15 Cute Food Drawings in Kawaii Style

Kawaii (kah-wah-ee) is the Japanese word for “cute” — and it is a whole drawing style built on one magical idea: give anything a happy little face and it becomes adorable. A cupcake is nice. A cupcake with sparkling eyes and a tiny smile? Irresistible. Here are 15 cute food drawings in kawaii style, each with a full step-by-step DrawCub tutorial, plus our best tips for drawing perfect kawaii faces.

Sweet Treats

1. How to Draw a Cupcake

The queen of kawaii food. Our cupcake tutorial draws a swirly frosted cupcake with a cherry on top in 6 steps and about 5 minutes. The face goes on the wrapper — big eyes, small smile, and you have instant cuteness.

How to Draw a Cupcake — Easy, 5 min

2. How to Draw a Donut

A ring with drippy icing and sprinkles — the donut tutorial is 5 steps and about 4 minutes of pure joy. Kawaii tip: put the face on the donut itself, peeking out from under the icing.

How to Draw a Donut — Easy, 4 min

3. How to Draw an Ice Cream Cone

Waffle cone, scoops, and a cherry — the ice cream tutorial stacks it all up in 6 steps and about 5 minutes. Give each scoop its own tiny face for triple the cute.

How to Draw an Ice Cream Cone — Easy, 5 min

4. How to Draw Bubble Tea

A tall cup, a fat straw, and bouncy boba pearls at the bottom — bubble tea is already cute, and the kawaii face makes it cuter. Six steps, about 5 minutes, and endlessly fun to color.

How to Draw Bubble Tea — Easy, 5 min

5. How to Draw a Cookie

Chocolate chip cookies are kawaii naturals: a round cookie, melty chips, and a sleepy happy face. The tutorial is 4 steps and about 3 minutes — one of the fastest treats on this list.

How to Draw a Cookie — Easy, 3 min

6. How to Draw Candy

A wrapped candy with twisted ends takes just 4 steps and about 3 minutes. Draw a whole handful in different colors — each with its own expression. Happy, sleepy, surprised: candy has feelings too.

How to Draw Candy — Easy, 3 min

Fruity Cuties

7. How to Draw a Strawberry

Heart-shaped body, seed dots, and a leafy top — strawberries are practically born kawaii. Our tutorial draws one in 5 steps and about 4 minutes. The face sits right in the middle of the berry.

How to Draw a Strawberry — Easy, 4 min

8. How to Draw a Watermelon Slice

A triangle of red, a green rind, and seed dots — the watermelon slice tutorial is 4 steps and about 3 minutes. Kawaii artists love this one because the big flat face area is perfect for an extra-happy expression.

How to Draw a Watermelon Slice — Easy, 3 min

9. How to Draw a Pineapple

Oval body, crisscross pattern, spiky crown — the pineapple tutorial takes 6 steps and about 5 minutes. Its tall shape is great for a cool, chill kawaii face with half-closed happy eyes.

How to Draw a Pineapple — Easy, 5 min

Savory Snacks

10. How to Draw a Sushi Roll

A chunky little sushi roll with rice, seaweed, and a salmon center — 5 steps and about 4 minutes. The round cross-section is a perfect canvas for a kawaii face. Draw three in a row for a sushi squad.

How to Draw a Sushi Roll — Easy, 4 min

11. How to Draw a Pizza Slice

Triangle, crust, pepperoni circles — pizza is one of the easiest foods to draw at 4 steps and about 3 minutes. Add a face to the cheesy middle and it is instantly kawaii.

How to Draw a Pizza Slice — Easy, 3 min

12. How to Draw a Burger

Stack the layers — bun, lettuce, cheese, patty, bun — in 6 steps and about 5 minutes. The burger’s wide smile-shaped layers practically beg for a face. This one looks amazing colored in.

How to Draw a Burger — Easy, 5 min

13. How to Draw Popcorn

A striped bucket overflowing with bumpy popcorn — the tutorial is 5 steps and about 4 minutes. The popcorn puffs are just connected bumps, and each one can have a mini face. Movie-night cuteness!

How to Draw Popcorn — Easy, 4 min

14. How to Draw a Milk Carton

A little milk carton with a straw is kawaii perfection in 5 steps and about 4 minutes. Draw a cow-spot pattern or a strawberry-milk pink version for extra charm.

How to Draw a Milk Carton — Easy, 4 min

15. How to Draw a Kawaii Mushroom

Okay, not technically food — but this spotted mushroom is the mascot of kawaii style, and our tutorial draws it in 5 steps and about 4 minutes. It is the perfect practice piece for kawaii faces before you try them on food.

How to Draw a Kawaii Mushroom — Easy, 4 min

How to draw the perfect kawaii face

The face is what turns food into kawaii. Here is the formula that works every time:

Big round eyes — two ovals, fairly large and spaced apart. Bigger eyes = cuter.
Sparkle highlights — leave a tiny white circle inside each eye (or add one with a white pen). This single trick adds the most cuteness.
A tiny mouth — a small “w” shape, a little “o,” or a simple curved smile. Keep it small!
Blush cheeks — two small pink ovals under the eyes. Optional, but they scream kawaii.
Keep features low and centered — faces look cuter when the eyes and mouth sit in the lower middle of the shape, like a baby’s face.

Try three expressions while you practice: happy (curved smile), excited (open “o” mouth), and sleepy (closed curved eyes like upside-down U’s). Once you can draw these three faces, you can make ANYTHING kawaii — try it on your next animal drawing too!

