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How to Draw a Diatom
Draw a diatom in 12 easy steps, about 9 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 glass shell.
Step 1: The glass shell
Across the middle draw a long boat shape, fat in the middle with a rounded point at each end.
Tip A diatom is a tiny living thing that floats in water, inside a shell made of glass.
Step 2: The inside
Just inside the shell draw the same boat shape again, a little smaller, to make a thick wall.
Step 3: A happy face
In the middle draw 2 egg eyes with black dots and a shine, and a small U smile below.
Step 4: Top ribs
Along the top of the wall draw 7 short ribs, each from the inside line out to the shell.
Tip Start with the middle rib, then space 3 more out on each side.
Step 5: Bottom ribs
Draw 7 ribs along the bottom to match, and 1 across each pointed end.
Step 6: Two beans
Inside, draw an oval bean near each end. They soak up sunlight to make the diatom's food.
Step 7: A round diatom
Up on the right draw a small circle with a smaller circle inside. Join them with 6 short lines.
Tip Diatoms come in lots of shapes: boats, wheels, triangles and stars.
Step 8: A triangle diatom
Down on the left draw a small triangle with soft round corners. Put a little circle in its middle.
Step 9: Bubbles
Draw 2 round bubbles up on the left and 1 down on the right, all different sizes.
Step 10: Pink and light blue
Colour 2 pink cheeks. Colour the inside light blue, around the face and the beans. Leave the eyes white.
Step 11: Bubbles and beans
Colour the 3 bubbles light blue. Colour the 2 beans and the middles of the little diatoms green.
Step 12: Teal glass walls
Colour both thick ribbed walls and the triangle teal. Go over your lines and your diatom is done!
Your finished drawing
Follow the steps above and this is where you end up: a diatom, drawn by you.
Every step in one picture
