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How to Draw Cornrows

13 steps · Medium · about 10 min

Draw cornrows in 13 easy 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 of your paper draw a big egg for the head, a little narrower at the chin.
Tip Make it big: the rows of braids need room on top.
Step 2: Two ears
Half way down each side draw a C ear. Start on the head and stop on the head.
Step 3: Big eyes
Below the middle of the head draw 2 tall oval eyes. Colour a black dot in each, with a shine.
Step 4: Nose, smile and brows
Draw a tiny U nose below the eyes and a wide smile under it. Add an eyebrow over each eye.
Step 5: The hairline
Start on the head just above the left ear. Curve up across the forehead, stopping above the right ear.
Tip Leave space under it for the eyebrows.
Step 6: Bumpy top
From the hairline's left end draw 7 bumps over the top of the head, down to its right end.
Tip Keep the bumps close to the head: braided rows lie flat.
Step 7: Row lines
From each dip between 2 bumps draw a line down to the hairline. That makes 7 rows.
Tip The lines lean in a little at the top, like lines on a ball.
Step 8: Braid marks
In the 3 middle rows draw little V shapes from line to line, one above the other.
Tip Each V is one twist of the braid.
Step 9: More braid marks
Fill the side rows with little V shapes too. They tilt to follow each row.
Step 10: Neck and shirt
Draw 2 neck lines under the chin. From each, slope a shoulder down and out. Add a U collar.
Step 11: Yellow shirt
Colour the shirt yellow.
Step 12: Brown skin, pink cheeks
Colour the cheeks pink, then the face, ears and neck brown around them. Leave the eyes white.
Step 13: Colour the cornrows
Colour the hair dark grey, softly, so your lines still show. Go over your lines and you are done.