Make a kawaii food parade

Challenge: draw five foods from this list in a row, each with a different expression. Line them up like a parade across your page. Every tutorial includes a free printable PDF, so you can practice your kawaii faces anywhere. Sweet drawing!

7 Fun Drawing Games for Kids

Some of the best drawing happens when you stop trying to make something perfect and start playing. Drawing games turn art time into giggle time — perfect for parties, rainy days, classrooms, and family nights. All you need is paper and pencils. Here are seven of our favorite drawing games for kids, from silly to surprisingly artistic.

1. Exquisite Corpse (the fold-and-pass monster)

This is the all-time classic. Each player gets a paper folded into three sections (head, body, legs). Player one draws a head in the top section — it can be a ghost head, a monster head, anything — then folds it over so only tiny neck lines show. Player two draws the body without seeing the head. Player three draws the legs. Unfold and reveal the glorious, ridiculous creature you made together. No drawing skill required; the weirder, the better.

Players: 3+ • Time: 10 minutes

2. Draw and Pass (the telephone game, but art)

Everyone draws the top half of something — say, a cat’s head — for one minute, then passes their paper left. The next player draws the body without knowing what the head looks like (keep it covered!). Pass again for the background. At the end, reveal the mismatched masterpieces. For an easier version, let players see the previous section — the results are still wonderfully surprising.

Players: 3+ • Time: 10–15 minutes

3. Timed Challenge (beat the clock!)

Pick a tutorial, set a timer, and draw it before time runs out. Start generous — 5 minutes for the candy corn tutorial — then get braver: 3 minutes, 2 minutes, 1 minute! The drawings get wobblier and funnier as the time shrinks, and kids discover something amazing: they can draw much faster than they thought. Great for building confidence and loosening up perfectionists.

Players: 1+ • Time: 5–10 minutes

4. Blind Contour (don’t look down!)

Pick an object — a shoe, a banana, a friend’s face — and draw it WITHOUT looking at your paper. Eyes stay on the object; the pencil stays on the paper. The rule: no peeking until you are done. The results are gloriously wonky, and everyone laughs. Then try it again — the second attempt is always better, which teaches kids that observation improves fast with practice.

Players: 1+ • Time: 5 minutes per round

5. Scribble Transform (turn chaos into art)

One player scribbles randomly on everyone’s paper — loops, zigzags, wild lines. Then each player has 5 minutes to turn their scribble into a real drawing by adding to it. A loop becomes a butterfly wing; a zigzag becomes a mountain. This game is secretly brilliant: it teaches kids that every drawing starts as messy lines, and creativity is just seeing possibilities.

Players: 2+ • Time: 10 minutes

6. Drawing Dice (roll and draw)

Make a simple chart: 1 = cat, 2 = ghost, 3 = frog, 4 = pumpkin, 5 = fish, 6 = player’s choice. Roll the dice three times and draw all three results in ONE scene — a ghost riding a fish past a pumpkin, for example. Kids love the randomness, and combining unrelated things is genuine creative training. Use our tutorials for any character you roll!

Players: 1+ • Time: 15 minutes

7. Copycat Challenge (follow the leader)

One player is the leader and draws one line — just one. Everyone copies it. The leader draws another line; everyone copies. Keep going until the leader declares the drawing finished. Then compare: did everyone’s copy match? This game builds careful observation and is hilarious when the leader sneaks in a tricky curve. Swap leaders each round so everyone gets a turn.

Players: 2+ • Time: 10 minutes

Tips for grown-ups running game time

Keep it praise-heavy — in games, there are no bad drawings, only funny ones. Laugh WITH the art, never at the artist.
Join in — kids play harder when adults play too. Your wobbly ghost gives them permission to be silly.
Display the results — tape the exquisite corpses to the wall. They are always the funniest gallery.
End with a real tutorial — after 20 minutes of games, kids are warmed up and confident. That is the perfect moment to follow a step-by-step tutorial like How to Draw a Frog together.

Drawing games prove the most important art lesson of all: drawing is supposed to be FUN. Play first, practice second, and watch how fast the skills follow the laughter.

25 Easy Christmas Drawing Ideas for Kids

Christmas is the coziest drawing season of the year. Twinkling lights, snowy friends, sweet treats, and jolly old Santa — everything about December is begging to be drawn. We have put together 25 easy Christmas drawing ideas for kids and beginners, and 15 of them come with full step-by-step tutorials you can follow right here on DrawCub. Each tutorial takes between 3 and 8 minutes, and our red-line step system shows you exactly which line to draw next.

Start with the easy wins, work your way up to the medium ones, and by Christmas morning you will have a whole festive gallery — perfect for homemade cards, decorations, and gifts!

Santa and His Friends

1. How to Draw Santa

The main man himself! Our Santa tutorial draws a jolly, round-faced Santa with a fluffy beard and a bright red hat in about 8 steps. It is medium difficulty and takes around 8 minutes, but the step system keeps it fun and doable. Draw him big in the middle of your page — everything else on this list can surround him.

How to Draw Santa — Medium, 8 min

2. How to Draw a Reindeer

No Santa without his reindeer! This tutorial draws a friendly reindeer with big antlers in 6 easy steps and about 6 minutes. The antlers look fancy but are just simple curved branches — the tutorial breaks them down so they come out great every time. Give yours a bright red nose and you have got Rudolph.

How to Draw a Reindeer — Easy, 6 min

3. How to Draw an Elf

Elves are all about the pointy ears and curly-toe shoes, and this tutorial gets both right in a cute, beginner-friendly style. About 7 minutes of drawing gives you a cheerful little helper you can color green and red. Draw three elves in a row — workshop crew, assembled!

