How to Draw a Penguin

Do you want to learn how to draw a penguin? In this tutorial, I will show you how to do it step by step. 

These animals have a body that can be easily simplified without losing realism, so you don't need to be an expert at drawing to try it! I will show you how to draw both an adult emperor penguin and a baby of this species.

1. How to Draw a Penguin's Body

Step 1

Draw a long, vertical oval. Sketch it lightly to keep these lines barely visible. This way, you'll be able to cover or erase them later.

Step 2

Put a tilted oval on top. This will be the shoulder area.

Step 3

Put another oval on the bottom. This will be the under-tail area.

Step 4

Put one more oval on top. This will be a compressed neck.

Step 5

One more oval—this will be the head!

Step 6

Outline the whole body as suggested by the shapes.

2. How to Draw a Penguin's Head

Step 1

Draw a curve across the head.

Step 2

Add another curve to sketch the structure of the beak.

Step 3

Add an oval almost at the tip of the beak. Make it cross the curve of the beak about one-third of the way from the bottom.

Step 4

Outline the head and the beak.

Step 5

Sketch the area for the eye, coming gradually to the actual eye:

Step 6

Draw the eyelids.

Step 7

Add some details to the beak.

3. How to Draw a Penguin's Feet and Wings

Step 1

Sketch simple feet. The legs are hidden, so we only see a part of the calves and feet.

Step 2

Draw ovals around the legs to give them volume.

Step 3

Draw "tridents" to create a simple structure for the feet.

Step 4

Put an oval around each toe.

Step 5

Add oval-shaped toenails.

Step 6

Put some webbing between the toes.

Step 7

Add the oval shoulders.

Step 8

Sketch the shape of the wings.

Step 9

Add some volume-defining ovals.

Step 10

Outline the wings.

Step 11

Outline the neck and mark the center of the body to better see its 3D form.

Step 12

Sketch the pattern.

4. How to Finish a Drawing of a Penguin

Step 1

Time for the final lines! You can now either erase the lines to fade them, switch to a darker tool, or put a new sheet of paper over the sketch. Either way, now you're allowed to press as hard as you need.

Outline the whole body as the sketch suggests.

Step 2

Draw the details: the lines of the pattern and the scales on the feet (we only see them at a distance, so don't worry about being very accurate here).

Step 3

Shade the eye.

Step 4

Darken the parts that will be the darkest: the head, the band of the pattern, and the toenails.

Step 5

Darken them even more, adding some basic shading. Darken the pattern on the wing and the tip of the tail as well.

Step 6

The "cape" will be dark as well, just not as dark. Shade it gently, using many short lines that will simulate the feathers.

Step 7

Add some shading to define the 3D form of the penguin's body.

Step 8

Finish the drawing by adding more of the same—more darkening, more shading—until you're satisfied with the result.

5. How to Draw a Baby Penguin

Step 1

Drawing a baby penguin is really similar, so it should be easy for you now! Sketch a circle. Again, this is the sketching phase, so keep the lines light.

Step 2

Put an oval on it, creating a snowman.

Step 3

Put half an oval on it.

Step 4

Outline the body.

Step 5

Add two ovals for the legs.

Step 6

Add ovals for feet.

Step 7

Sketch the wings.

Step 8

Mark the face area and sketch the eye.

Step 9

Sketch the beak.

Step 10

Draw a line across the middle of the body to show its 3D form.

Step 11

Add the toes and make the beak more detailed.

Step 12

Add the toenails.

Step 13

Mark the pattern on the head.

Step 14

The sketch is done! You can finish the drawing now.

~

Good Job!

Now you know how to draw an adult penguin and a baby penguin! Do you want to try other easy drawing tutorials? Here are some propositions:

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