Hello everyone!
Studio Ghibli has always been a huge source of inspiration for me. Its magical worlds, cozy atmospheres, and adorable characters are just too good not to draw! So I’m back with a collection of Ghibli-inspired drawing ideas! It took me a long time to draw all of them, and I plan on adding more in the future. Whether you’re a longtime Ghibli fan or just looking for some simple, cozy art ideas I hope you’ll find nice ideas!
From tiny soot sprites to iconic characters like Calcifer and Jiji, I tried drawing various characters and scenes. But I couldn’t draw everything, so if you have specific requests, make sure to leave a comment with them! Also, always remember: no need to stress about making things perfect! Just grab your sketchbook, relax, and enjoy bringing a little Ghibli magic to your art!
Now, let’s dive into these adorable Ghibli drawing ideas! (Covered: My Neighbor Totoro, Spirited Away, Howl’s Moving Castle, Kiki’s Delivery Service, Princess Mononoke, Ponyo)
I tried to categorize them as well as I could. But some ideas could be in two sections at the same time (for example, we meet soot sprites in both My Neighbor Totoro & Spirited Away). Anyway, let’s go!
My Neighbor Totoro
How to Draw Totoro
Let’s start by drawing Totoro step by step!
- 1. Draw a potato shape. Make sure to draw this shape with your pencil, as we will erase some of it later on.
- 2. Draw the arms and legs on each side of Totoro’s body
- 3. Erase the overlapping lines and draw the belly and the ears
- 4. You can now draw the details: the eyes, nose, mouth and whiskers. If you want to give Totoro another expression, feel free to do so!
- 5. Coloring time! Use a cool grey tone for the fur, and an off-white or pale yellow for the belly.
Totoro
Let’s now draw Totoro walking! The color is different on this drawing, but Totoro is originally grey. If you want, you can tweak it a little just like I did. Totoro’s body shape and features are very easy to draw, so you can easily draw him in various positions without too much struggle I think. Try it out!
The 3 Totoros
Let’s add the little totoros walking behind Big Totoro. They actually all have names, but I just usually call them Big Totoro and little Totoros, lol.
If these are too difficult for you to draw, you can also opt for these chibi Totoros. They are the easiest way to draw Totoro! And in general, if you want to draw something and make it easy for you, just turn it into a chibi (a small version, with less details). You can still tell which is which, but it’s drawn with much less details!
Mini Totoro
Let’s now focus on Mini Totoro! It’s the smallest Totoro you’ll see. Its coloring is white, and Mini Totoros are often represented while holding a sprout. In this cute bundle, you can see Mini Totoro under three different angles! This version is quite detailed, but you can also draw it much less detailed, which we’ll see just below.
Usually, Mini Totoro is holding a little sprout. But this time, Mini Totoro is standing on a gigantic sprout! As you can see here, Mini Totoro is definitely very easy to draw. Just draw a little potato with ears. Isn’t it super cute? I love this kind of drawing idea.
Totoro Bundles
Cute bundle, featuring Mini Totoro, as well as the Catbus’ face! You can see the easy version of Mini Totoro on the top left, and holding a sprout on the bottom of the drawing. I only drew the face of the Catbus because it’s also the easiest way to draw it. ♥
Lastly for the Totoro’s collection, let’s draw a couple of things we see often in the movie. We have an acorn, a flower, an umbrella, and three sort of leaves. All of them appear often in the movie, and I thought it would be nice to draw easy versions of each of them. If you want to draw little Totoro icons, it’s super cute!
Spirited Away
How to Draw Soot Sprites
- 1. Draw a circle
- 2. Draw a lot of little petals around the circle, as if you were drawing a sunflower 🌻
- 3. Draw two elongated circles inside the big circle you drew in step 1, for the eyes
- 4. Fill in the big circle and all the petals with black, and draw the pupil of the eyes. Additionally, you can add little arms or even the little star candy Soot Sprites go crazy about in the movie.
- Note: Soot Sprites can also be drawn with little sticks all around the circle instead of petals. It depends on the vibe you want to give to your drawing! In the Spirited Away Drawing Ideas collection, we’ll see both of them, so pick your favorite
Soot Sprites
Here’s a tiny soot sprite inside a little glass bottle, surrounded by twinkling star candies. Capturing a bit of the Ghibli magic in a bottle, doesn’t that sound amazing? Super easy and fun to draw, especially if you love cute and simple doodles.
