How to Draw Plankton
Use the video and step-by-step drawing instructions below to learn how to draw Sheldon J. Plankton from Nickelodeon's SpongeBob SquarePants. A new cartoon drawing tutorial is uploaded every week, so stay tooned!
Intro: When learning how to draw Plankton, start off with a pencil sketch. In the beginning stages, don’t press down too hard. Use light, smooth strokes for sketching.
Step 1: Start by drawing a small circle near the middle of the page. It doesn’t have to be perfect. It’s just a guide for Plankton’s head. Leave enough room at the bottom for the body and at the top for the antennae.
Step 2: Now draw a circle of similar size under it as a guide for the lower part of Plankton's body. Don't draw this circle too far down or Plankton will end up too long.
Step 3: Draw two lines that connect the two circles to form the guide for the rest of Plankton's body. Bend the lines slightly.
Step 4: Inside the top circle, on the lower, left side, draw a smaller circle as a guide for Plankton's single eye.
Step 5: In the space between the two circles, draw a rectangle as a guide for Plankton's mouth. Notice that the rectangle touches the bottom circle but not the top.
Step 6: On either side of the body, draw a line as guides for Plankton's arms. The line on the left bends up toward the eye, and the line on the right curves down. Draw a small circle at the end of each line as a guide for Plankton's hands.
Step 7: Draw two long, curved lines on top of Plankton's head as a guide for the antennae. The length of these lines should be almost the same as the entire body. Draw two small lines at the bottom as guides for Plankton's feet.
Step 8: That’s it for the initial sketch! You have the basic shape of Sheldon J. Plankton from Nickelodeon's SpongeBob SquarePants. Now go in and tighten your drawing. From this point on, press harder with your pencil in order to get darker lines and a more defined sketch.
Step 9: Draw the bottom part of Plankton's eye by using the initial circle as a guide. Draw a line near the bottom to represent the lower eyelid. Draw a circle for the pupil sitting on top of the lower eyelid.
Step 10: On top of Plankton's eye, draw a thick curved shape for the eyebrow. Bend the shape to give Plankton an angry look. Darken the sides of the initial circle to complete the eye.
Step 11: Use the rectangle under Plankton's eye as a guide to draw the first part of the mouth. Follow the basic path of the rectangle, but make the lines curvier at the corners and wavier at the sides. Draw a line through the middle for the teeth.
Step 12: Draw small lines inside the shape of the mouth for Plankton's individual teeth. Draw a few small, curved lines around the mouth for extra detail.
Step 13: Use the lines on the sides of the body as guides to draw Plankton's arms and hands. Follow the path of the lines as you thicken up the shapes and create the arms. Use the small circles as guides to draw the hands curled up into fists.
Step 14: Follow the paths of the initial lines on Plankton's head but make them thicker for the antennae. The tips should be pointy. Draw four tiny horizontal lines on the top side of the antennae.
Step 15: Darken the outline of the entire shape to create Plankton's body. When you get to the bottom, use the small lines as guides to draw the feet.
Step 16: That’s it! You now have a nice sketch of Sheldon J. Plankton from Nickelodeon's SpongeBob SquarePants. You can stop at this quick drawing for a rough, sketchy look, or continue to the step below to go for a more finished look.
Step 17: For a more finished, inked look, carefully draw over the final sketch lines with a pen or marker. Wait for the ink to dry, and then get rid of every pencil mark with an eraser. You now have a finished inked drawing of Plankton! You can stop here or go to the final step to complete your Plankton drawing.
Final Step: For a completely finished Plankton drawing, you have to color it. You can use anything you want: markers, color pencils or even crayons! Color his skin green. The eyeball is yellow, and the pupil is red. The eyebrow is black, and the inside of the mouth is brown. That’s it! You now have a completed drawing of the villainous Sheldon J. Plankton from Nickelodeon's SpongeBob SquarePants.
