Here you’ll find an easy step-by-step tutorial for how to draw a Penguin Tutorial Video and Coloring Page.

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Penguin Drawing

When your kinders and first graders learn how to draw a penguin, the shapes need to stay wonderfully simple — think “draw an upside-down U” or “make a big J.” At this stage, the real win is helping them recognize and repeat basic shapes with confidence. The goal isn’t a perfect penguin, it’s mastering the building blocks of drawing.

Because this penguin comes together so quickly, you’ll also have time to lean into the fun part: the background. Giving students a circle of ice floating in the ocean is an easy, kid-friendly way to create a “stage” for their penguin, and it opens the door to so much creative storytelling.

Once their penguin is in place, invite them to add details that bring the scene to life — fish swimming below the ice, bubbles, waves, a seal peeking out, or even a whale tail in the distance. Some students may keep it simple, while others will happily fill the page with sea life, which makes this a great project for differentiation without changing the lesson.

In the end, you get the best of both worlds: a focused shape-based drawing lesson and a playful ocean scene that encourages imagination.

Getting Started with Drawing Guides

The best way to get students off to a good start to any drawing lesson is to show them how to use guides as a reference point. You may have noticed that all of the tutorials on this site have a dashed line running through the center of each step, in both horizontal and vertical directions. If students make their own centered lines on their own paper, before drawing, they will have an easy reference to follow.

So does that mean students need to get out a ruler to draw a big fat line down the center of their paper before they start? Goodness no, please don’t! That will most likely be hard to erase and distract from any finished art. No, simply fold the sheet of paper in half both ways, make a crease, and unfold. The beauty is that by the time the drawing is done and colored in, the creases will disappear.

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Time Lapse Drawing of a Penguin

Materials for How to Draw an Easy Penguin

Colored Pencils or Crayons

A larger pack will offer more color choices.

Sharpie Markers Black

A permanent marker will give you a dark black color.

Pencils

I like how this brand always makes nice dark lines.

Drawing Paper

This is the good stuff you can buy in bulk for a good price. Note: All of the links shared here are affiliate links.

Step by Step Directions to draw an Easy Penguin

Time needed: 45 minutes

How to Draw a Penguin

Make guidelines. Start the head.
Continue the back line.
Draw the side curve.
Draw the belly and flipper.
Add eye and beak.
Draw two feet.
Add ice around penguin.
Draw the water and the sun.
Trace and color with crayons.

Easy Penguin Coloring Page

Open Easy Penguin Coloring Page

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