These adorable soot sprites are having fun! One is carrying a star candy, two others are popping out of an envelope, and the fourth one is proudly guarding its precious star candy. This is such a fun way to practice expressive little soot sprites!
A small jar filled with fluffy soot sprites, each with their curious little eyes. They look cozy in there! It’s a fun alternative to the other bottle version we’ve discovered just above. Actually, this version exist in real Ghibli merchandise! And the little soot sprites are pencil erasers.
A soot sprite with wide eyes stares at colorful star candies floating above. It looks like it’s about to grab one! This is an easy and super cute drawing idea that captures the whimsical feel of Ghibli’s magical creatures. As you can see, this soot sprite has a different look. Instead of petals, I drew little sticks! It’s faster, and still as cute.
This one is supposed to be a Soot Sprite Dango! 🍡Two soot sprites and one star candy. It’s a fun mix of cute and playful, perfect for quick doodles in your sketchbook.
Mouse & Bird
How do I even describe this drawing? I still don’t know if this creature is a hamster, a mouse, something else? Anyway, this couple if iconic. I tried to make the lines super easy to reproduce.
Haku, Dragon Form
A beautifully curved, flowing drawing of Haku in his dragon form from Spirited Away. His long, wispy body and elegant horns give him such a magical presence. If you’re feeling a little more confident, this is a great way to practice drawing mythical creatures!
To draw Haku in its dragon form, I think it’s important to start with the overall shape you want to give to the dragon. You don’t have to follow super accurately the shape I’ve drawn. Draw a curvy line, and start from there. Draw details little by little, starting with the body itself.
DUCKS! ♥
Let’s draw Spirited Away famous ducks!
In the movie, there are soo many ducks in one bath. But to make it easy, let’s limit it to three. If three is too much, you can also just draw one! If you draw just one, make sure to make it extra chubby to fill the space.
Shikigamis
These are Shikigami, the paper creatures sent by Zeniba (Yubaba’s sister) for Haku. They are harmless alone, but very dangerous in group. In the movie, they harm Haku when they come swarming at him.
No Face
A simple, iconic sketch of No-Face from Spirited Away. The mask is the main focus, with soft red markings that make it instantly recognizable. If you’re new to drawing, this is a great one to try because of its minimal details!
Face Shot
Chihiro’s face shot! Her specific traits would be her ponytail (with the pink hair tie), and her messy fringe.
Howl’s Moving Castle
How to Draw Calcifer
- 1. Start by drawing a cylinder, which will represent the log Calcifer is sitting on
- 2. Draw a flame. The shape of the flame doesn’t matter much, Calcifer is organic and moves all the time/
- 3. Draw the details: eyes, mouth, and details on the log as well
- That’s it! The easiest way to draw calcifer. If you want, you can also just remove the log.
Calcifer
Let’s draw some more of Calcifer, and start with this worried one! He’s holding on the log for his life, help him!;; Anyway, isn’t he cute? lol
Next one is a cheerful, fiery Calcifer holding up a frying pan with eggs and bacon sizzling on top. This is a very famous scene which has been drawn under sooo many angles. I believe an easy angle to draw this scene is from the top! So I drew that. Isn’t he cute? This drawing is full of fun energy and perfect for anyone who loves the cozy vibes of Howl’s Moving Castle. Anyway, let’s bring some color into it.
Using vibrant colors, you can really bring this cute doodle to life. To color Calcifer, using yellow, orange and red is a must.
Turnip Head
A whimsical drawing of Turnip Head, the enchanted scarecrow, with his signature top hat, bowtie, and cheerful grin. We always forget about him, but isn’t he cute?!
Face Shots
Sophie’s face shot! She’s very recognizable thanks to her signature hat, as well as her braid. If you color it, it’ll be even better.
Another face shot, but this time of Howl himself. I think what makes him recognizable are his earrings, hair style and blue eyes. Since I am not drawing detailed eyes in these face shots, the earrings and hair style alone give him his signature look!
Kiki’s Delivery Service
How to Draw Jiji
- 1. Start by drawing a potato shape.
