Getting the proportions right on a small child figure in loose, layered clothing takes more patience than it first appears, and that challenge is at the center of this guide on how to draw Setsuko Yokokawa from the Studio Ghibli collection of tutorials. The saluting pose adds a slight asymmetry to the pose that needs careful attention across the steps.
What the Tutorial Covers Across 19 Steps
This is a full-body line art drawing with no color applied, so all 19 steps focus purely on building shape confidence and clean linework. The figure is compact and front-facing, which keeps perspective manageable, but the layered outfit with its hat, collar, bloomers, and oversized boots means there are several clothing elements stacked on a small frame to get right. Most of the detail work lands in the middle steps where the clothing silhouette is defined.
Setsuko’s Visual Design at a Glance
- Short dark hair, round face, chubby cheeks
- Large wide-brimmed hat on head
- Loose short-sleeve shirt with collar and pocket
- Puffy bloomers-style shorts with belt
- Oversized boots, one hand raised in salute
If you enjoy drawing Ghibli figures with expressive silhouettes, a few other guides on the site are worth checking out. Turnip Head from Howl’s Moving Castle shares a similar mix of chunky shapes and layered clothing. the Kodama is a good companion sketch if you want contrast with a much simpler form, and Haku and Chihiro together offers practice with multi-figure composition.
Understanding the Color Coding in the Step Images
Each step image uses a three-color system to show exactly what to draw and when:
- Red Color: lines added in the current step.
- Black Color: lines completed earlier.
- Gray Color: base sketch for structure.
How to Draw Setsuko Yokokawa: Step-by-Step Tutorial
Finished the Drawing? Share It
Once your sketch is done, drop it in the comments below. Seeing how different people work through the same 19 steps is always useful, and your version might be exactly what another reader needs to see. New tutorials go up on Facebook and Telegram as soon as they are published, a new YouTube video based on existing guides goes live every day, and Pinterest stays updated regularly. If you want to go further with other Ghibli characters, the guides for No-Face and the Soot Sprite are solid next steps. Supporting the project on Patreon helps keep new guides coming, and patrons also get access to unique hand-drawn coloring pages.