How to Draw an Elf — Medium, 7 min

4. How to Draw a Snowman

Three stacked circles, a carrot nose, and a cozy scarf — the snowman is one of the happiest drawings in the whole Christmas set. Our tutorial adds simple stick arms and a top hat in 5 steps and about 4 minutes. It is a perfect first drawing for little kids because every part is a simple shape.

How to Draw a Snowman — Easy, 4 min

5. How to Draw a Penguin

Penguins belong in December drawings, no debate. This tutorial draws a round, waddling penguin with a little scarf in 6 steps and about 5 minutes. The big white belly and orange beak make it pop off the page. Pair it with the snowman for a snowy scene that practically draws itself.

How to Draw a Penguin — Easy, 5 min

Christmas Decorations

6. How to Draw a Christmas Tree

The Christmas tree is THE decoration drawing, and our tutorial makes it simple: layered triangle branches, a star on top, and round ornaments in about 6 steps and 6 minutes. Once you learn the branch pattern, you can draw trees of any size — try a whole forest of tiny trees across the top of your page.

How to Draw a Christmas Tree — Easy, 6 min

7. How to Draw a Wreath

A wreath is just a donut shape made of leaves and berries — and the tutorial shows you exactly how in 5 easy steps and about 5 minutes. Add a big bow at the top and it looks like a real door decoration. This one is lovely for homemade Christmas cards.

How to Draw a Wreath — Easy, 5 min

8. How to Draw an Ornament

Christmas ornaments are perfect for beginners: a circle, a little cap, and your own pattern inside. This 4-step, 3-minute tutorial is one of the fastest in the whole set. Draw a row of them hanging from a single line and color each one differently — instant garland!

How to Draw an Ornament — Easy, 3 min

9. How to Draw a Candy Cane

The candy cane’s hooked shape is so satisfying to draw, and the tutorial adds perfect even stripes in just 4 steps and 3 minutes. It is an ideal warm-up drawing before tackling a bigger one. Tie two candy canes together with a bow for a sweet decoration drawing.

How to Draw a Candy Cane — Easy, 3 min

10. How to Draw a Santa Hat

A floppy Santa hat with a fluffy trim and a pom-pom takes just 5 steps and about 4 minutes. It is a great easy win, and here is a fun trick: draw this hat on top of ANY other character — your cat, a snowman, a monster — and it instantly becomes a Christmas drawing.

How to Draw a Santa Hat — Easy, 4 min

11. How to Draw Christmas Bells

Two shiny bells tied with a bow and a sprig of holly — a classic Christmas symbol that takes 6 steps and about 5 minutes. The tutorial shows you how to make the bells look round and shiny with just a few highlight lines. Hang them at the top of a holiday card for a traditional look.

How to Draw Christmas Bells — Easy, 5 min

12. How to Draw a Candle

A glowing Christmas candle with a soft flame is a calm, pretty drawing for quiet December evenings. The tutorial walks through the candle body, dripping wax, and flickering flame in 5 steps and about 5 minutes. Draw it in warm yellows and oranges for that cozy candlelight feel.

How to Draw a Candle — Easy, 5 min

Sweet Treats and Gifts

13. How to Draw a Gingerbread Man

Wavy arms, wavy legs, gumdrop buttons, and a big smile — the gingerbread man is pure December joy. This tutorial gets the classic cookie shape right in 6 steps and about 5 minutes. Decorate yours with icing squiggles, then draw a whole cookie family.

How to Draw a Gingerbread Man — Easy, 5 min

14. How to Draw a Stocking

Hang a stocking, wait for treats! The stocking tutorial is 5 simple steps and about 4 minutes, with a fluffy cuff and a heel and toe you color in. Personalize it by writing a name on the cuff — kids LOVE drawing their own stocking.

How to Draw a Stocking — Easy, 4 min

15. How to Draw a Gift Box

A gift box with a big ribbon bow is a drawing superpower — once you learn it, you can draw presents for every occasion. Our tutorial breaks the box and bow into 6 easy steps and about 5 minutes. Stack three boxes of different sizes for a perfect under-the-tree scene.

How to Draw a Gift Box — Easy, 5 min

10 More Ideas to Try on Your Own

Finished all 15 tutorials? Here are 10 more Christmas drawing ideas to sketch freehand — no tutorial needed:

A snowy winter landscape with pine trees and falling snowflakes
Santa’s sleigh flying across a big round moon
A plate of Christmas cookies (stars, trees, and bells)
A fireplace with stockings hanging and a fire crackling
A cute reindeer family pulling a tiny sled
Christmas lights strung across the top of your page
A snow globe with a tiny tree inside
An angel with big wings for the top of the tree
A mug of hot chocolate with marshmallows and steam
Your own Christmas card design using any three ideas from this list

Turn your drawings into Christmas magic

Here is the best part about Christmas drawings: they become gifts. Scan or photograph your favorite drawings and turn them into homemade cards, gift tags, wrapping-paper doodles, or framed art for grandparents. Every tutorial comes with a free printable PDF so you can practice on paper anywhere. Merry Christmas drawing!

Drawing Supplies for Beginners: What You Actually Need

You do not need fancy supplies to learn how to draw. Seriously. Some of the best drawings in the world were made with a cheap pencil and a scrap of paper. But walking into an art supply aisle can feel overwhelming — hundreds of pencils, dozens of paper types, and prices that make you wonder if you need a second job. Here is the truth: beginners need very little. This guide covers exactly what to buy, what to skip, and how to spend wisely.

The absolute essentials (start here)

A pencil: HB or #2

One regular pencil is enough to start. If you want a tiny upgrade, grab a small set of graphite pencils (HB, 2B, 4B, 6B) — they cost just a few dollars and give you light, medium, and dark lines. The softer the pencil (higher B number), the darker and smudgier the line. For following DrawCub tutorials, an HB pencil is perfect. Try the How to Draw a Ghost tutorial with a 2B pencil and see how smooth your lines feel.

Paper: plain printer paper is fine

You do not need a fancy sketchbook on day one. Regular white printer paper (copy paper) works great for practice — it is cheap, smooth, and you will not feel guilty “wasting” a page on a wobbly drawing. When you are ready for a sketchbook, look for one labeled “mixed media” or “drawing” with at least 70 lb (110 gsm) paper so markers do not bleed through.

An eraser: get a kneaded one

Skip the pink eraser on the end of your pencil — it tears paper. Buy a kneaded eraser (the soft, putty-like grey one). It lifts graphite gently without damaging the paper, never leaves crumbs, and lasts forever. It costs about a dollar and is the single best upgrade a beginner can make.

A pencil sharpener

A sharp pencil gives you clean, controlled lines; a dull one gives you mush. A simple handheld sharpener with two holes (standard and large) is all you need. Sharpen often — it genuinely changes how your drawings look.

Nice to have (buy these second)

Fine-tip black pen or marker — for tracing over your finished pencil drawing to make clean outlines. A 0.5mm fineliner is the classic choice.
Colored pencils (12-pack) — the cheapest way to add color. They are forgiving, blendable, and do not bleed through paper.
A ruler — handy for gift boxes, houses, and anything with straight edges.
A blending stump — a little paper stick for smoothing shading. Optional, but fun for animal fur and shadows.

What NOT to buy (yet)

Art stores love selling beginners things they do not need. Save your money:

Expensive professional markers — alcohol markers are wonderful, but they cost a lot and bleed through thin paper. Learn with colored pencils first.
Huge pencil sets (48+ pieces) — you will use four pencils and ignore the rest. A 6- or 12-piece set is plenty.
Specialty papers — watercolor paper, toned paper, and textured paper are for specific techniques you are not doing yet.
Electric erasers and fancy gadgets — fun, but a kneaded eraser does the job for a dollar.
“Drawing kits” with 100+ pieces — mostly filler: low-quality pastels, tiny paint pans, and charcoal you will never touch.

A beginner budget that works

Here is a starter kit that covers everything above for roughly $10–15:

Graphite pencil set (6-pack) — ~$4
Kneaded eraser — ~$1
Handheld sharpener — ~$2
Fine-tip black pen — ~$2
12-pack of colored pencils — ~$5
A ream of printer paper — you probably already own this

That is it. That kit will carry you through your first hundred drawings — including every tutorial on DrawCub.

One last tip: take care of the basics

Store pencils flat or upright (never toss them loose in a bag where tips snap), keep your eraser in a little pouch so it does not pick up dirt, and date your sketchbook pages. In three months you will flip back and be amazed at how far a simple pencil took you. Try it today: grab that HB pencil and follow the How to Draw a Pumpkin tutorial. Great supplies help, but showing up is what makes an artist.

10 Benefits of Drawing for Kids

Parents often ask us: “Is drawing actually good for my child, or is it just a fun way to pass the time?” The answer is both — and the “good for them” part is bigger than most people realize. Drawing is one of the richest activities a child can do: it builds the brain, the hands, the heart, and the imagination all at once. Here are ten research-backed benefits of drawing for kids, and why that sketchbook might be the best investment you ever make.

1. Builds fine motor skills

Holding a pencil, controlling pressure, and guiding lines all strengthen the small muscles in the hands and fingers. These are the exact same muscles kids need for handwriting, buttoning clothes, tying shoes, and using scissors. Every drawing session is secretly hand-strength training.

2. Improves hand-eye coordination

When a child looks at a step in a tutorial and guides their pencil to copy it, their eyes and hands are learning to work as a team. This coordination transfers to sports, writing, typing, and dozens of everyday tasks. Tutorials like How to Draw a Frog are perfect practice — the eyes study each red line, and the hand follows.

3. Boosts focus and concentration

Drawing demands attention: which line goes where, how big, how dark. Kids who struggle to sit still for other activities often focus deeply on a drawing — teachers call this “flow.” Even a 5-minute tutorial builds the concentration muscle, and it grows with every session.

4. Encourages creative thinking

Once a child can draw a cat, they start asking “what if the cat wore a hat?” or “what if it lived on the moon?” Drawing gives imagination a physical form. Creative thinking is one of the most valued skills in school and beyond — and drawing is the gym where it gets built.

5. Develops problem-solving skills

Every drawing is a series of small problems: the ear looks too big, the circle is lopsided, the legs are uneven. Kids learn to pause, assess, erase, and try again. That loop — attempt, evaluate, adjust — is the core of problem-solving in math, science, and life.

6. Builds confidence and self-esteem

There is nothing like finishing a drawing and thinking “I made that!” Step-by-step tutorials are especially powerful here because they guarantee a satisfying result — a child who follows the How to Draw a Butterfly tutorial ends up with a real butterfly on the page. Each finished drawing is proof of “I can do hard things.”

7. Provides emotional expression

Kids do not always have the words for big feelings. Drawing gives them another language. A child who draws dark storm clouds or a smiling sun is processing emotions safely on paper. Art therapists have known this for decades — and a simple sketchbook at home offers a gentle version of the same outlet.

