Studio Ghibli Co-Creator Teaches Fans How to Draw Totoro in New Video

Studio Ghibli fans know who Hayao Miyazaki is, but they are going to be thanking Toshio Suzuki instead these days. As a co-creator of the studio, Suzuki has put in work on most of Studio Ghibli's movies, so the man knows how to draw Totoro rather well. And thanks to a new video, the producer is teaching fans how to draw the adorable anime mascot with a how-to video.

The clip was uploaded to Youtube which the Nagoya Board of Education shared recently. The area has a special connection to Studio Ghibli as Suzuki was born in the area, so the producer decided to make a video for quarantined families looking to learn a new skill while at home.

The video, which can be seen above, is pretty simple. Suzuki gets to work with a calligraphy pen to get the swooping lines he wants for Totoro, but you can surely use any pen to bring Totoro to life. The producer draws Totoro's chubby body and ears with loose strokes, and he says the key part of drawing the creature is in the eyes.

"Here comes the most important part. With the eyes, draw them apart. This is most important," the producer stressed (Sora News).

As you can tell, the eyes on Totoro are pushed apart quite a bit so that a big bridge lies between them. The only thing left to finish the drawing is some whiskers and a nose before the tutorial wraps up. This is definitely a minimal way to draw Totoro up, but it doesn't sacrifice any of the cuteness fans have come to expect from the mascot.

With a video like this available to help fans, even the most art-inept will be able to give Totoro a fair shot on paper. The mascot stands as one of Studio Ghibli's most recognizable creatures given its stubby body and round eyes. Miyazaki's My Neighbor Totoro created a bonafide legend without knowing when its titular monster appeared, and we've got to admit that Suzuki's take on Totoro is pretty dang adorable.

Are you going to give this tutorial a shot? Let me know in the comments or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB to talk all things comics and anime! Let's see what you can do with Totoro!