Below you’ll find an easy tutorial for how to draw Rosa Parks and a Rosa Parks Coloring Page. She is known for her pivotal role in the Montgomery bus boycott.

A completed drawing of Rosa Parks with detailed shading and line work.

More about Rosa Parks

Rosa Parks was a civil rights activist who refused to surrender her seat to a white passenger on a segregated bus in Montgomery, Alabama. Her defiance sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Now students that are learning more about civil rights can learn how to draw Rosa Parks. Aside from learning how to honor the amazing Rosa Parks with a drawing in her likeness, this tutorial can teach students some tips on how to better draw faces too.

Getting started with the right proportions is key, and Rosa’s features happen to fall in some easy to see places. Her inside hairline touches the 1/4 down guide, the eyes on the 1/2, and the mouth just above the 3/4 line. If students make sure to hit those placements when drawing, their face is bound to have nice proportions.

Good news! A template with very light dashed lines is included in page 2 of the PDF download below. You could, of course, also just fold the paper to get creases in the same places, but sometimes that makes for extra wrinkles you have to draw around. At any rate, now you have a choice to see what works best for you and your students.

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A step-by-step drawing tutorial showing how to draw Rosa Parks from start to finish.

Rosa Parks Coloring Page

Open Rosa Parks Coloring Page

Materials

Skin Color Crayons

Because you can’t ask your students to pay attention to detail, and then only offer one choice for skin color.

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.

Pencils

I like how this brand always makes nice dark lines.

Sharpie Markers Black

A permanent marker will give you a dark black color.

How to Draw a portrait of Rosa Parks

Time needed: 1 hour

Step by Step Directions

Draw two eyes on center line or fold.

Add the bottom of the face.
Draw the top of the face with the hair line.

Add the wire rimmed glasses and the brows above it.
Draw the nose and mouth.

Add the hair on top and sides.
Start the collar.

Add shoulders and her name in block letters.
Trace with a black marker and color in.

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