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how to draw a broken heart

How to draw a broken heart - a free broken heart drawing guide

Draw a broken heart step by step with pencil, ink, shading, and color. Practice symmetry, jagged break details, and neat finishing techniques.

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Step-by-step guide to draw a broken heart

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Easy Broken Heart Drawing Tutorial for Kids | Simple Drawing and Coloring

What you need

Paper, pencil, eraser, ruler, fine-tip black pen, coloring materials such as colored pencils or markers, tissue or blending stump, adult supervision required

Step 1

Lightly draw a vertical centerline down the middle of the paper with your pencil and ruler.

Step 2

Mark two small dots at the same height on either side of the centerline to show the top bumps of the heart.

Step 3

Draw the left curved half of the heart from the left dot down to a bottom center point using a smooth line.

Step 4

Draw the right curved half mirroring the left so both sides meet at the bottom center point.

Step 5

Sketch a jagged zig-zag break line from the top of the heart down to the bottom along the center, making uneven teeth.

Step 6

Erase the extra centerline and any stray pencil marks outside the heart shape.

Step 7

Carefully trace the heart outline and the jagged break line with your fine-tip black pen using steady strokes.

Step 8

Let the ink dry completely before you touch it.

Step 9

Gently erase any remaining pencil sketch lines now that the ink is dry.

Step 10

Add soft pencil shading along the inside edges of the jagged break and on one side of the heart to create depth.

Step 11

Blend the shading with a tissue or blending stump so the shadow looks smooth.

Step 12

Color each half of the heart with your chosen colors and keep your strokes neat inside the lines.

Step 13

Leave a thin crescent of white near the top of each half as a little highlight by not coloring that small area.

Step 14

Share your finished broken heart drawing on DIY.org.

Help!?

What can we use instead of a ruler, fine-tip black pen, blending stump, or DIY.org if these are hard to find?

Use a book edge or credit card to draw the vertical centerline (step 1), trace the outline with a thin black marker or dark mechanical pencil instead of a fine-tip pen when inking (step 7), blend shading with a folded tissue or cotton swab in place of a blending stump (step 11), and share the finished drawing with family or another kid-friendly site if DIY.org isn't available (step 14).

What should we do if the two heart halves don't match, the zig-zag break looks wrong, or the pen smudges?

Lightly sketch and compare the left and right curves using the centerline and top dots (steps 1–4), practice the jagged zig-zag on scrap paper before committing to the heart (step 5), and avoid smudging by letting the ink dry completely (step 8) before erasing pencil lines (step 9).

How can this broken heart drawing be adapted for different ages?

For preschoolers use a pre-drawn heart outline and let them color each half (steps 1–4 and 12–13), for elementary kids follow all steps but simplify or skip advanced shading and blending (steps 10–11), and for teens add detailed shading techniques or a watercolor wash behind the inked heart after it dries (steps 8 and 10–11) before sharing on DIY.org (step 14).

How can we extend or personalize the activity to make the broken heart more special?

Personalize the heart by adding patterns or tiny drawings on each colored half, write a short caption beside the heart, experiment with a watercolor or colored-paper background after the ink dries (step 8), and emphasize the crack with a white gel pen or the reserved thin crescent highlights (step 13) before sharing (step 14).

Watch videos on how to draw a broken heart

0:00/0:00

Here at SafeTube, we're on a mission to create a safer and more delightful internet. 😊

How to draw a Broken Heart Step by Step | Love Drawings Tutorials

4 Videos

Facts about drawing techniques for kids

❤️ The stylized heart symbol became common in medieval art and may have been inspired by plant shapes like the silphium seedpod.

✏️ Modern pencils use graphite — a large Borrowdale, England deposit discovered in the 1500s helped start the pencil industry.

🖋️ People have used inks for thousands of years; ancient Chinese and Egyptian inks were important for both writing and drawing.

🎨 Cross-hatching and hatching were favorite shading tricks of Renaissance artists (like Leonardo) to build tone with lines.

🔁 Humans tend to find symmetrical shapes pleasing — many artists draw one half of a shape and mirror it to keep designs balanced.

How do I draw a broken heart step by step?

Start with a light vertical center line to keep symmetry. Sketch two mirrored halves as teardrop shapes, then connect them into a single heart. Draw a jagged break line from top to bottom with irregular zigzags. Refine the heart outline, offset one side slightly to show separation. Ink the clean lines, wait to dry, then erase pencil. Add shading along the crack and under curves for depth, then apply color gradients and small highlights for a neat finished look.

