Watch it draw itself · tap to replay
How to Draw a Shadow Puppet
Draw a shadow puppet in 14 easy steps, about 11 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 torch.
Step 1: The torch
On the left, draw a small handle. From its right corners, draw 2 widening lines. Stop at an oval glass.
Tip Keep the torch small. The hands and the shadow need most of the paper.
Step 2: A palm
A little left of the middle, level with the torch, draw a soft rounded square for a palm.
Tip Leave room on the right for a big circle.
Step 3: Two ear fingers
Start on the palm's top left. Draw 2 tall fingers in a V, and stop on the palm's top right.
Tip These 2 fingers are the rabbit's ears. Rub out the palm line under them.
Step 4: Fingers meet thumb
Start on the palm's top right. Draw a rounded nose shape with a small notch, and stop bottom right.
Tip This is the other fingers bending down to touch the thumb. Rub out the palm line inside.
Step 5: The eye gap
Inside the nose shape, draw a small gap near the palm. From it, draw a line to the notch.
Tip The line is where the fingers on top touch the thumb below.
Step 6: A fist below
Under the nose shape, draw a rounded fist. Add 2 short finger lines on its right side.
Tip The fist tucks in behind the first hand.
Step 7: The fist's thumb
Start on the fist's left edge. Draw a short thumb across, and stop back on the edge.
Step 8: Arms and cuffs
From each hand, draw 2 lines down for an arm. Across the bottom of each arm, draw a rounded cuff.
Step 9: Light on the wall
On the right, draw a big circle for the light on the wall.
Tip Make it taller than both hands together.
Step 10: The beam
Start at the top of the glass. Draw a line and stop on the circle's top. Repeat from the bottom.
Tip Lift your pencil where a line meets the hands. The beam passes behind them.
Step 11: The rabbit shadow
In the circle, draw the same shape as the hands: 2 ears, a nose, an eye gap, a body below.
Tip Make the shadow a little bigger than the hands.
Step 12: Yellow light
Go over your lines. Colour the beam, glass, circle and both gaps yellow, around the hands and shadow.
Step 13: Peach hands
Colour both hands and arms peach, or any skin colour you like.
Step 14: Red and dark grey
Colour the torch handle and the 2 cuffs red. Colour the shadow and the torch head dark grey.
Your finished drawing
Follow the steps above and this is where you end up: a shadow puppet, drawn by you.
Every step in one picture
