As a painting blogger, I’m always on the lookout for fun and quirky characters that can be a blast to draw. One such character is Pickle Rick from the hit show Rick and Morty. Whether you’re a fan of the show or just looking to practice drawing interesting shapes, drawing Pickle Rick is a great way to hone your skills and have a bit of fun with cartooning.
In this guide, I’ll take you through the process of drawing Pickle Rick, from sketching out his pickle-shaped body to adding those intricate details that make him such a memorable character. By the end, you’ll have a completed drawing that looks just like our beloved pickle-shaped mad scientist. Whether you’re new to drawing or have some experience, this guide will give you the tools to tackle this iconic character.
Materials You’ll Need
Before we begin, here’s a list of the materials I recommend for this project. You don’t need to have everything on the list, but these will help you achieve the best result:
Pencils (preferably HB, 2B, and 4B for shading)
Eraser (both kneaded and standard)
Fine-tip pens for outlining (micron pens or similar)
A ruler (for ensuring symmetry)
Drawing paper or sketchbook
Colored pencils, markers, or watercolors (depending on your preferred coloring medium)
Reference images of Pickle Rick (optional but helpful)
Now that we have the materials ready, let’s dive into the drawing process.
Step 1: Sketching the Basic Shape
The first thing to do when drawing Pickle Rick is to establish the basic shape of his body, which is, of course, a pickle. You want to capture the elongated, slightly curved shape of a pickle, which is both organic and simple to replicate. Here’s how to approach it:
Lightly sketch an oval shape: Using an HB pencil, start with an oval shape that tapers slightly towards the ends. This will form the basic structure of Pickle Rick’s body. Don’t worry too much about making it perfect—pickles have irregular, wobbly shapes, so it doesn’t have to be a perfect oval.
Add a slight curve: To make the shape look more dynamic, add a slight curve to the oval. Imagine Pickle Rick lying down or tilting slightly forward. This will give your drawing a bit of life, making it feel like he’s in motion or ready for action.
Mark the center line: Draw a light vertical line down the middle of the pickle to serve as a guide for where his facial features will go. This will help ensure your drawing is symmetrical and proportional.
At this stage, you’re setting the foundation. Keep your lines light so they’re easy to adjust or erase as you go.
Step 2: Drawing Pickle Rick’s Face
Now that we’ve got the basic shape, let’s move on to the face. Pickle Rick’s expression is one of the key elements that makes him such a recognizable character. Here’s how to break it down:
Position the eyes: Pickle Rick has wide, expressive eyes that are a bit close together. Using the center line as a guide, lightly draw two circles for the eyes. Place them about halfway down the length of the pickle, leaving enough room for the top of the head and the mouth below.
Add the pupils: Draw small dots or circles inside each eye to form the pupils. Pickle Rick’s pupils are often tiny, which gives him a wild, manic look. You can play around with their placement to change his expression slightly. Centering them will make him look more neutral, while placing them closer to the top or sides can give him that crazy-eyed expression he’s known for.
Sketch the mouth: Under the eyes, draw a wide, slightly curved line for the mouth. Pickle Rick’s mouth is large, and his grin often shows off a row of sharp, slightly crooked teeth. Add a second curved line under the first to form the lower lip. Once you have the basic shape, you can go in and draw the individual teeth—don’t worry about making them perfectly straight; the irregularity adds to the character’s eccentricity.
Draw the unibrow: One of Pickle Rick’s most distinctive features is his unibrow. Above the eyes, draw a thick, dark line connecting both eyebrows. Make sure the brow is slightly arched, as this will give him his signature intense expression.
Add wrinkles and texture: Now that you have the facial features in place, it’s time to add a few details that will make him look more like a pickle. Lightly sketch small lines around the eyes, mouth, and forehead to give him a wrinkled, aged appearance. Don’t overdo it, but these small touches will give your drawing more personality.
Step 3: Drawing the Arms and Legs
Although Pickle Rick is primarily a pickle, he has mechanical arms and legs attached to his body in his transformed state. These are essential to making him recognizable as Pickle Rick rather than just an ordinary pickle.
Position the shoulders: From the upper sides of the pickle, just below where the head ends, draw two small circles to indicate the shoulder joints. These will serve as the base for the arms.
Draw the arms: Pickle Rick’s arms are mechanical, with exposed muscles, bones, and robotic elements. From the shoulder circles, draw slightly curved lines extending outward to create the upper arms. Then, add the forearms, which should be a bit longer and end in hands with fingers that are skeletal and robotic.
Mechanical details: Inside the arms, draw lines to represent exposed muscle fibers and wires. These don’t have to be anatomically correct, but they should look intricate and a bit chaotic. Don’t forget to add small robotic details, like screws, bolts, and metal plates, to give the arms that mechanical look.
Draw the legs: Similar to the arms, the legs are a mix of biological and robotic elements. From the bottom of the pickle shape, draw two lines to form the thighs. Then, add mechanical-looking lower legs that end in robotic feet. The feet should be simple, almost claw-like, with toes that look both organic and metallic.
Add additional details: Once the basic shapes of the arms and legs are drawn, go back and add small details like veins, muscle fibers, and robotic parts. The more intricate the details, the more interesting your drawing will look.
See Also: How Do You Draw Harley Quinn： A Step-by-Step Guide
Step 4: Refining the Shape and Outlining
Now that the basic sketch is complete, it’s time to refine your drawing and add more precision to the lines.
Go over the main lines: Using a fine-tip pen or a darker pencil (like a 2B or 4B), carefully trace over the main outlines of your drawing. This includes the outer shape of Pickle Rick’s body, the face, and the mechanical arms and legs.
Erase guidelines: Once you’ve outlined the key elements, take an eraser and gently remove the lighter pencil marks from the initial sketch. This will clean up your drawing and make the final outline stand out more clearly.
Add shading: Using a softer pencil (4B or 6B), start adding shading to your drawing to give it depth. For example, add shadows around the eyes, mouth, and under the mechanical parts to create a more 3D effect. You can also shade parts of the pickle’s body to show its texture, making it look bumpy and uneven like a real pickle.
Step 5: Coloring Your Drawing
Once your outline is complete, it’s time to bring Pickle Rick to life with some color. Depending on the medium you’re using (colored pencils, markers, or watercolors), the approach might vary slightly, but here’s a general guide:
Pickle body color: Start by coloring the pickle’s body a bright, vivid green. Layer different shades of green to create dimension, with darker greens in the shaded areas and lighter greens in the highlighted sections. Don’t forget to add small yellow or brown spots to mimic the appearance of a real pickle’s skin.
Mechanical parts: For the mechanical arms and legs, use a mix of grays, silvers, and reds. The wires and robotic parts should look shiny and metallic, while the exposed muscle fibers should have a deep red color. Use white or light gray to highlight the metallic surfaces, giving them a reflective look.
Face details: Pickle Rick’s eyes should be white with black pupils, and his mouth should be colored with light pinks for the gums and white for the teeth. Add some shadow inside the mouth to create depth.
Final touches: Once the main colors are in place, go over the drawing with a fine-tip pen to re-outline any areas that may have gotten smudged or faded during the coloring process. You can also add small highlights with a white pen or pencil to emphasize shiny areas on the robotic parts or wet spots on the pickle skin.
Conclusion
Drawing Pickle Rick is a fun and creative exercise, whether you’re a seasoned artist or just starting out. His quirky design, combining a pickle with robotic elements, offers a great opportunity to practice both organic and mechanical drawing skills. By following this guide, you can create your own version of this iconic character while experimenting with shapes, details, and colors. And remember, art is all about having fun and expressing yourself—so don’t be afraid to put your own spin.
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