What materials do I need to draw a broken heart?

You’ll need graphite pencils (HB and 2B), a kneaded eraser, pencil sharpener, and sketch or mixed-media paper. For inking use fine-liners (0.3–0.5 mm) or a brush pen. For color and finishing, use colored pencils, markers, or watercolors plus a white gel pen for highlights. A blending stump or cotton bud helps smooth shading. Optional: ruler or folded paper to mark symmetry, masking tape to secure paper, and scrap paper for testing colors.

What ages is drawing a broken heart suitable for?

This activity can be adapted by age: 4–6 years — simple heart shapes and coloring with parental help; 7–9 years — practice symmetry, draw jagged breaks, try basic pencil shading and supervised inking; 10+ years — refine symmetry, detailed shading, ink techniques and color blending. Adjust tools for safety (washable markers for young kids) and supervise sharp tools, inks, or water-based paints to avoid mess or injury.

What variations or tips make a broken heart drawing more creative?

Try variations like a stitched or taped crack, torn-paper edges, bandages, or floral accents to change tone. Experiment with color themes: muted tones for sadness, bright contrasts for dramatic effect. Use folding to create a symmetrical template, or mirror-trace with a lightbox. Add cast shadows and inner edge highlights for realism. Safety tip: use washable inks for children and supervise sharp tools. These options keep the project fresh and age-appropriate.

Ready to create?

All Activities

how to draw a broken heart

How to draw a broken heart - a free broken heart drawing guide

Draw a broken heart step by step with pencil, ink, shading, and color. Practice symmetry, jagged break details, and neat finishing techniques.

Table of contents

Drawing Apps

Photos of broken heart drawing examples

Step-by-step guide to draw a broken heart

0:00/0:00

Here at SafeTube, we're on a mission to create a safer and more delightful internet. 😊

Easy Broken Heart Drawing Tutorial for Kids | Simple Drawing and Coloring

What you need

Paper, pencil, eraser, ruler, fine-tip black pen, coloring materials such as colored pencils or markers, tissue or blending stump, adult supervision required

Step 1

Lightly draw a vertical centerline down the middle of the paper with your pencil and ruler.

Step 2

Mark two small dots at the same height on either side of the centerline to show the top bumps of the heart.

Step 3

Draw the left curved half of the heart from the left dot down to a bottom center point using a smooth line.

Step 4

Draw the right curved half mirroring the left so both sides meet at the bottom center point.

Step 5

Sketch a jagged zig-zag break line from the top of the heart down to the bottom along the center, making uneven teeth.

Step 6

Erase the extra centerline and any stray pencil marks outside the heart shape.

Step 7

Carefully trace the heart outline and the jagged break line with your fine-tip black pen using steady strokes.

Step 8

Let the ink dry completely before you touch it.

Step 9

Gently erase any remaining pencil sketch lines now that the ink is dry.

Step 10

Add soft pencil shading along the inside edges of the jagged break and on one side of the heart to create depth.

Step 11

Blend the shading with a tissue or blending stump so the shadow looks smooth.

Step 12

Color each half of the heart with your chosen colors and keep your strokes neat inside the lines.

Step 13

Leave a thin crescent of white near the top of each half as a little highlight by not coloring that small area.

Step 14

Share your finished broken heart drawing on DIY.org.

Help!?

What can we use instead of a ruler, fine-tip black pen, blending stump, or DIY.org if these are hard to find?

What should we do if the two heart halves don't match, the zig-zag break looks wrong, or the pen smudges?

How can this broken heart drawing be adapted for different ages?

How can we extend or personalize the activity to make the broken heart more special?

Watch videos on how to draw a broken heart

0:00/0:00

Here at SafeTube, we're on a mission to create a safer and more delightful internet. 😊

How to draw a Broken Heart Step by Step | Love Drawings Tutorials

4 Videos

Facts about drawing techniques for kids

❤️ The stylized heart symbol became common in medieval art and may have been inspired by plant shapes like the silphium seedpod.

✏️ Modern pencils use graphite — a large Borrowdale, England deposit discovered in the 1500s helped start the pencil industry.

🖋️ People have used inks for thousands of years; ancient Chinese and Egyptian inks were important for both writing and drawing.

🎨 Cross-hatching and hatching were favorite shading tricks of Renaissance artists (like Leonardo) to build tone with lines.

🔁 Humans tend to find symmetrical shapes pleasing — many artists draw one half of a shape and mirror it to keep designs balanced.