Learn how to draw an elephant with our easy to follow step by step drawing instructions (and the handy directed drawing printable). This little elephant is super cute and has a cartoon look to it so it will be a fun one for all ages.
Want to draw something else too? Browse all of our drawing tutorials.
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This tutorial has 9 simple to follow steps (just like our rose drawing or horse drawing <– totally worth checking).
We’ve tried our best to make these instructions as simple as possible (hence 9 steps, rather than our most common 6). But we do think we “nailed it” and created a fail proof tutorial that’s great both for kids and grown ups.
How to Draw an Elephant Step by Step
What you need
- our directed drawing template (completely optional but super handy, grab it at the end of this tutorial)
- pencil or marker
- paper
Our How to Draw Book is Here!
A must-have book with just over 100 easy-to-follow directed drawing guides for kids. With a variety of animals, magical creatures, vehicles, foods, plants and more your kids will never get bored.
Elephant Drawing Instructions
Step 1
Depending on which direction your elephant will be facing either draw an S or a reversed S.
Step 2
Draw another shape just like it under it. You can also see the elephant trunk forming.
Step 3
Finish up the trunk. Also start drawing the elephant head and a little “lens” shape at the bottom of the head.
Step 4
Draw the tusk, the big C or reversed C shaped ear and an eye. As this is a cartoon like elephant, there is no need for “attention to detail”. However if you want to be more specific, you can draw rounded ears for an African elephant and more triangle like ears for the Asian elephant.
Step 5
Draw the other ear. Also draw a line from the tusk towards the ear, but don’t make it all the way to the ear. You have just drawn your elephant head. Pretty neat right?
Step 6
Draw the first pair of legs.
Step 7
Make the belly by connecting the legs with a curved line. Also draw the back, start by the ears and work your way through the leg.
Step 8
Continue with the other pair of legs. We’re almost finished!
Step 9
All there is left to do is to make the tail and add a few details.
Congratulations! You have just learned how to draw an elephant. It was way easier than you thought wasn’t it?
Color
Bring your elephant drawing to life with some color. We think blue and gray look great when it comes to coloring an elephant, but let your imagination be the guide.
Get the How to Draw an Elephant Directed Drawing Printable
Happy drawing!
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I love your How To Draw series! But – when I went to the pdf of the elephant, the top of it says “How to draw a horse” – oh dear! Thank you so much for all your hard work in putting these crafts and tutorials together. These are amazing and help me out greatly as the Art-and-craft-er at the clinic I work at.
Hi! Yes I totally missed that one. It has been fixed.
how to draw a “horse” ??? typo – you meant “elephant”
Yes it was :). It has been corrected.
I am very worst at drawing.But as soon as I drawed the elephant after following the instructions it became the beautiful and cute elephant.Thank u for those tutorialls