These are 40 of the best cute and easy animal drawing ideas!
If you’re looking for easy animal drawing ideas, you’re in the right place.
In this post, you’ll find a variety of cute animal drawings to inspire and help you to work on your drawing skills.
Cute and Easy Animal Drawing Ideas
As someone who loves to draw, animals happen to be one of my favorite subjects.
They are a great way to work on those artistic skills!
When I start a drawing, regardless of whether animals or shapes, I always begin with a pencil.
I like using pencil first because I find it to be the easiest to sketch with and I can quickly erase any lines that I don’t want.
After I complete my drawing with a pencil, I go back over the drawing with either a black pen or marker. Adding color to my drawings is always the very last thing that I do.
This is the method that I used when I created these easy animal drawings.
One of my favorite things about animals is that they are great subjects to draw regardless of your skill level.
There are endless ways to practice drawing animals through basic shapes, lines, and patterns.
So regardless of where you are on your drawing journey, I hope you find several easy animal drawing ideas here that spark your creativity!
40 Easy Ideas of Animals To Draw for Beginners
I’ve included a variety of different animal drawings here. Everything from wild animals, to farm animals, majestic animals, and even cute domestic animals.
Ideas for Easy Wild Animals To Draw
Here are some wild animals that I drew, I hope that these ideas are helpful.
Many wild animals have distinct characteristics like stripes and spots, making them a lot of fun to draw! Try switching up the patterns and shapes on some of these wild animals to make them extra unique.
1. Giraffe
When drawing a giraffe, a simple way to begin is with basic shapes like an oval for the nose and mouth.
Giraffes have a long neck and a small head, with a variety of spots over their body.
To create this giraffe I started with the nose, followed by the head, body, and tail. The last thing I drew were the spots. A fun way to make each of your giraffe drawings one of a kind is by using simple shapes for the spots in different patterns!
2. Snake
To draw this snake, I started with the head. From there I drew the long body using simple lines. To finish this snake drawing, I sketched a cute face and a long slithering tongue!
3. Lion
My favorite thing to focus on when drawing a lion is the lion’s mane. The mane is a great way to add texture and color to your lion drawing.
Lastly, I draw the cute facial features. You can really bring out the personality of different animals simply by changing their facial expressions.
4. Tiger
To begin this easy tiger drawing, I started by using an oval for the face and then sketching an outline of its body.
Tigers have distinctive stripes which I always draw last. Getting creative with your tiger’s stripes is a good way to make each of your tiger sketches unique!
5. Gorilla
When drawing a gorilla, I find it to be helpful to focus on the gorilla’s large and muscular body. I always begin with the head of the gorilla and then sketch the body. Lastly, I fill in the gorilla’s facial expression.
6. Kangaroo
This kangaroo is a fun animal to draw! Be sure to include its long hind legs, smaller front legs, and large tail. And of course, remember to give the kangaroo a cute expression!
7. Squirrel
This little squirrel I drew perched up on its back legs with a cute and curious expression on its face.
8. Elephant
These huge creatures are actually easier to draw than they may look. When I was first starting to draw I felt a bit intimidated about drawing an elephant. But with practice, they’ve come to be one of my favorite animals to draw.
9. Baby elephant
Since elephants are one of my favorite animals, I wanted to include a cute baby elephant example as well.
To begin this baby elephant drawing, start with a large circle for the face, then draw the legs, ears, and trunk. Finish your drawing by giving the baby elephant gentle eyes.
10. Monkey
These adorable animals are full of so much personality making them a great subject to draw!
I love to change up the arm and leg positions of monkeys. Also, consider giving them different facial expressions like a mischievous grin.
Easy Drawing Ideas for Farm Animals
I wanted to include some drawings of iconic farm animals here like cows, pigs, sheep, etc. Farm animals have simple features that make them great subjects to draw regardless of skill levels.
11. Cow
One of my favorite things about cow drawings is how their body is truly made up of simple shapes.
Circles and ovals for the head and body with rectangular legs. I like drawing the white cow with black spots because I find it adds to the drawing. But there are several colors you can use for your cow drawings!
12. Chicken
Chickens are fun farm animals to draw. Consider using different colors and shapes for feathers!
13. Goat
I started this goat drawing by sketching an oval for the head and a larger oval for the body.
I then drew the horns, ears, legs, and tail. Sketching lines on the horns of the goat is an easy way to add more detail to your drawings. Lastly, I draw the eyes, nose, and mouth on the head of the goat.
14. Pig Drawing
To draw a pig, you’ll use 3 ovals. Start with an oval for the head and an even bigger oval for the body. Use a smaller oval on the face for the pig’s nose. Lastly, draw the eyes, ears, legs, and a curly tail!
15. Horse
Here is an easy drawing of a horse. I like using different colors and textures for the horse’s mane and body.
16. Sheep
To draw a sheep, I like to begin with a cloud like shape. I then draw the face and legs.
17. Duck
Begin drawing your duck by sketching a large oval circle for the body and then a smaller oval circle for the head. From these two shapes, you can add wings, tail feathers, a bill, and of course the sweet eyes!
18. Llama
The llama’s fluffy coat makes these cute and easy animals to draw! Try using different facial expressions and colors on your llama drawings.
19. Turkey
Turkeys are fun to draw because you can get creative with their feathers and facial expressions. Color these creatures in to give them even more personality!