8. Strengthens visual learning and observation

Drawing teaches kids to really LOOK. Is the pumpkin round or oval? Which way do the bat’s wings curve? This careful observation sharpens visual memory and attention to detail — skills that help with reading (spotting letter shapes), science (observing experiments), and geometry (seeing shapes in the world).

9. Teaches patience and persistence

A drawing does not finish itself in ten seconds. Kids learn that good things take steps — literally, in our tutorials. When a drawing goes wrong at step 4, they learn to keep going instead of crumpling the paper. That persistence is a life skill disguised as art class.

10. Creates screen-free, low-cost family time

In a world of tablets and streaming, drawing is refreshingly simple: paper, pencils, and people. Drawing together — a parent sketching alongside a child — creates calm, connected time with zero batteries required. Print two copies of a tutorial PDF and draw side by side. It is one of the cheapest, warmest family activities there is.

How to get the most out of drawing time

Keep supplies visible and reachable — kids draw more when paper and pencils are within arm’s reach, not buried in a closet.
Praise effort and specifics — instead of “that’s nice,” try “I love how you made the frog’s eyes so round.” Specific praise builds real confidence.
Draw with them sometimes — your wobbly lines give them permission to be imperfect too.
Display their work — a fridge gallery or a bedroom wall of finished drawings tells a child their art matters.
Start with a win — pick an easy tutorial first, like How to Draw a Candy Corn (3 minutes!), so the first experience feels like success.

Drawing is never “just doodling.” It is brain-building, heart-growing, confidence-making work — disguised as the most fun a kid can have with a pencil. Hand them one today and watch what happens.

How Teachers Can Use DrawCub’s Step Player in the Classroom

Looking for a classroom activity that is calm, creative, curriculum-friendly, and costs almost nothing? Drawing checks every box — and DrawCub’s Step Player was designed to make it effortless for teachers. Project a tutorial on the board, press play, and your whole class draws together, one red line at a time. Here is how to use it, from five-minute warmups to full art lessons.

Why the Step Player works in a classroom

Traditional “draw along with me” lessons fail for one reason: the teacher draws too fast, half the class falls behind, and frustration takes over. The Step Player solves this with its step-by-step design:

One step per screen — students see only the current step, so nobody gets overwhelmed or lost.
The red-line system — new lines appear in red while finished lines fade to grey. Every student can see exactly what to draw next, even from the back row.
Draw-Along autoplay mode — the player advances automatically with a comfortable pause between steps, so you can walk the room helping students instead of being stuck at the board.
Next/Back controls — pause on a tricky step, go back if someone missed it, or skip ahead if the class is flying. You control the pace.

Setup: project it on the board (2 minutes)

You need nothing special — just the classroom projector or interactive whiteboard you already have, plus a browser:

Open any DrawCub tutorial on the classroom computer (try How to Draw an Owl for a first lesson).
Click into the Step Player and make it full-screen.
Hand out paper and pencils — or use the free printable PDF version if you prefer worksheets.
Press play on Draw-Along mode and let the class follow together.

Tip: bump the browser zoom to 125–150% on smaller projectors so the red lines are visible from every desk.

Classroom idea 1: the 5-minute warmup

Start any lesson — not just art — with a 5-minute drawing warmup. It settles a noisy class faster than almost anything: pencils come out, eyes go to the board, and the room goes quiet. Pick short tutorials like How to Draw a Candy Corn (3 minutes) or How to Draw a Ghost (4 minutes). Warmups work brilliantly before writing tasks, after lunch, or as a Friday treat.

Classroom idea 2: draw across the curriculum

Drawing is not just for art class. Use tutorials to reinforce other subjects:

Science: draw animals while studying habitats — a frog for pond life, a penguin for polar regions.
Seasons and holidays: draw a pumpkin in October, a snowman in December, a butterfly in spring.
Story writing: draw the main character first, then write the story about them. Reluctant writers suddenly have ideas.
Vocabulary: young learners draw and label — a labeled drawing of a butterfly teaches “wings,” “antennae,” and “spots” effortlessly.

Classroom idea 3: printable PDFs as worksheets

Every DrawCub tutorial includes a free printable PDF of all the steps. Print a class set and you have an instant no-prep worksheet for:

Early finishers (keep a folder of printed tutorials at a “drawing station”)
Sub plans (a stack of printed tutorials + pencils = a calm, productive sub day)
Rainy-day indoor recess
Homework with a creative twist

Tips for a smooth drawing lesson

Match difficulty to the group — start with Easy tutorials for younger classes; let older students try Medium ones like the black cat or haunted house.
Normalize “ugly” step 3 — tell the class every drawing looks weird halfway through. It prevents the mid-lesson “mine’s bad” meltdown.
Celebrate variety — thirty owls drawn from the same tutorial will look thirty different ways. Display them together; the differences are the point.
Let fast finishers extend — add a background, color it in, or draw a second character next to the first.
Keep it low-pressure — no grades, no “best drawing” contests. The goal is participation and calm, not perfection.

A sample 30-minute art lesson plan

Minutes 0–3: Show the finished drawing. Ask: “What shapes do you see?” (Builds observation.)
Minutes 3–15: Draw-Along mode on the board; students follow step by step.
Minutes 15–25: Free time — color it, add a background, or draw a friend for the character.
Minutes 25–30: Gallery walk — tape drawings to the board and let the class admire them.

That is a complete, engaging art lesson with zero prep and almost zero cost. Project the Step Player, press play, and watch a room full of kids discover they can draw. Few classroom tools deliver that much joy per minute.

