye rims, mouth and the few short accents. Darken the pupils around their checked white highlights, and darken the nostril marks. Let the ink dry, then erase any remaining pencil. Keep a relaxed grip and turn the paper if it helps a curve. Test the marker on spare paper first; permanent ink is less adjustable than pencil.
Next stepCheck before moving on
The ink follows the checked pencil frog, with no body oval, joint chain or toe ray traced back in. The open highlights and gaps between toes survive. If a line is a little uneven, leave it; do not thicken every edge to chase a tiny wobble.
Step 23 of 24View larger MarkerAdd sparse irregular skin spots
Add a few small irregular spots over the upper back and right haunch. Keep them well inside the outline, with mostly open paper between them. Their exact positions may vary: copy the sparse distribution, not a measured dot pattern. Vary the rounded spot shapes and use only a few larger patches. These are surface decoration after the structure is complete.
Next stepCheck before moving on
The spots stay sparse, small and separate; the belly and face remain mostly clear. If the pattern starts hiding the leg shapes, stop adding spots. Do not turn the construction centers or erased guide crossings into dots.
Step 24 of 24View larger FinishFinish with restrained local gray
Add a little gray beneath the head and along the lower belly beside the nearer forearm. Shade the narrow wedge between that forearm and the inner edge of the folded haunch; keep the broad haunch oval light. Place a small soft contact shadow immediately beneath the feet, darkest where a toe touches the paper, fading outward. Use gray lightly and test it on scrap first; do not cover the whole frog.
Back to the stepsCheck before moving on
Gray stays in the named narrow overlap areas, with the broad body and haunch interiors mostly light. The contact shadow touches the toes rather than floating below them. If it competes with the outline, stop; this optional drawing works without more rendering.
If something looks off
The proportions drift as I add smaller parts
Keep one unit throughout. Recheck the working box, head tips and body overlap before the proportion-check stage. Compare opposite extremities, not only the last small mark. Lift a misplaced guide lightly before choosing its contour.
I cannot make a smooth oval
Return to the four-tip head example. Rehearse the whole loop, touch the tips with a light continuous stroke and round between them. Keep the center and tips fixed; replace only a bulging arc rather than moving every guide.
The legs or feet look tangled
Identify two front wrists and two separate hind-foot bases. The tiny hidden hind foot sits behind the far arm. Check the open wedge between the forearms and the different toe-tip levels before outlining any foot.
The eyes look like matching circles
The raised mounds locate volume. The far visible opening shifts toward the snout and tilts down-left beneath its brow; it does not trace the whole mound. Check both unfilled rims before reserving highlights and filling pupils.
Do I have to measure every spot?
No. This reference’s structure uses measured anchors, but individual skin spots are deliberately irregular. Keep their regions and sparse density while allowing small differences.
Keep your pencil moving
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