Easy Drawing Ideas of Majestic Creatures
Here are some ideas for majestic creatures you can bring to life in your sketchbook or doodle pad!
20. Swans
A way to simplify drawing a swan is by focusing on the graceful neck and body. With a few easy steps, you can capture the elegance of this creature!
21. Polar Bears
To draw a polar bear, start with its large rounded body and then draw the head. Lastly, sketch the ears and legs of the polar bear. I chose to give this polar bear a sweet and friendly expression!
22. Mandarinfish
The fun patterns on this Mandarinfish make it a great subject to sketch! You can get very creative by using different patterns and colors with this drawing.
23. Whale
Remember to add eyes and a smile to your whale drawings. Consider adding a blowhole to make your whale drawing even more realistic.
24. Drawing a Peaco*ck
This peaco*ck is full of patterns and bright colors! Drawing a peaco*ck can be a bit more challenging than some of the other animals.
However, by focusing on basic shapes and lines you can master this animal drawing. After you’ve created your sketch, use a variety of colors to really accentuate the beauty of the peaco*ck.
25. Penguin
To draw this cute little penguin I started with a circle for the head and an oval for the body. I then drew the wings, feet, eyes, and beak. Using black and white coloring on your penguin completes this cute creation!
26. Easy Drawing of a Flamingo
Flamingos are actually quite easy to draw, especially with a little practice. Think of the flamingo body as being an S shape, and their legs positioned in the shape of a number 4 or backward 4.
27. Eagle
To draw an eagle I like to begin by sketching the hooked beak. I then proceed to draw the head and the body. The last thing I draw are the legs and the eyes.
28. Panda Bear
I love drawing little pandas. These are great to draw even for beginner artists. The basic shapes and combination of white and black make these special critters come to life on paper.
One of my favorite things about pandas is their expressive eyes. To draw this panda’s eyes I started with two upright ovals. Outside of the ovals I used a rounded triangular shape for the eye patches. Inside each of the ovals, I drew a smaller circle.
Easy Drawing Ideas of Adorable Animals
I hope you enjoy these easy drawings of cute animals!
29. Hedgehog
I always start my hedgehog drawings by sketching the outline of the face. I like to use the face as the middle point of the drawing for hedgehogs.
After I’ve drawn the outline of the face I then draw the body using rounded spiky lines to represent its quills.
30. Sea Otter
Sea otters are such playful and cute animals! I like to draw my sea otters floating on their backs with a sweet expression on their face. If you’re looking for easy animal drawing ideas, this sea otter is a good one to try!
I use squiggly lines to demonstrate the water surrounding the sea otter. Try drawing a sea otter with its eyes closed floating peacefully!
31. Koala
Koalas have such cute big ears! I start my koala drawings by creating an outline of the face and body.
After the face, I draw the big ears, followed by the legs. Lastly, I draw the eyes, nose, and mouth.
32. Cute Puppy Dog
For dog-loving kids and adults, this cute puppy dog sketch is always fun to create!
This sketch of a puppy has been a good old standby for me. It’s been a doodle that has filled many sketch pads and notebooks throughout my life.
33. Bird
I like to start my bird drawings with basic shapes for the body and then add the wings, beak, eyes, and legs. Try drawing a bird sitting on a tree branch or nestled up in a tree in a bird’s nest.
34. Fox Drawing
Foxes have distinct bushy tails and cute faces making them fun animals to draw! Be sure to include details like the pointed ears, expressive eyes, and the slender front legs. 🙂
35. Draw a Bunny
Bunnies are easy animal drawing ideas that fun to get creative with! Experiment with using different colors and patterns on this bunny drawing to make it even more unique!
36. Cat
To create this cat drawing, I started with a circle for the cat’s head. I then sketched the body and tail. Lastly, I added in the ears, paws, tail, facial features, and of course…the whiskers!
37. Raccoon
Capture the mischievous personality of a raccoon by sketching its masked face. Adding details like the striped tail and a little grin completes the drawing!
38. Turtle
One of the best ways I’ve found to draw a turtle is by starting with the turtle’s shell.
After the shell is drawn, I then sketch the head and legs. Lastly, I like to draw a little pattern on the shell of the turtle to represent the texture of the shell.
39. Hamster
Drawing cute little hamsters is quite easy, especially with practice! To begin drawing a hamster, I always start with a large rounded shape for the body, then I add the ears, eyes, a little nose, mouth, and tiny paws.
Try using different colors for your hamster drawings to give them even more character!
40. Starfish
The distinctive star shape of the starfish makes these a fun and easy animal drawing ideas! I start with a star like shape but round the points of the star, making the end points softer.
Experiment with using different lines, dots, or colors on the starfish to bring this underwater creature to life!
Other Easy Drawing Ideas You May Like:
50 Cute Easy Things To Draw When Bored
23 Cute Easy Cat Drawing Ideas
100+ Cool Easy Patterns To Draw
20 Cute Easy Dog Drawings
50 Cute Easy Doodle Drawing Ideas Easy (When You’re Bored)
Final Thoughts On Easy Animal Drawing Ideas
Drawing is a creative activity that allows you to bring creatures from the animal kingdom to life on your paper in just a few simple steps.
Animals have always been some of my favorite subjects to draw. I love adding cute facial expressions, a variety of patterns, and different colors to my animal drawings.
I hope these sketches have been inspiring and that you have so much fun creating your own animal drawings!
