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How to Draw an Author

13 steps · Tricky · about 10 min

Draw an author in 13 steps, about 10 minutes. Free, with a printable worksheet.

Each picture adds one red line. Draw that line, then scroll to the next picture. Rub out any dashed helper lines at the end. First up: the head.

Step 1: The head
Near the top, in the middle, draw an egg for the head, a little narrower at the chin.
Step 2: Face and glasses
Draw 2 round glasses with a dot in each for the eyes. Add a U nose, a smile and eyebrows.
Step 3: Neat hair
Start on the head's left, by the eyebrows. Draw soft round tufts over the top, ending on the right.
Tip Rub out the head line above the hair.
Step 4: Shirt and bow tie
Draw 2 neck lines. From the left one draw a shirt, ending at the right one. Add a bow tie.
Step 5: Waistcoat
Over the shirt draw a waistcoat: from each shoulder slope in to a V on the chest.
Step 6: Long sleeves
Draw each sleeve from the shoulder and armpit, down to the elbow and in to the wrist. Add a cuff.
Step 7: Hands
On each wrist draw a fist pointing in, like a fat egg, with a thumb bump and a finger line.
Step 8: Desk and ground
Under the fists draw a desk top. From its ends draw down to a ground line. Add a drawer.
Step 9: Typewriter
Between the fists draw a box with a long flat bar on top. Add 2 rows of 3 round keys.
Tip The box goes behind the fists, so the fingers rest on the keys.
Step 10: Paper and books
Above the bar draw a tall paper sheet with 3 short lines. Draw 2 flat books on the desk's right.
Step 11: Peach skin, pink cheeks
Colour the face, neck and hands peach, with a pink circle on each cheek. Keep the eyes white.
Step 12: Mustard waistcoat, red tie
Colour the waistcoat mustard yellow, the bow tie and both books red. Leave the shirt, sleeves and paper white.
Step 13: Wooden desk, black typewriter
Colour the hair brown and the desk wood brown. Colour the typewriter black around the fists, leaving the keys white.