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how to draw a family

How to draw a family - a free family drawing guide

Draw a family portrait showing each person's face, body, and clothes. Practice proportions, expressions, and simple perspective using pencil and color.

Table of contents

Drawing Apps

Photos of family portrait examples

Step-by-step guide to draw a family portrait

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Easy Family Drawing for Kids | Step-by-Step Drawing of Mom, Dad, Son & Daughter

What you need

Drawing paper, pencil, eraser, ruler, colouring materials, family photos or a mirror

Step 1

Gather your materials and place them on a flat table.

Step 2

Choose which family members to include in your portrait.

Step 3

Pick one photo or look at each person for reference.

Step 4

Lightly draw a straight horizontal horizon line and a ground line with your ruler.

Step 5

Lightly draw small circles where each head will go using bigger circles for closer people and smaller circles for people farther away.

Step 6

Use your pencil to measure one head height and mark how many head-heights tall each person will be using about six heads for an adult and about four heads for a child.

Step 7

Draw necks and simple torso shapes down from each head mark to the body height marks.

Step 8

Add simple arm and leg shapes to each figure to match their poses.

Step 9

Draw a light guideline across each head halfway down for the eyes and another guideline between eyes and chin for the nose and mouth.

Step 10

Sketch eyes nose and mouth on each face following the guidelines to create different expressions.

Step 11

Add hair clothing and small details that show each person’s style.

Step 12

Erase extra guidelines and darken the final lines you want to keep.

Step 13

Colour your portrait and add simple ground shadows or overlap figures a little to show who is in front.

Step 14

Share your finished family portrait on DIY.org

Help!?

What can we use if we don't have a ruler, photos, or markers?

Use a straight book edge or a credit card as a ruler to lightly draw the horizon line and ground line, look at each person in the room or use a single family photo for reference, and swap markers for crayons, colored pencils, or watercolors when you colour your portrait.

My people look flat or too big/small—how do we fix proportions and placement?

Lightly erase and adjust the small circles you drew for each head, then use your pencil or ruler to measure one head height and mark how many head-heights tall each person will be (about six for an adult and four for a child) before redrawing necks, torsos, and limbs so they line up on the horizon and ground lines.

How can I adapt this activity for younger or older children?

For younger kids, simplify by drawing big circles for heads and stick limbs and using chunky crayons, while older kids can follow full steps like measuring head-heights, adding eye/nose/mouth guidelines, overlapping figures, and adding hair, clothing, and shading.

How can we make the family portrait more personal or challenging?

Personalize by adding favorite clothing, props, or patterned backgrounds when you colour your portrait, experiment with overlapping figures and simple ground shadows to show depth, or use mixed media like cut paper or fabric before erasing guidelines and darkening final lines to share on DIY.org.

Watch videos on how to draw a family portrait

0:00/0:00

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

Easy Family Drawing Tutorial for Beginners ✏️ | Draw a Family in Minutes

4 Videos

Facts about portrait and figure drawing for kids

🎨 Leonardo da Vinci's Vitruvian Man is a famous study of ideal human proportions that artists still learn from today.

🙂 People can recognize basic facial expressions like happiness or surprise in well under a second.

📏 A handy drawing rule: an adult figure is usually about 7.5–8 heads tall for realistic proportions.

✏️ Artists pick pencil grades for different jobs — H pencils for fine light lines, B pencils for dark shading.

🔭 Linear perspective, popularized during the Renaissance, uses vanishing points to make scenes look 3D on paper.

How do I teach my child to draw a family portrait step by step?

Start by choosing a clear photo or asking family members to pose. Lightly sketch face shapes and body placement to get proportions and spacing right. Use simple shapes for heads, torsos, arms and legs, keeping heads roughly one-seventh of body height for older kids. Add facial expressions, hair and clothing, then refine lines and erase guidelines. Introduce basic perspective by placing nearer family members larger. Finish with shading or color pencils and encourage personalization.

