About Drawing Den

Every child who draws runs into the same wall sooner or later. The dog in their head has four legs, a wagging tail and a big grin. The dog on the paper looks like a potato on sticks. That is usually the moment they decide they "can't draw", and put the pencil down for good.

Drawing Den is built to get them past that moment. A den is a small, quiet corner where you can try things without anyone watching, and that is the whole idea: a drawing to look at, a sheet to print, and steps that make the next attempt a little better than the last one.

One drawing, three ways to use it

Color it. Print the sheet and reach for the pencils, or try the colors on screen first with the online coloring tool.

Copy it. Keep the printed drawing beside a blank page and draw it again by hand, following the numbered steps at the bottom of the page. Copying is how most people who draw well actually learned.

Make it yours. Once the copy works, change something: a hat, a different pose, a friend standing next to it. When the blank page stays blank, things to draw has ideas to get started.

Steps written for this drawing

The steps on each page are not a generic recipe that ends with "now draw the rest". They are written for that particular drawing, in the order that makes it easiest. If the broom sets the angle of the whole witch, the steps start with the broom. Each page also says what you need, usually paper, a pencil and an eraser, and gives a tip for the one part that tends to go wrong.

Difficulty you can trust

A drawing is not hard because it has a lot of parts. It is hard when it asks for symmetry, like two eyes that have to match, for precision, like a round face or a straight tower, or for texture, like fur, scales or a mane drawn strand by strand. Every drawing here is rated on those three things and comes with a suggested age and a rough time. A five year old gets something they will finish and be proud of, and an older child gets something worth an afternoon.

Where to begin

• First tries: easy drawings, with simple shapes and few lines.
• Round, smiling, kawaii: cute drawings.
• Animals: cats, dogs, rabbits, horses.
• Creatures: unicorns, dragons, mermaids.
• Characters: Pokémon, Stitch, Hello Kitty, Minecraft, Frozen, the Disney princesses.
• Through the year: Halloween, fall, winter, Christmas.

For parents and teachers

Print as many copies as a class needs. Copying a drawing by hand is one of the oldest ways to learn, and it is exactly what these sheets are for. What can be shared, and what needs asking first, is explained on the copyright and usage page.

There is no account to create and no limit on what you print. Advertising pays for the site, and it never prints with the drawing.

Spotted a mistake, or want a subject that is not here yet? Tell us, we read everything.