Draw a Pumpkin #DTIYS
Draw a pumpkin in your style using pencil, eraser, and colored pencils; practice shapes, shading, and adding a stem or decorated face.
About this tutorial
Draw a pumpkin in your style using pencil, eraser, and colored pencils; practice shapes, shading, and adding a stem or decorated face.
What you need
Instructions
- 1
Step 1
Gather your pencil eraser colored pencils plain paper and sharpener and put them where you can reach them.
- 2
Step 2
Lightly draw a large oval or round shape in the middle of the paper for the pumpkin body.
- 3
Step 3
Draw 4 to 6 curved vertical lines from top to bottom to divide the pumpkin into ribs.
- 4
Step 4
Sketch a small stem on top using a short rectangle or a little cone shape.
- 5
Step 5
Trace over the best lines with firmer pencil strokes to finalize the pumpkin outline.
- 6
Step 6
Erase the faint sketch lines you no longer need so the outline looks clean.
- 7
Step 7
Pick a light source spot and make a tiny pale mark where the highlight will be.
- 8
Step 8
Shade the sides of each rib opposite the highlight with light pencil strokes.
- 9
Step 9
Color the main pumpkin areas with orange or your favorite pumpkin color using even pencil layers.
- 10
Step 10
Add darker colored pencil over the shaded ribs and near the stem to deepen the shadows.
- 11
Step 11
Use an eraser or a white colored pencil to add small highlights on the light spot and along ridges.
- 12
Step 12
Draw a decorated face or fun patterns on the pumpkin with colored pencils.
- 13
Step 13
Write your name and the date in a corner of the paper.
- 14
Step 14
Share your finished pumpkin drawing on DIY.org.
Fun facts
How do I do the Draw A Pumpkin #DTIYS activity with my child?
To do the Draw A Pumpkin #DTIYS activity, start by sketching a light oval for the pumpkin’s body. Divide it into segments with curved vertical lines, add a short stem, and lightly erase to refine shapes. Use colored pencils for base color, layer darker tones along edges and between segments for shading, and lift color with an eraser for highlights. Finish with a decorated face or patterns to personalize the pumpkin.
What materials do I need to draw a pumpkin in my style (Draw A Pumpkin #DTIYS)?
You’ll need drawing paper or a sketchbook, a pencil (HB or 2B) for sketching, a good eraser for corrections and highlights, colored pencils for layering and shading, and a sharpener. Optional items include a blending stump or cotton swab for smoothing, reference images, a ruler or circle stencil for shape practice, and stickers or metallic pencils for decorations. Keep materials non-toxic and age-appropriate.
What ages is the Draw A Pumpkin #DTIYS activity suitable for?
Suitable for children about 4 and up with adult help. Preschoolers (4–6) can trace simple pumpkin shapes and add crayon color; elementary kids (7–10) can practice segment lines, stems, and basic shading with colored pencils; tweens and teens (11+) can refine form, experiment with advanced shading, textures, and stylized faces. Supervise young children with sharpeners and small supplies, and adapt complexity to each child’s skill level.
What are the benefits of doing the Draw A Pumpkin #DTIYS activity?
Benefits include boosting creativity and personal expression by encouraging kids to draw the pumpkin in their own style. It develops fine motor control and observational skills (noticing shapes, light, and shadow), teaches basic shading and layering with colored pencils, and builds confidence through a finished piece. A #DTIYS prompt also encourages community sharing, friendly comparison of styles, and simple goal-setting for artistic progress.
Watch & Learn
Need help?
What can I use if I don't have colored pencils, a pencil, or a sharpener?
Use crayons, washable markers, or watercolor paints to color the pumpkin in step 9, any available pencil for the light sketch in steps 2–5, and carefully taper the tip on sandpaper or a rough surface if you don't have a sharpener.
My ribs look lopsided or my erasing smudges the paper — how can I fix that?
Redraw with very light strokes in step 2, clean up stray marks with your eraser in step 6, then strengthen only the chosen lines with firmer strokes in step 5 and place a scrap paper under your hand while shading in step 7 to avoid smears.
How can I adapt this activity for toddlers, older kids, or teens?
For toddlers trace a pre-drawn oval and let them color with crayons for step 9, school-age kids can follow all steps to practice shading in steps 7–10, and teens can add extra ribs and advanced layering/blending in steps 8–10 for more realism.
How can we extend or personalize the pumpkin drawing after finishing it?
After writing your name in step 12, decorate the pumpkin with a patterned face from step 11, glue it onto colored cardstock to make a card or mask, add extra highlights with the white colored pencil from step 10, and then share it on DIY.org in step 13.