Use the video and step-by-step drawing instructions below to learn how to draw Zim from Nickelodeon's Invader Zim. A new drawing tutorial is uploaded every week, so stay tooned!

 

 

Intro: 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 big rectangle near the top half of the page. It doesn’t have to be perfect. It’s just a guide for Zim’s head.

 

Step 2: Next, draw two intersecting lines across the rectangle, one vertical and one horizontal. The vertical line should be close to the right side, while you should draw the horizontal line closer to the middle. These will be construction lines that will help you place Zim's facial features later on.

 

Step 3: On the left side of the vertical construction line draw a big oval for the left eye. The oval should sit right on top of the horizontal line so that the line splits it in half. Draw a slightly smaller oval on the right side of the vertical line that extends outside of the rectangle for the right eye.

 

Step 4: Under the square head, draw a pointy triangle that’s a bit shorter than the head as a guide for Zim's body.

 

Step 5: On the left side of Zim's body, draw a line similar to a long letter J as a guide for this alien character's arm and hand.

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Step 6: Right below Zim's body, draw two lines similar to long, forward-leaning letter L’s as guides for Zim's legs and feet.

 

Step 7: That’s it for the initial sketch! You have the basic shape of the alien Zim from Nickelodeon's Invader Zim. 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 8: Darken the lower part of Zim's eyes. Draw a horizontal line on the top part of each eye to give him a furrowed brow.

 

Step 9: Zim doesn’t have pupils; his eye are just shiny. To indicate this shine or glare, draw a couple of circles inside each of Zim's eyeballs.

 

Step 10: Use the original rectangle shape as a guide to draw Zim's head. Darken the top part of the line and have the left side angle out then drop down toward the top part of the body triangle. Draw a pouty mouth on the right side by having Zim's lower lip extend outward.

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Step 11: On top of Zim's head, draw two diagonal lines for his alien antennae.

 

Step 12: Use the J line as a guide to draw Zim's arm and hand. Draw a triangle at the base of Zim's arm. Thicken up the line that makes up his arm and draw a slightly longer horizontal line to indicate the start of his glove and bend his fingers back. Draw three small curved lines to Zim's arm for extra detail on his suit.

 

Step 13: Draw another small triangle at the base of Zim's neck for his collar and darken the rest of his body.

 

Step 14: Draw three curved stripes on Zim's suit. Draw a curved line on his back for the back portion of his suit. Within the curved line, draw two semicircles for detail.

 

Step 15: Use the L-shaped lines as guides to draw Zim's feet. Thicken up the lines and draw this Nickelodeon character's boots at the bottom.

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Step 16: That’s it! You now have a nice sketch of Zim from the Nickelodeon cartoon Invader Zim. 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 any ink to dry, and then erase your pencil marks. You now have a finished inked drawing of a Zim! You can stop here or go to the final step to complete your Zim drawing.

 

Final Step: For a completely finished Zim drawing, you have to color it. You can use anything you want: markers, color pencils or even crayons! Color Zim's head light green; on the left side add a darker green as shading. Zim's eyes and suit should be a light red. The glare on his eyes, his arm, his collar and the circles on the back part of his suit are pink. Zim's gloves, legs and feet are black, and the main part of the back of his suit is light gray. That’s it! You now have a completed drawing of Zim from the Nickelodeon’s Invader Zim.