How to Draw the Riddler
Use the video and step-by-step drawing instructions below to learn how to draw the Riddler, Batman's enemy from Batman: The Animated Series. 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 an circle near the middle of the page. This will be the basic shape for the Riddler’s head. Leave enough room at the top for his hat and and the bottom for his chin. The circle doesn’t have to be perfect. It’s just a guide.
Step 2: Next, draw two intersecting lines across the circle, one vertical and one horizontal. Bend the lines so that they contour to the shape. These will be construction lines that will help you place the Riddler's facial features later on.
Step 3: Draw two small half circles as guides for the Riddler's eyes. Draw the guides sitting on top of the horizontal construction line and on either side of the vertical construction line. The half circle on the left should be a bit smaller because of perspective.
Step 4: On the right side of the Riddler's head, at the end of the horizontal construction line, draw a curved line similar to a backward letter C. This will be a guide for the Riddler's ear.
Step 5: Under the circle, draw an angled line with two corners at the bottom. This will be the Riddler's jaw and chin. Notice that the corners at the bottom kind of line up with the eyes on top.
Step 6: Draw two lines below the Riddler's head as guides for the neck. The line on the left should be short because most of that side will be hidden behind the head.
Step 7: On the top part of the Riddler's head, about halfway between the eyes and the top of the circle, draw a long horizontal line as a guide for the brim of his hat. The ends of the line should curve up slightly.
Step 8: Draw a tall arc above the head as a guide for the top of the Riddler's hat. The end of the line on the right should rest on top of the ear, and the end on the left should meet the brim of the hat. The height of the hat is about the distance between the brim of the hat and the bottom of the circle.
Step 9: That’s it for the initial sketch! You have the basic shape of the Riddler cartoon character from Batman: The Animated Series. Now go in and tighten your Riddler drawing. From this point on, press harder with your pencil in order to get darker lines and a more defined sketch.
Step 10: Tighten the shape of the Riddler's eyes as you make the lines darker. The eyes come to a sharper point at the end closer to the vertical construction line.
Step 11: Draw the Riddler's nose by using the construction lines as guides. The nose curls in between the eyes to a shape similar to the number 6.
Step 12: Below the nose draw a long line for the Riddler's mouth. Curve the line toward the eye on the right a bit to give him a smirk. Draw a small line at the top of the smile and another small line under it for detail.
Step 13: Draw the Riddler's ear using the initial arc as a guide. Darken the outer edge of the ear. Inside the ear draw a couple of lines to create the inner structure.
Step 14: Use the initial shapes as guides to draw the Riddler's face. Follow the basic path of the guide lines and draw a bump above the eye for the brow as you darken the line. Draw another bump below the eye to create the Riddler's cheekbone. The line for this Batman character's face ends just below the ear.
Step 15: Create the Riddler's mask by drawing a line that surrounds the eyes. The mask should be thin near the middle, above the nose and wider near the eyes.
Step 16: The Riddler's hat is a bit tricky, so it's divided into two parts. Use the top horizontal guide line as a guide to draw the bottom part of the brim. Draw an arc on the left that touches the top part of the hat, then curve the line up above the eye on the right and the ear.
Step 17: Now draw the top part of the hat's brim by following the same basic shape of the line before. This line starts on the left side and curves up, then it comes down to wrap around and end on the right side of the Riddler's head.
Step 18: Draw the top part of the Riddler's hat by darkening the initial arc. Draw a line inside the top part of the hat that curves a bit to create the band above the brim.
Step 19: Draw the Riddler's hair in between the mask, ear and brim of the hat as a couple of lines. The line on the left points toward the mask a bit for the Riddler's hairline. Darken the lines below the head to create this cartoon character's neck, and add another line on the left of the neck for extra detail.
Step 20: That’s it! You now have a nice sketch of the Riddler, Batman's enemy from Batman: The Animated Series. You can stop at this quick drawing for a rough, sketchy look or go for a more finished look by continuing to the next step.
Step 21: For a more finished, inked look, carefully draw over the final sketch lines with a pen or marker. Wait for the ink to dry, and then get rid of every pencil mark with an eraser. You now have a finished inked drawing of the Riddler, Batman's enemy from Batman: The Animated Series! You can stop here or continue to the final step to complete your Riddler drawing.
Final Step: For a completely finished Riddler drawing, you have to color it. You can use markers, color pencils or even crayons! Color his hat green and leave the band white. His mask is purple, and his hair is orange. His skin is peach-colored, but if you don’t have peach, improvise and use yellow-orange or light brown. Experiment! That’s it! You now have a completed drawing of the Riddler, Batman's enemy from Batman: The Animated Series.