20 Easy Animal Drawings for Beginners

Animals are the #1 thing kids want to draw — and for good reason. A cat is circles and triangles. A frog is an oval with big eyes. Almost every animal breaks down into simple shapes, which makes them perfect for beginners. Here are 20 easy animal drawings for beginners, each with a full step-by-step DrawCub tutorial. Start with an easy favorite, and work your way through the whole zoo!

Favorite Pets

1. How to Draw a Cat

The classic first animal. Our cat tutorial builds a cute sitting cat from circles and triangles in 6 steps and about 5 minutes. Master this one and you have unlocked the secret to drawing most animals: start with simple shapes.

How to Draw a Cat — Easy, 5 min

2. How to Draw a Dog

Floppy ears, a wagging tail, and a big happy tongue — the dog tutorial draws a friendly pup in 7 steps and about 6 minutes. Try drawing yours sitting next to the cat for an instant pet portrait.

How to Draw a Dog — Easy, 6 min

3. How to Draw a Bunny

Long ears, a fluffy tail, and buck teeth — bunnies are pure cuteness in 5 steps and about 4 minutes. This is one of the fastest animal tutorials, and a great confidence-builder for little kids.

How to Draw a Bunny — Easy, 4 min

4. How to Draw a Chick

A round yellow body, a tiny beak, and stick legs — the chick tutorial is 4 steps of pure simplicity in about 3 minutes. Perfect for spring drawings or Easter cards.

How to Draw a Chick — Easy, 3 min

5. How to Draw a Duck

Our duck tutorial draws a cheerful duckling with a big bill in 5 steps and about 4 minutes. Add wavy water lines underneath and you have a pond scene in under five minutes.

How to Draw a Duck — Easy, 4 min

Wild Animals

6. How to Draw a Fox

Pointy ears, a sharp snout, and that magnificent fluffy tail — the fox is a slightly more challenging draw at 7 steps and about 6 minutes. The tail alone is worth it.

How to Draw a Fox — Easy, 6 min

7. How to Draw a Lion

The king of the jungle, simplified: a round face surrounded by a big fluffy mane. Our lion tutorial takes 7 steps and about 6 minutes, and the mane technique (scalloped circles!) works for all kinds of drawings.

How to Draw a Lion — Easy, 6 min

8. How to Draw a Bear

Round ears, a round body, a round snout — bears are wonderfully circle-based. The tutorial draws a friendly teddy-style bear in 6 steps and about 5 minutes.

How to Draw a Bear — Easy, 5 min

9. How to Draw a Panda

Black ears, black eye patches, white face — the panda’s simple color pattern makes it one of the most satisfying animals to draw. Six steps, about 5 minutes, and it looks great even without color.

How to Draw a Panda — Easy, 5 min

10. How to Draw a Koala

Big fluffy ears and a huge oval nose — the koala tutorial is 6 steps and about 5 minutes of adorable. Draw it hugging a tree branch for the full effect.

How to Draw a Koala — Easy, 5 min

11. How to Draw a Monkey

Curled tail, round ears, and a mischievous grin — the monkey tutorial takes 7 steps and about 6 minutes. Hang yours from a branch you draw across the top of the page.

How to Draw a Monkey — Easy, 6 min

12. How to Draw a Raccoon

The masked bandit of the animal kingdom! Our raccoon tutorial draws the striped tail and eye mask in 7 steps and about 6 minutes. A fun medium-easy challenge.

How to Draw a Raccoon — Easy, 6 min

13. How to Draw a Giraffe

Long neck, spotted pattern, little horns — the giraffe looks impressive but the tutorial keeps it to 7 steps and about 6 minutes. The spot pattern is just rounded blobs, and kids love inventing their own.

How to Draw a Giraffe — Easy, 6 min

14. How to Draw an Elephant

The elephant is the biggest animal on this list and one of the most fun: big ears, a curvy trunk, and sturdy legs in 7 steps and about 7 minutes. The trunk is just two curved lines — the tutorial shows you exactly how.

How to Draw an Elephant — Medium, 7 min

Tiny Critters

15. How to Draw a Frog

Big bulging eyes and a wide smile — frogs are comedy gold in 5 steps and about 4 minutes. Draw one on a lily pad for a complete little scene.

How to Draw a Frog — Easy, 4 min

16. How to Draw a Turtle

A dome shell with a hexagon pattern, four stubby legs, and a smiling head — the turtle tutorial is 6 steps and about 5 minutes. The shell pattern is great practice for neat, even lines.

How to Draw a Turtle — Easy, 5 min

17. How to Draw a Butterfly

Symmetrical wings with spots and swirls — butterflies teach the valuable skill of drawing matching sides. Our tutorial does it in 5 steps and about 4 minutes. Color each wing the same for a realistic look, or go wild with rainbow wings.

How to Draw a Butterfly — Easy, 4 min

18. How to Draw a Bee

Striped body, tiny wings, and a happy face — the bee tutorial is 4 steps and about 3 minutes, one of the quickest on this list. Draw a dotted flight trail behind it for extra charm.

How to Draw a Bee — Easy, 3 min

Farm Friends

19. How to Draw a Pig

Curly tail, round snout, floppy ears — pigs are made of circles and kids love them. The tutorial takes 5 steps and about 4 minutes. Draw a whole pig family in different sizes.

How to Draw a Pig — Easy, 4 min

20. How to Draw a Fish

An oval body, a triangle tail, and a few scales — the fish tutorial is 4 steps and about 3 minutes. It is the perfect warm-up drawing, and you can fill a whole page with a colorful school of fish.