- 2. Draw the two ears, big and standing tall!
- 3. Draw the two eyes. They’re quite big, make sure you don’t draw them too small
- 4. Fill in with colors, and finish up the details (whiskers, pupils, nose)
Jiji
Now that you know how to draw Jiji, let’s draw a little scene! Jiji looks extra excited in this one, staring at Kiki’s cake. This drawing captures that playful, food-loving side of Jiji perfectly. A great mix of cute character drawing and yummy dessert illustration.
The cake comes straight from the movie, drawn with a little less details than the original. You can change it according to your wishes.
A cozy drawing of a mug with Jiji’s silhouette and little paw prints! In the movie, it’s not Jiji painted on the mug. But I think it’s even more cute if we draw Jiji! This doodle is also a super cute way to mix your love for Studio Ghibli with something as simple as a cup of tea.
In Kiki’s Delivery Service’s movie, we can see a cute wraith in front of the store. Even though this wraith is super cute, I thought it was a little hard to draw. The wraith itself is okay, but Kiki in the middle might be complicated for many people. So, I decided to just leave Jiji alone! Of course, you can still draw Kiki inside if you wish. But it’s more complicated!
Face Shot
And to end with Kiki’s collection, let’s draw a very cute and simple face shot! The easiest way to recognize Kiki is thanks to the gigantic red bow she has on her head. Make sure to draw it, and color it if you can!
Ponyo
Ponyo & Bucket
A two-part illustration showing a simple bucket on top, and then revealing a cheerful Ponyo peeking out from inside in the second image. The bucket is a very important asset through Ponyo’s story, and I thought it was important to draw it. Let’s bring some color to this drawing!
There you go! With the colors, you recognize it without even trying. I think this is a very cute and easy way to draw Ponyo.
Another way to draw Ponyo! It’s Ponyo in her magical, half-fish form, floating through the air with little sparkles around her. Her soft round face and fluffy hair make her look extra cute! This is a fun and easy drawing idea, in my opinion.
Little Boat
The tiny makeshift boat from Ponyo is such an iconic and whimsical part of the movie. The little boat captures its simplicity and charm and the motor puffs out little bubbles. It perfectly reflects the magic of Ponyo, where everyday objects become something fantastical.
Arietty
Face Shot
Arietty’s face shot! She has her signature hair tied back with her iconic red clothespin, emphasizing her tiny Borrower status. Her face is drawn simply with a calm and curious expression, capturing her adventurous nature.
Princess Mononoke
Kodama
A little Kodama spirit sitting in front of the Deer God’s antlers, surrounded by tiny sparkles. It looks so peaceful and mystical! I wanted to draw the Deer God, but it is actually quite hard to draw. So I just drew its antlers! This is a great Ghibli-inspired doodle if you love simple, nature-themed drawings.
Mononoke Hime
A simple yet striking black-and-white drawing of San’s iconic red mask from Princess Mononoke. The mask features its bold circular eye shapes and tribal design, surrounded by a furry wolf headdress.
Face Shot
Lastly for this Ghibli collection, let’s draw Princess Mononoke’s face shot. San with her iconic war paint and wolf headdress. Her determined expression captures her fierce personality.
About Face Shots
A note about the face shots we’ve discovered in this collection!
As you probably saw up there if you’ve skimmed through the whole collection of Ghibli easy drawing ideas, there are various characters’ face shots. Chihiro, Sophie, Howl, Arietty and Mononoke. I didn’t draw all the characters, and I invite you to try drawing your favorite characters yourself!
To do that, you need to identify the special characteristic of your favorite character. Miyazaki’s characters all have very specific traits that make them very easy to recognize. But in general, good character design mean specific traits. Your favorite character probably has their own special traits as well. Start by identifying them, then draw them in the most simple way.
Wrap Up
I hope you enjoyed these Ghibli-inspired drawing ideas and found something fun to sketch! I had a lot of fun drawing these!
Remember, your art doesn’t have to be perfect. Every little doodle adds to your unique style! So keep experimenting, keep drawing, and most importantly, keep enjoying the magic of creativity. I also am making a lot of mistakes and drawings I don’t like, but I keep trying until I like it enough to post it, lol.
Thank you so much for reading! If you’re looking for more easy drawing ideas, you might also love:
