Below you’ll find an easy step-by-step tutorial for how to draw Harriet Tubman. She holds a special place in American history as an brave abolitionist and political activist.

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Harriet Tubman Drawing

Student art from Laurel Academy in Seattle, WA

Why learn how to draw Harriet Tubman?

When students learn how to draw Harriet Tubman, they can help honor the life of this amazing woman. She was once enslaved, but then escaped and helped others gain their freedom as one of the leaders of the Underground Railroad. She also served as a scout, spy, guerrilla soldier, and nurse for the Union Army during the Civil War, and was considered the first African American woman to serve in the military.

To get the same colors as seen in my sample, I recommend the Prang crayons. They seem to have a richer variety of skin tones, including those that work well for African American portraits. In fact, all the colors seem to end up looking almost like oil pastels, when filled in well, at a fraction of the cost.

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.