How to Draw a Fish — Easy, 3 min

Build your own animal scene

Here is a fun challenge: pick any three animals from this list and draw them together in one scene — a cat, a butterfly, and a frog in a garden, or a lion, a giraffe, and an elephant on safari. Every tutorial comes with a free printable PDF, so you can practice anywhere. Twenty animals down — how many can you draw this week?

10 Easy Halloween Drawing Ideas for Kids

Halloween is one of the best times of the year to grab your pencils! Pumpkins, ghosts, bats, and spooky houses are everywhere — and every one of them is perfect for drawing. Here are our ten favorite Halloween drawing tutorials for kids and total beginners. Each one takes between 3 and 8 minutes, and every tutorial uses our red-line step system, so you always know exactly which line to draw next.

Start with an easy one, work your way up to the medium ones, and by Halloween night you will have a whole spooky gallery of your own!

1. How to Draw a Pumpkin

Every Halloween artist starts with a pumpkin — it is the icon of the whole season. Our pumpkin tutorial is a friendly jack-o’-lantern face on a plump pumpkin body, built from simple ovals and curvy lines in 7 easy steps. It is perfect for a first-ever drawing and takes about 5 minutes. Once you have it down, try drawing a whole pumpkin patch on one page!

How to Draw a Pumpkin — Easy, 5 min

2. How to Draw a Ghost

A ghost is one of the simplest Halloween drawings: a wavy sheet shape, two eyes, and a little mouth. Our ghost tutorial makes it even easier with 6 gentle steps and the cute, friendly kind of ghost — not the scary kind. At about 4 minutes, it is the fastest way to get into the spooky spirit. Try drawing three ghosts floating together over a moon!

How to Draw a Ghost — Easy, 4 min

3. How to Draw a Bat

Bats look tricky because of their wings, but they are really just two big “M” shapes with a round body in the middle. Our bat tutorial breaks the wings into simple steps so they come out looking flappy and fun in about 5 minutes. Once you learn this bat, scatter tiny bats across the top of any Halloween drawing for instant festive vibes.

How to Draw a Bat — Easy, 5 min

4. How to Draw a Witch Hat

The tall, crooked witch hat is one of the most satisfying things to draw — that floppy tip just screams Halloween. This tutorial starts with a triangle and turns it into a proper witchy hat with a band and buckle in 6 steps. At 5 minutes it is a great easy win, and you can color it classic black, purple, or even green and orange.

How to Draw a Witch Hat — Easy, 5 min

5. How to Draw a Spider

Spiders are basically a round body with eight bendy legs — and once you learn the leg pattern, you can draw spiders of any size. Our spider tutorial teaches you the trick in a few steps and about 4 minutes. Draw one hanging from a single thread off the top of your page, then add a little web in the corner.

How to Draw a Spider — Easy, 4 min

6. How to Draw a Candy Corn

Candy corn is the sweetest Halloween symbol and the fastest tutorial in the whole set — only 3 minutes! It is a simple triangle with three color bands: white, orange, and yellow. This is a perfect warm-up drawing before tackling a bigger one, and great for little kids because there are no complicated parts at all.

How to Draw a Candy Corn — Easy, 3 min

7. How to Draw a Black Cat

Ready to level up? The black cat tutorial is our first medium-difficulty drawing, and it is worth the extra effort. In about 7 minutes you will draw a round cat body, pointy ears, a curled tail, and big Halloween-night eyes. The tutorial shows you how to build the cat from circles first — the secret trick behind drawing almost any animal.

How to Draw a Black Cat — Medium, 7 min

8. How to Draw an Owl

Owls are night creatures, which makes them perfect Halloween material! This tutorial shows you how to draw a wide-eyed owl perched on a branch in 6 steps and about 5 minutes. The big round eyes are the best part — get those right and the owl looks alive. Try coloring it brown and orange for an autumn look.

How to Draw an Owl — Easy, 5 min

9. How to Draw a Haunted House

This is the big one: a crooked haunted house with a tower, broken windows, and a spooky roof. It is medium difficulty and takes about 8 minutes, but the tutorial breaks it into simple shapes — rectangles, triangles, and wavy lines — so it never feels hard. Finish it off with bats, a moon, and a ghost in the window for a full Halloween scene.

How to Draw a Haunted House — Medium, 8 min

10. How to Draw a Skeleton

A friendly cartoon skeleton is the perfect Halloween finale: skull head, ribcage, arms, and legs, all from circles and rectangles. This medium tutorial takes about 8 minutes and teaches you one of the most useful drawing skills of all — big heads and small bodies make characters look cute instead of scary. Draw it dancing for extra points!

How to Draw a Skeleton — Medium, 8 min

Make your own spooky scene

Here is a fun challenge: pick three tutorials from this list and combine them into one drawing. A haunted house with a pumpkin in front and a bat flying overhead is a classic. Every tutorial comes with a free printable PDF, so you can practice the same steps on paper anytime. Happy Halloween drawing!

How to Draw Better: 7 Beginner Tips That Actually Work

Everyone starts as a beginner — even your favorite artists were once making wobbly circles and crooked lines. The difference between “I can’t draw” and “I can draw” is not talent. It is a handful of simple habits that make learning faster and way more fun. Here are seven tips that really work, and you can try most of them in five minutes today.

1. Draw lightly first

Pressing hard is the #1 beginner mistake. When you draw lightly, your lines are easy to erase, easy to adjust, and you can fix things without tearing up the paper. Think of your first lines as a whisper, not a shout — you can always go darker later once the drawing looks right. Try the How to Draw a Ghost tutorial and do the whole thing with the lightest lines you can manage. You will be amazed how much calmer it feels.

