How to draw a bat in Linearity Curve

Bats get a bad rap for being a bit spooky, but we think these nocturnal animals are just misunderstood.

There's so much that we don't know and appreciate about bats, and that's exactly why we wanted to create a drawing tutorial inspired by these fascinating nocturnal creatures.

Even though bats are associated with Halloween, we think they're worth celebrating all year round. And when you think of it, they're actually pretty cute.

Our in-house designer Aysel brilliantly captures the charm of the bat in this drawing tutorial. Look at the adorable little guy!

Want to learn how to draw a bat like this one? Fangtastic!

All it takes is following a few simple steps. Watch the video above or follow the step-by-step guide below to get started.

Jumpstart your creative ideas with Linearity Curve and Linearity Move

Download the Linearity suite

Import your sketch

You can always freestyle your drawing inside Linearity Curve (formally Vectornator), but for this tutorial, Aysel imported her own pencil drawing as a base.

Her drawing will act as a guide that she will draw on top of to trace the basic shape of our bat.

If you're starting out with digital drawing, check out our tips for drawing on an iPad.

Take some time to sketch a bat character on paper. Remember, you want to make subtle lines and avoid making textural lines – this preparatory sketch will be a guide for your finished drawing. Pay special attention to the sizes of shapes so that you get the proportions right.

Once you're happy with your fanged friend, it's time to add it to a new canvas in Linearity Curve. To do this, simply import it using the Camera Import option.

Alternatively, since we support iCloud, you can also import sketches you've created in another drawing app, like Procreate.

Select your colors and adjust the layers

You can use your favorite colors to make your bat color palette, but if you want to create a midnight-blue bat like Aysel's, set up a linear gradient with the following hex codes: #03000C - #592FC7.

Next, lower opacity on all layers. Doing this will make it possible to see your base sketch throughout the entire drawing process.

Trace the head shape with the Pen Tool

Now, it's time to draw the bat's face.

Select the Pen Tool and start tracing the outline of your sketch.

Just draw one half of the face, and remember to close the shape. We will complete the entire face in the next step.

Duplicate and flip

In nature, it's unlikely to find a perfectly symmetrical body. It’s called biological symmetry, or just bio symmetry for short. However, for today's practical drawing lesson, we'll show you how to create a perfectly symmetrical illustration and save time while getting the proportions right.

Select the shape you just drew and duplicate it. Then, flip it by tapping the setting in the Arrange Tab. Next, activate Multi-Select, and unite the two shapes into one.

Refine the shape using the Node Tool, so there aren't any unwanted nodes where the two shapes are joined.

Adjust your gradient using the Gradient Handle so that the lightest color is at the top of the bat's head.

Draw the eyes

Create a yellow, radial gradient for the iris of the bat's eye (#B7840F - #FFDD8A).

Draw one perfect circle using the Shape Tool and duplicate it for the other eye.

To draw the iris, duplicate the circle again and resize it, so it's smaller than the first circle. Place it in the center of the eye and give it a deep purple radial gradient (#03000C - #592FC7).

As Aysel explains in the video, yellow and purple are opposing colors on the color wheel. This means they complement each other and create a beautiful contrast.

Get this template

Get this template

Next, draw two white circular shapes with the Shape Tool and a moon shape with the Pen Tool. These are the reflections in the eye.

Duplicate the iris and reflection shapes and arrange them over the other eye.

Now you're starting to bring your bat drawing to life!

Draw the nose

Now, draw the nose shape with the Pen Tool and fill it with a pink-purple radial gradient (#9400FC - #FF00D5).

You can do this the same way you drew the head – draw half of the nose, duplicate it, flip it, and create a united shape. This helps to keep it symmetrical.

Use the Node Tool to refine the shape.

Add the nostrils with the Oval Tool

Draw two oval shapes with the Oval Tool and fill them with black.

Draw the mouth

Trace the contour of the mouth using the Pen Tool.

Change the path stroke from Regular to Brush mode. This is a clever way to achieve precision in your shape, while still keeping the tapering quality of a brushstroke.

In this tutorial, Aysel uses a custom brush she created herself. It's wider in the middle and thinner towards the end.

You can also create your own brush, or select a brush style from our preset brushes.

Learn more about using the Brush Tool in Linearity Curve.

Draw the bat fangs

Draw the two fangs with the Pen Tool and fill them with a linear gradient (#B7840F - #FFDD8A).

Move both teeth under the mouth layer.

Draw the fur around the ears

Select the purple gradient you previously used for the eyes (#03000C - #592FC7) and use the Pen Tool to draw the fur around the ears.

You can freestyle this part to create a jagged shape that looks like tufts of hair.

Draw the ear ridges

Now for a fun detail. You'll notice ridges on bat's ears if you search for a reference image.

Aysel explains that these ear ridges give them the ability of echolocation. See, we told you bats were cool!

Use the Pen Tool to draw a few darker, curved lines over the ears.

Rather than duplicate the ear for the other side, repeat steps 10 and 11 so that the two ears are slightly different. This gives your illustration more interest!

Bring up the opacity

‍Finally, turn the opacity to 100% on all layers to reveal the true vibrant colors.

Finished drawing

You're done! Conbatulations!

If you want to add a body and wings to your amazing bat drawing, go for it! You can draw the simple shapes with the Pen Tool or draw them free-hand using the Brush Tool.

Make sure to share your bat illustrations with us on social media.

No time to create a bat from scratch?

We've got a free template for that! Download it below and customize it to suit your project.

Get this Instagram Stories template

And if you're looking for more drawing tutorials, head to our blog where you'll find instructions on How to Draw a Cat, How to Draw a Dog, How to Draw a Rose, and much more!

Jumpstart your ideas with Linearity Curve

Take your designs to the next level.

Get started

Emma Taggart

Content Writer

Emma is a Content Writer at Linearity in Berlin, specializing in content marketing and brand development. With a background in illustration and design, she brings creativity and precision to her work.

More articles