What materials do I need to draw a family portrait with my child?

Gather paper (sketchbook or heavyweight), pencils (HB and 2B), a kneaded and regular eraser, sharpener, ruler for guidelines, and colored pencils or markers for finishing. Optional: blending stump for soft shading, photos for reference, tracing paper to practice poses, and a drawing board. Keep materials non-toxic and washable for younger kids. Lay out all supplies before starting to keep the session smooth and focused.

What ages is drawing a family portrait suitable for?

This activity suits a wide age range. Ages 3–5 enjoy simple family portraits with big shapes and bright color—help with drawing and cutting. Ages 6–9 can practice proportions, basic facial features, and clothing details with guided instruction. Ages 10–14 are ready for more accurate proportions, expressions, and simple perspective techniques. Teens can explore shading, composition, and mixed media. Always adapt complexity and supervision to each child's fine motor skills and attention span.

What are the benefits of drawing family portraits and fun variations we can try?

Drawing a family portrait builds observation, empathy, fine motor skills, and memory while strengthening family bonds. It helps children notice proportions, expressions, and clothing details, and boosts confidence when sharing their work. Variations include silhouette portraits, collage with fabric and photos, finger-paint family scenes, comic-strip family stories, or digital drawing on a tablet. For extra challenge, try drawing each family member at different ages or from different angles. Keep

Ready to create?

All Activities

how to draw a family

How to draw a family - a free family drawing guide

Draw a family portrait showing each person's face, body, and clothes. Practice proportions, expressions, and simple perspective using pencil and color.

Table of contents

Drawing Apps

Photos of family portrait examples

Step-by-step guide to draw a family portrait

0:00/0:00

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

Easy Family Drawing for Kids | Step-by-Step Drawing of Mom, Dad, Son & Daughter

What you need

Drawing paper, pencil, eraser, ruler, colouring materials, family photos or a mirror

Step 1

Gather your materials and place them on a flat table.

Step 2

Choose which family members to include in your portrait.

Step 3

Pick one photo or look at each person for reference.

Step 4

Lightly draw a straight horizontal horizon line and a ground line with your ruler.

Step 5

Lightly draw small circles where each head will go using bigger circles for closer people and smaller circles for people farther away.

Step 6

Use your pencil to measure one head height and mark how many head-heights tall each person will be using about six heads for an adult and about four heads for a child.

Step 7

Draw necks and simple torso shapes down from each head mark to the body height marks.

Step 8

Add simple arm and leg shapes to each figure to match their poses.

Step 9

Draw a light guideline across each head halfway down for the eyes and another guideline between eyes and chin for the nose and mouth.

Step 10

Sketch eyes nose and mouth on each face following the guidelines to create different expressions.

Step 11

Add hair clothing and small details that show each person’s style.

Step 12

Erase extra guidelines and darken the final lines you want to keep.

Step 13

Colour your portrait and add simple ground shadows or overlap figures a little to show who is in front.

Step 14

Share your finished family portrait on DIY.org

Help!?

What can we use if we don't have a ruler, photos, or markers?

My people look flat or too big/small—how do we fix proportions and placement?

How can I adapt this activity for younger or older children?

How can we make the family portrait more personal or challenging?

Watch videos on how to draw a family portrait

0:00/0:00

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

Easy Family Drawing Tutorial for Beginners ✏️ | Draw a Family in Minutes

4 Videos

Facts about portrait and figure drawing for kids

🎨 Leonardo da Vinci's Vitruvian Man is a famous study of ideal human proportions that artists still learn from today.

🙂 People can recognize basic facial expressions like happiness or surprise in well under a second.

📏 A handy drawing rule: an adult figure is usually about 7.5–8 heads tall for realistic proportions.

✏️ Artists pick pencil grades for different jobs — H pencils for fine light lines, B pencils for dark shading.

🔭 Linear perspective, popularized during the Renaissance, uses vanishing points to make scenes look 3D on paper.