2. Start with simple shapes

Almost everything in the world is built from circles, ovals, triangles, and rectangles. A pumpkin is an oval with lines. A bat’s wings are curved triangles. A cat is circles stacked together. When you look at a “hard” drawing and spot the simple shapes inside it, it suddenly feels doable. The How to Draw a Black Cat tutorial is a perfect example — watch how the whole cat starts as basic circles.

3. Follow the red line — one step at a time

Our step-by-step system uses the red-line method: the new lines in each step are drawn in red, while the lines you already drew fade to grey. That means you never have to guess “wait, what am I supposed to draw now?” — just copy the red lines and move on. It is like connect-the-dots for real drawings. Try it with the How to Draw a Pumpkin tutorial and see how natural it feels.

4. Practice a little bit every day

Fifteen minutes a day beats three hours on a Saturday. Drawing is a muscle — short, regular practice builds it much faster than occasional marathons. Pick one short tutorial each day: How to Draw a Candy Corn takes only 3 minutes, so there is no excuse on busy days. After two weeks, compare your first drawing with your latest one. The improvement will shock you.

5. Finish before you judge

Every drawing looks weird halfway through. Every. Single. One. Beginners often stop at step 3 because “it looks bad” — but step 3 is supposed to look bad! It is just shapes. The magic happens when you finish the last step and add the details. Promise yourself you will complete the whole tutorial before deciding whether you like it. You will throw away far fewer drawings.

6. Copy, copy, copy

Copying tutorials is not cheating — it is how you learn. Musicians play other people’s songs. Writers study other people’s sentences. When you copy a tutorial, your hand is learning where lines go and how shapes fit together. After you have copied enough pumpkins, ghosts, and spiders, you will start drawing your own versions without thinking about it. That is how artists are made.

7. Celebrate the ugly drawings

Your sketchbook will fill up with drawings you do not love, and that is exactly how it should be. Every “bad” drawing taught you something — what a wrong line looks like, how not to draw an ear, that you pressed too hard. Keep your old drawings instead of throwing them away. In a month, flip back to page one and see how far you have come. That is the best motivation there is.

Your five-minute challenge

Here is all of this advice packed into one tiny challenge: grab a pencil, draw as lightly as you can, and follow the ghost tutorial from start to finish without judging it until it is done. Then do it again tomorrow with the pumpkin. Two drawings, two days, and you will already be drawing better. That is not a trick — that is how practice works. See you at step one!

What to Draw When You’re Bored: 25 Fun Ideas

Staring at a blank page is the worst part of drawing. Your brain says “draw something!” and your hand says “…what?” So here are 25 fun ideas to get you started — some take 3 minutes, some take a bit longer, and many of them link straight to our step-by-step tutorials so you are never stuck wondering how to begin.

Super quick draws (under 5 minutes)

Short on time? These are all doable in under five minutes, so they are perfect for a quick practice session after school or right before bed.

A candy corn — the fastest tutorial we have, at just 3 minutes. Perfect warm-up!
A friendly ghost — a wavy shape, two eyes, a mouth. Cute, not scary.
A spider hanging from a thread — draw one long line down from the top of the page, then the spider.
A smiling sun with a face — the classic first drawing, and still fun to make fancy.
A cupcake with a cherry on top — triangles and circles are all you need.
A rocket ship blasting off — add flames and stars around it.

Spooky Halloween favorites

Halloween season is drawing season! These spooky favorites all have full step-by-step tutorials with the red-line method, so pick one and dive in.

A jack-o’-lantern pumpkin — give it a silly face instead of a scary one.
A bat with flappy wings — then add five tiny bats flying behind it.
A witch hat — try coloring it purple with a green band.
An owl on a branch — those big round eyes are the best part.
A black cat — add a curled tail and big Halloween-night eyes.
A haunted house — put a pumpkin in front and a bat overhead for a full scene.
A dancing skeleton — circles and rectangles make it look cute, not creepy.

Cute animals

Animals are the most-drawn things on the planet, and cute ones are the most fun. Start with these simple shapes and make them as cuddly as you like.

A sleepy cat curled up in a ball — just one big circle with ears and a tail.
A puppy with floppy ears — long ovals for the ears are the secret.
A goldfish in a bowl — the bowl is a circle, the fish is an oval with a triangle tail.
A penguin wearing a scarf — black oval body, white belly, and a stripey scarf.
A frog with huge eyes — two circles on top of a wide smile.

Food and sweet treats

Drawing food is great practice because it is almost always built from basic shapes — circles, triangles, and rectangles. Plus you get to color it deliciously.

An ice cream cone with three scoops — stack three circles on a triangle.
A slice of pizza with a happy face — triangle, pepperoni circles, done.
A donut with sprinkles — a circle with a hole, then tiny colorful dashes.

Nature and outdoors

Look out the window and you will find endless drawing ideas. These three are easy starters — once you have them down, try drawing the view from your own yard.

A flower with a smiley face in the middle — petals are just ovals in a circle.
A tree in autumn colors — brown trunk, then orange, red, and yellow blobs for leaves.
A rainbow over a hill — curved stripes in order: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple.

Make it a habit

Here is a fun way to use this list: cut the numbers 1 to 25 into little slips of paper, put them in a jar, and draw one every day. Whatever number you pull, that is your drawing for today. If you get stuck on an idea, remember that almost every item above can start with a simple circle or oval — and the linked tutorials walk you through each step with the red-line method. Boredom does not stand a chance!