If you’re a long-time Brawl Stars fan, you already know Shelly is one of the most iconic brawlers in the game. She’s the first character every player unlocks, has been part of the roster since launch, and her tough, no-nonsense vibe makes her a top pick for fan art of all kinds. I’ve been drawing Brawl Stars characters for my small gaming art TikTok account for two years, and Shelly is easily the most requested character I get asked to teach. If you’ve ever wanted to sketch her but thought you needed professional art skills to pull it off, this guide breaks down exactly how to draw Shelly from Brawl Stars for fans of all skill levels.
What You’ll Need Before You Learn How to Draw Shelly from Brawl Stars
You don’t need fancy, expensive art supplies to follow this guide. I’ve had fans of all ages use everything from basic school pencils to crayons to create great Shelly drawings, so don’t let a lack of premium gear stop you from trying. All of these supplies are cheap and easy to find at any dollar store, so you don’t need to invest hundreds of dollars to learn how to draw Shelly from Brawl Stars. If you want the best results for a beginner, stick to this short list of supplies:
- A standard HB pencil for light sketching (this grade doesn’t smudge as easily as softer pencils, which is perfect for beginners who erase a lot)
- A soft kneaded eraser for fine adjustments, or a regular rubber eraser if that’s all you have on hand
- Plain copy paper or sketchbook paper with 90-100 GSM weight (thicker paper won’t tear or leave eraser marks as easily as thin printer paper)
- Black fine-liner markers and colored pencils, markers, or crayons if you want to line and color your finished piece
If you prefer drawing digitally, you can follow all the same steps on a drawing tablet or even your phone with a free drawing app. The steps work exactly the same no matter what tool you’re using, so pick whatever feels most comfortable for you.
Step 1: Sketch Shelly’s Core Proportions First
The biggest mistake new artists make when drawing Shelly is jumping straight to details like her bandana or shotgun before mapping out her base proportions. If you do that, you’ll almost always end up with weirdly long arms, a too-small head, or a shotgun that looks way too big for her body. This simple proportion trick is the secret that most beginner guides skip, and it will make learning how to draw Shelly from Brawl Stars way easier than you thought possible.
Start with a large oval for her head, a small rectangle about half the size of her head for her torso, and light stick lines for her arms, legs, and the position of her shotgun. Brawl Stars characters have a chibi-inspired art style, so her head should be a little bigger than a realistic human’s, roughly one third of her total height. Shelly usually stands in a relaxed, confident slouch, so don’t make her posture too stiff or straight, that will make her look unnatural.
Keep all of these initial lines super light, so light that you can barely see them when you hold the paper up to the light. You’ll be erasing most of these lines later, so light lines won’t leave dark smudges or marks on your final drawing. I always tell my followers to press as softly as they can with their pencil for this first step, it saves a ton of frustration later.
Step 2: Add Her Iconic Signature Features
Once you have your base proportion guide down, you can start adding the small details that make Shelly instantly recognizable as Shelly, not just a random character with a shotgun. Start with her head first, then work your way down to her body and her weapon, that way you can adjust small mistakes before you draw the rest of her outfit.
First, add her signature red bandana that covers the top half of her head, with two long fabric tails hanging down over her left shoulder. Don’t draw the bandana tight against her head, leave a little puffy space at the top to make it look like actual fabric, not a tight hat. A small strand of her dark brown hair peeks out from under the bandana on each side of her face, that’s a tiny detail most new artists miss that makes the drawing look way more accurate. Next, add her face: she has sharp, narrowed eyes, a small lopsided smirk, and a tiny scar under her right eye. Then move down to her body: she wears baggy cargo pants with big side pockets, thick scuffed work boots, and a cropped tank top.
Her shotgun is the most recognizable part of her design, so take your time with it. Her shotgun has a wide, circular barrel, a short wooden stock, and sits tucked against her hip when she’s in her default pose. Make sure it’s not too long or too skinny, it should look bulky and tough, matching her overall vibe. Once you add all these small details, you’ll be shocked how much your sketch starts to look like the actual in-game character, even when you’re still learning how to draw Shelly from Brawl Stars.
Line, Color, and Add Final Polish to Your Drawing
Once you’re fully happy with your sketch, you can choose to line it with a black fine-liner marker for a crisp, finished look, or just color directly over your pencil lines if you prefer a softer sketch look. If you do use a marker, wait 10 to 15 minutes for the ink to dry completely before you erase your pencil lines, otherwise you’ll smudge ink all over your paper and ruin your hard work.
When coloring, Shelly’s official color palette is bright red for her bandana, dark blue for her cargo pants, tan for her boots, black for her tank top, and silver and dark brown for her shotgun. You don’t have to stick to this exact palette if you want to get creative, though. I’ve seen fans draw her with pink bandanas, patterned pants, and even custom shotgun decals, that’s the fun of making fan art, you can make it your own. Don’t worry about adding fancy shading if you’re new to art, flat colors look just as good when you’re first figuring out how to draw Shelly from Brawl Stars.
If you’re drawing digitally, use a separate layer for your line art so you can edit or erase your sketch without ruining your clean lines. I also like to add a small drop shadow under her boots and behind her body to make her look like she’s standing on solid ground, instead of floating on the page. You don’t have to add this if you don’t want to, but it’s a small touch that makes the finished drawing look way more polished.
Your first try might not look perfect, and that’s totally normal. I must have drawn Shelly at least 50 times before I got her bandana shape and shotgun proportions right, so don’t get discouraged if you have to erase a few lines or start over. The more you practice these steps, the faster you’ll get, and soon you’ll be able to draw Shelly from memory in just a few minutes. Whether you’re making art to post on your social media, share with your Brawl Stars friends, or just draw for fun in your free time, learning how to draw Shelly from Brawl Stars is a great way to show your love for the game and build your art skills at the same time. Once you master Shelly, you can use the same basic proportion steps to draw almost any other Brawl Stars character too.