BEARS AND KOALAS

The creatures in this favorite “stuffed animal” family often appear large and bulky, mainly because of their thick fur. Most bears have small, round heads and stand on short legs. Sometimes you’ll even see bears sit up by resting their big bodies on their slighter hind legs!

You can recognize a bear by its small head and broad shoulders, so it’s easiest to start by drawing these features. Now connect these body parts with long, flexible curves.

You can draw a bear’s feet to look a little bit like slippers. Then give it a muzzle that’s long and flat at the end, and add some small, round ears.

When a bear is sitting, draw it to look like its body mass has piled up. Use guidelines to sketch a muzzle from the front—you want it to point slightly downward.

The panda is slightly rounder and more upright than other bears. Pandas also have bigger heads and a very recognizable black and white coat.

Bears can also possess certain postures that might help you recognize the animal. Pandas, for example, like to cross an arm over their chest.

The koala is stockier than the rest, with long front paws, fluffy, wide ears, and a recognizably round head.