Skunks are one of the easiest animals to draw because their bold black-and-white pattern does most of the work. A few simple shapes, some thick stripes, and a big fluffy tail, and you’ve got a skunk drawing anyone can recognize. Grab a pencil and follow along.
Materials
Supplies:
- Pencil
- Paper
- Eraser
- Markers, colored pencils, or crayons (black and white, plus pink for the nose)
Tools:
- A flat surface to draw on
No markers? A regular pencil works fine. Skunks are black and white, so even a simple pencil sketch looks like a finished drawing.
Tips
- Start light. Sketch with gentle pencil lines first so you can erase mistakes easily. Go over your final lines with marker or pen when you’re happy.
- Make the tail huge. A skunk’s tail is its most recognizable feature. When in doubt, draw it bigger. It should look like a giant feather duster.
- Try different poses. Draw a skunk with its tail raised straight up (that’s the warning pose before it sprays). Or try one walking with its tail trailing behind.
Meet the Real Skunk
Your drawing is based on the striped skunk, the most common skunk in North America. Here are some facts to share while you draw:
- Skunks can spray a stinky, oily liquid from glands near their tail up to 10 feet away. The smell can be detected by humans from up to a mile downwind.
- Before spraying, a skunk usually gives plenty of warning. It stamps its front feet, hisses, and raises its tail high. That raised-tail pose you drew? It means “back off!”
- Baby skunks are called kits, and they can spray when they’re just eight days old.
- Skunks are actually helpful neighbors. They eat lots of insects and grubs, as well as mice and other small animals.
- Despite their reputation, skunks are generally gentle and rarely spray unless they feel threatened.
