Otters are one of the most adorable aquatic animals. Because of their cuteness, you’ll have an easy time coaxing children into making these easy otter drawings!
There’s no need to surf the Web for otter drawings, as I’ve already fished some of the most uncomplicated and adorable otters and compiled them in this list.
The guides below will teach you how to draw an otter, and provide general valuable tips and tricks on drawing.
Some of these otters are familiar to a child’s eye as they might have distinctive cartoon elements. I’ve also included more complex sketches of the animal for the more experienced young artists.
Drawing Materials
All you need to draw is a pencil, paper, and a sprinkle of imagination. Get these two drawing materials if you want to take your sketch to the next level and compile your drawings in one book.
9 Basic Otter Drawings
You won’t find simpler drawings than these nine otter sketches below.
Related: Easy Animals To Draw For Kids
1. The Simplest Cartoon Otter Drawing
Let’s start with this otter drawing that resembles a mouse—shared by Drawing Tutorials 101. To make it more distinguishable for kids, they highlighted the otters’ muzzle and belly with a bright yellow.
These colorful drawings help children (toddlers, especially) to enhance their visual recognition skills.
2. How to Draw an Otter Playing in the Water
As you may know, otters are marine mammals that spend most of their lives in water. A cursory search on the Web of otters playing in the water will result in plenty of adorable videos of these critters.
So EASY‘s channel teaches us how to draw an otter chilling in the water.
More aquatic animals in: 22 Easy Penguin Drawings for Kids
3. Otter Drawing for Kids
There are at least 13 otter species discovered today. While they’re generally small creatures (the smallest marine mammal in North America), species like the giant otter can grow up to five feet and nine inches—comparable to an average human.
Art Projects For Kids‘s drawing is an example of those big otters.
4. How to Draw a Standing Otter
We find humor in the strangest things. For example, animals who are typically on all fours look funny when they stand on only two legs.
A kid who finds amusement in everything will surely be entertained by Hello Artsy‘s drawing of a standing otter.
5. Basic Brown Otter
Draw with no fuss by following Easy Drawing Art‘s brown otter. Start by drawing three circles for an outline, then proceed to delineate the curves of the body, and finally its legs and tails.
6. Otter with Seashell
As mentioned before, the natural habitat of otters is the water. Some live in rivers, like the North American river otter, and others in the sea.
Go to the sea and you might even spot an otter playing or eating a shellfish, just like the one shown in Easy Drawings‘s sketch.
7. Lovely Momma & Baby Otter
A baby otter can swim at only two months old. How impressive! Also known as a pup or cub, the young otter is sheltered by its family for up to a year—after which it is sent away by to find employment.
That’s why—as shown in this drawing guide by Art for Kids’ Hub—the momma otter cherishes every moment with her offspring.
8. Floating Otter
Like lone duck lifesavers on a pool, otters love spending their time floating on water.
They may carry sticks or other personal belongings; this otter created by Draw So Cute carries a small stone memento while it relaxes.
9. Swimming Otter
Most drawings of animals comprise only that—the animal. Drawing animals within their environment is also an essential skill to acquire.
That’s exactly what you’ll be getting out of EasyPicturesToDraw‘s video tutorial.
7 Cute Otter Drawings
Cute otter drawings might sound redundant—otters are already so endearing! But I guarantee you, these next seven drawings will convince you that otters can be drawn in a more adorable way than they already are.
These koala drawings are just as cute as these otters.
10. Little Otter Animal
You can’t possibly say no to this otter drawing with glistening eyes. Shared by We Draw Animals, will no doubt melt your and your kids’ hearts.
Can’t get enough cute images? Try these kawaii Perler beads!
11. Panda Otter
What do you get when you mix a panda and an otter? This cuddly creature, of course!—which is shared by How To Draw For Kids.
If you want to make actual panda crafts, I suggest: 23 Panda Perler Beads Patterns
12. An Otter Couple
While holding hands is a sign of love for us humans, the behavior has more practical purposes for otters. Known as rafting, it prevents groups of otters from drifting away each other.
It may not be a romantic gesture for them, but when we see them do so—like depicted in Art Projects For Kids—it nevertheless touches our hearts.
13. Kawaii Otter
I mentioned that otters can’t get any cuter. Draw So Cute always manages to make cute things even more charming.
Figures with a disproportionate head size relative to the body are usually called chibi, and it would be appropriate to call this otter that name.
14. Six-Step Otter Drawing
Most drawings start with a letter or a shape that is uncomplicated enough for children. That method is applied in Drawing How To Draw‘s cute otter drawing.
15. Small Otter
Otters love to float on their backs, belly-up. Draw Doo illustrates perfectly what I’m talking about.
Sunbathing in the water is probably the otter’s favorite pastime.
For more productive water-related recreations, check out: 19 Ice Play Activities for Toddlers
16. Cute Baby Otter
You might mistake the otter for a slim rodent—examples of which are beavers and woodchucks. But they belong to a different order, that of weasels, ferrets, and badgers among others.
Here’s How To Draw For Kids‘s super cute variant of the otter.
4 Impressive Otter Drawings
Are you ready to take your otter drawings to the next level? Scroll on to take on the more challenging designs.
Be sure to check out other animal drawings: How To Draw A Chicken; How to Draw a Pig; Goat Drawings.
17. Feisty Otter
Otters—unless threatened—rarely bite humans (according to an animal welfare group).
Despite that, I believe it’s best to keep a safe distance from these creatures—especially when you have kids or elders around you
These creatures are territorial by nature, and you never know what disease a wild otter can carry.
Drawing For All shows us how to draw a feisty otter, ready to assert its dominance.
18. Detailed Otter Drawing
Less wild is the ferret species, which looks very similar to this drawing by Harriet Muller.
What I love about the video tutorial is that mistakes are not only acceptable but embraced, since it’s through that that we learn and enhance our creativity.
They delineate the otter’s rough outline with a pencil, then proceeds to detail the animal with a fine-tip pen.
19. Sophisticated Otter Sketch
How2DrawAnimals provides us with the ultimate otter drawing—rigorous proportions and near-realistic shadings.
Don’t be intimated, though, because you’ll be guided each step of the way.
20. Otter with Colored Pencils
Otters are super adorable; I’d adopt one were they domesticated animals.
Just take a look at this amazing art tutorial by Amie Howard Art, who produces a stunning otter drawing using only colored pencils.
Otterly Exciting Otter Drawings
I hope you’ve enjoyed these easy otter drawings, plus the bonus challenges at the end.
If you like to develop your children’s dexterity with the pencil better, look no further than these other drawing lists: