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How to Draw

100 Adorable Kawaii Cuties STEP

Get Creative 6

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All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or used in any form or by any means—graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or information storage-and-retrieval systems—without permission of the publisher.

The written instructions, photographs, designs, projects, and patterns are intended for the personal, noncommercial use of the retail purchaser and are under federal copyright laws; they are not to be reproduced in any form for commercial use. Permission is granted to photocopy for the personal use of the retail purchaser.

ISBN: 978-1-68462-098-2

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Hart, Christopher, 1957- author.

Title: How to draw cute mochi animals : 100 adorable kawaii cuties step by step / Christopher Hart.

Description: First edition. | New York, NY : Get Creative 6, [2025]

Identifiers: LCCN 2025003171 | ISBN 9781684620982 (paperback)

Subjects: LCSH: Animals in art. | Drawing--Technique.

Classification: LCC NC780 .H259 2025 | DDC 743.6--dc23/eng/20250208

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2025003171

Manufactured in China

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First Edition K K K K K K

The Mochi Mystery

How to Draw Mochi

Fan Favorites

Cat Cuties

Dog Cuties

Small Critters

Animals with Hooves

The Mochi Mystery

Everyone loves the mochi style (pronounced “moe-chee”), those cute characters based on the simple blob shape of the Japanese sweet rice cake of the same name.. Because they’re ultrasimplified, mochi are easy to draw and have wide appeal. In fact, they’ve quickly become one of the most recognizable styles of Japanese pop art. But how did it begin?

Many people first noticed mochi when they saw adorable faces decorating the sweet rice cakes. This caught the eye of many artists, cartoonists, and illustrators. Their appeal lies in their amazingly round and cheerful design. Now you too can draw the mochi style. With it, you can create animals of all shapes and sizes. This book includes all kinds of critters, from kittens to koalas, pandas to penguins, dragons to dolphins.

The art instruction in these chapters is easy to follow. Everything starts with a blob shape. From there, you’ll learn important techniques that you can apply to your own characters. Finally, the mochi style is adorable, but it’s also plain fun to draw and color!

So, we’re ready for takeoff. Let’s head into the realm of mochi!

How to Draw Mochi

Mochi characters are plump and joyful. To create the unique look, they start as a simple blob, which can then be molded into different shapes. And if you combine two blobs (one for the head and one for the body) the possibilities are almost endless. Add the features of the face and a few identifying traits (like markings and horns), and you’ll have an animal mochi everyone will love.

It All Begins with a Blob!

A blob is just a blob. Or is it? With the addition of a few simple features, the transformation begins. Only partially done, a character begins to emerge. Next, we’ll take it all the way from a blob to a finished character.

Drawing Forearms

The forearms are reduced in size; it’s part of what makes the style unique and creates an appealing gesture. This little guy’s paws hardly reach each other.

The eyes are closed; each is just a V on its side.

The mouth is drawn open, to show he is laughing.

The marks to the left and right emphasize his laughter. Add simplified paws and a tail.

Drawing Legs

Mochi characters are so plump that their bodies hide their legs. Pose this fennec fox on its back, so we can see all four limbs wiggling furiously! They’re incredibly short, but if they were longer, they wouldn’t be as cute. And in a tug of war, cute always wins.

Draw a blob with a crimp in the side.

Add the legs; keep them little, like upside-down U shapes.

The ears are the signature look of this critter. Draw them long and out to the sides.

What about the tail?

Super fluffy, of course!

Whiskers are important!

Add detail to the ears and tail.

Fan Favorites

Mochi fans love animals. But some stand out as favorites, from hedgehogs to narwhals to koala bears. By following a few simple steps, you’ll be able to draw each one.

Cat Cuties

Cats are a big deal in the mochi-sphere. They range in size from kittens to overgrown fluffballs. Their mushy bodies are easy to pose. And yet, they can be aloof or even reject us when we try to pet them. So why do we love cats so much? Because you can get away with a lot when you’re cute.

Dog Cuties

Dogs are deeply feeling animals, and among the most amusing characters in the mochi realm. We’ll want to bring out those adorable qualities. But how? It’s simple. You know that good feeling you get when you pet a dog? Think of that as you draw one, and it will translate to the page.

Happy Pup

To draw cute puppies, draw them as if they were about to topple over. In fact, in this chapter, some already have!

Start with an egg-shaped blob sitting upright on its wider end.

Position the features toward the top of the head.

The long, floppy ear comes all the way down to the arm.

Add paws reaching out.

Draw the tail.

The little tongue completes the smile.

The tail is a dog’s happy meter; add vibration lines to show it’s going a mile a minute.

Adding the tummy accentuates this pup’s cute roundness.

More of These, Please

We’ll give this little guy a deluxe size bone. Notice that the upper lip overlaps the bone. Therefore, you don’t need to draw the rest of the mouth. The eyes are so cute the mouth doesn’t require an expression.

Begin the head shape with a circle.

The body is a cute little clump.

Add the ears and bone.

Slope the left and right sides of the head inward. This is an effective way to make animals look young and charming.

Add his tummy, paw, tail, and a little spot above his eyes.

King of the Penguins

Ruler of icicles. Master of the snowball fight. I like to draw him with a simple wand. Makes him feel important.

The body is super round and leans back (any further back and he would tip over!).

Add the markings for his tuxedo.

One flipper rises, the other remains at his side.

Draw a wand with a small orb at the end.

Draw in his snowy surroundings.

Bat

This amusing little creature has a body based on an egg shape with a flattened top. It’s sort of a puppy from Transylvania. The fun is that the head is completely submerged into the body.

Start with a round shape that’s narrower on the top than on the bottom.

Add eyes and a little nose and mouth.

This one has baby fangs.

Add just a hint of its two feet.

Draw useless wings and tiny ears.

Add racing stripes.

andFish Other Sea Creatures

Because the sea is such a strange environment, fish developed very differently from the animals that live on land. This gives us an array of interesting aquatic creatures to draw.

Get Off My Sand!

It’s not easy to make friends in the sea, and especially not with a territorial starfish!

Draw the starfish with arms outstretched.

For the fish, draw a blob with a face.

Their eyes should appear to be looking at each other.

I name it Starfish Land!

Add a bumpy dorsal fin and some spots.

Draw tiny side fins and a tail on the fish.

Now set the scene with this little starfish literally planting its flag!

Walrus

A walrus is a blob extraordinaire, with a massive body, small head, and super-long whiskers.

Start with a blobby body that looks like it is sinking into the ground.

To emphasize the size of its body, make the flippers and the tail really, really small.

Next come its long tusks.

Add its whiskery whiskers.

They don’t make toothbrushes big enough for this guy!

Unusual Animals

Some animals, both real and imagined, are odd looking and yet surprisingly compelling. Using this chapter as your guide, you could make some new discoveries of critters you didn’t even know existed. Don’t worry about getting it just right. Be spontaneous and see what happens.

Asian Jerboa

This adorable fuzzball looks like a mouse with rabbit ears. His expression is one of concern but that just makes everyone want to reassure him!

We start off with a basic snowman shape—blob on blob— with big, wide eyes.

Super-long ears are the jerboa’s signature look, plus a curving tail.

Add a small tooth and whiskers for a cute look. Give him little arms.

Slow Loris

Why do they call it a slow loris if there’s no fast loris to compare it to? Zoologists!

The head is shaped like half a snowball.

Draw a teeny tiny dot for the nose.

Add the ears and arms.

The body connects high on the head and appears slightly hunched.

Draw his distinctive facial markings around and in between the eyes, plus his tummy outline.

A slow and surprised loris!

Capybara

The capybara is perhaps the world’s most adorable rodent. And at 150 pounds, that’s a lot of rodent to love. It’s got an unusual look, kind of a cross between a seal and a beaver.

Start with a slightly flattened circle set on top of a teardrop-like shape for the body.

Add its little ears and legs.

Shape a sloping forehead out of the top blob.

Finish up with its whiskers, nostrils, and eyebrows that look ever so slightly puzzled.

Draw its belly.

About the Author

Christopher Hart is the world’s leading author of art instruction books, with over 8 million copies sold and titles translated into over 20 languages. His books offer aspiring artists of all ages accessible and clearly written step-bystep instruction on a wide variety of learn-how-to-draw subjects, including animals, cartoons, manga, and anime.

You can visit Chris at: ChristopherHartBooks.com

@Christopher_Hart_Books

@cartoons.manga

@ChristopherHartBooks

Mochify Your World and

Learn How to Draw 100 Adorable Animals!

IT’S SO EASY

IT’S SO EA SY and fun to transform the super-simple rounded shape of a mochi into a lovable, cuddly creature! Super-easy instructions will guide you to create a host of sweet and silly animals, from bunnies and hedgehogs to kitties and koalas. With over 500 step-by-step illustrations, you’ll be drawing a candy-colored cast of roly-poly mochi in minutes, even if you’ve never drawn before!