How to Draw an Elephant Step by Step - 18 Easy Steps!

In this fun and easy elephant drawing tutorial, you’ll learn how to draw an elephant step by step.

This tutorial is great for beginner artists (both kids and adults) who want to improve their drawing skills.

You can choose between a realistic elephant drawing or a cartoon elephant drawing, depending on your preference. We will show you how to draw a realistic elephant.

In this tutorial, we will be focusing on drawing an African elephant that has bigger ears and long, curved tusks compared to an Asian elephant.

Elephants are one of the most beloved animals in the world, and they can be really fun to draw.

Fun Fact: Did you know that elephants are the only animals that can’t jump?

Once you have completed this guide, you’ll end up with an awesome elephant easy drawing.

Are you ready? Let’s get started!

The collage above shows each step of the process so you know what your simple elephant drawing should look like at each stage.

What You’ll Need for Your Elephant Step by Step Sketch

You’ll need the following materials to create your easy elephant drawing:

• A piece of paper
• A pencil
• An eraser

Instructions

Tip: Make sure you don’t press too hard on the paper when you draw your pencil lines so that you can correct your mistakes with an eraser as you go through the tutorial.

How to Draw an Elephant Step by Step

Follow along and learn how to draw an elephant.

We’ve included all of the steps in detail so that you can easily follow along with the instructions.

Step 1: Start With Simple Shapes

Draw a big oval shape to create an elephant body using a light pencil stroke.

Step 2: Draw an Elephant’s Head

Draw a smaller oval shape and connect it with the bigger one you created in Step 1 to form the head.

Step 3: Connect the Head with the Body (top part)

Draw a long curved line between the head and the body using a darker pencil stroke.

Step 4: Connect the Head with the Body (bottom part)

Draw a shorter curved line below the head to connect it to the body. Then draw another small curved line in the middle.

Step 5: Draw the First Front Elephant’s Leg

Now is the time to draw the elephant’s legs. Start by drawing the first front leg using two curved, vertical lines.

Step 6: Draw the First Front Elephant’s Foot

Draw two half-circle shapes to form the foot and the toes.

Step 7: Draw the Second Front Leg and Foot

Draw two vertical lines just behind the two you draw in Step 6. Add two half-circles at the end to form the second foot and toes.

Step 8: Draw the First Back Leg and Foot

Draw two vertical lines at the end of a large oval. Add two half-circle shapes at the end to form the back foot and the toes.

Step 9: Draw the Second Back Leg and Foot

Draw two vertical lines behind the two you drew in Step 8. Add two half-circle shapes at the end to form the second back foot and the toes.

Step 10: Draw the Elephant’s Face and Trunk

Create the face by drawing two vertical curved lines on each side of the small oval. Then, draw two long curved lines for the elephant’s trunk and curve it down towards the lower body.

Step 11: Erase the Pencil Marks

Erase any unwanted pencil marks.

Step 12: Draw the Elephant’s Ear

Draw a big raindrop shape to form the ear.

Step 13: Draw the Eye

Draw a small oval inside the head and add another small circle inside the oval you just drew to form the eye.

Step 14: Draw the Tusks

Draw two long thin triangles on each side of the face to form tusks.

Step 15: Finish the Face

Draw a tiny zigzag shape on the right side of the head.

Step 16: Draw the Tail

Draw two thin, curved lines at the back of the elephant for its tail. Make sure that these lines gradually widen towards the end to create a realistic shape.

Step 17: Add the Ground

Draw a few horizontal lines to form the ground.

Step 18: Add Details

To finish the drawing, add several small lines to form the wrinkles.

A. On legs.

B. On the trunk, face, and ear.

C. On the body.

Congratulations!

There you have it. Now you know how to create an elephant drawing!

Don’t worry if your elephant drawing isn’t perfect the first time, the more you practice the better you will get!

Be sure to practice this elephant drawing until you get it just right.

Bonus Tips on How to Improve Your Elephant Drawing

Use reference photos:

Reference photos are a great way to help you get your elephant drawing just right. Look for photos of African elephants, since these are the type we’re learning how to draw here.

Experiment with Other Materials:

If you’re feeling adventurous, try using different materials like colored pencils, pastels, charcoal, or watercolor to create a unique-looking elephant drawing.

Use Different Pencil Grades:

Using different pencil grades (hard, medium, or soft) will help you create more realistic drawings. Softer pencils are great for shading, while harder ones are better for details and outlines.

Then, try drawing other animals, like a panda or a coyote. Soon, you’ll be a master at animal drawing!

Are you looking for more drawing ideas? Search our list of 101+ Drawing Ideas.

Happy drawing!