How to draw a gorilla - a free gorilla drawing guide
Learn to draw a friendly gorilla step by step using simple shapes, shading, and texture techniques to practice observation and drawing skills.
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Photos of gorilla drawing examples
Step-by-step guide to draw a gorilla
How To Draw A Cartoon Gorilla
Step 1
Lightly draw a big circle near the top of the paper for the gorilla's head.
Step 2
Draw a larger oval under the head circle that overlaps a little to make the gorilla's body.
Step 3
Lightly draw one horizontal and one vertical guideline across the head circle to help place the face features.
Step 4
Draw a rounded rectangle shape on the lower front of the head circle to make the gorilla's muzzle.
Step 5
Draw two small circles on the horizontal guideline for the gorilla's eyes.
Step 6
Draw a small rounded triangle for the nose just below the eyes and draw a short curved line for the mouth.
Step 7
Add two small rounded ears on each side of the head circle.
Step 8
Sketch two thick curved shapes from the shoulders down the sides for the gorilla's strong arms.
Step 9
Draw simple rounded hands at the ends of the arms with a few short lines for fingers.
Step 10
Add two short ovals at the bottom of the body for the gorilla's feet.
Step 11
Make short pencil strokes all over the head body and arms to show fur texture.
Step 12
Shade under the chin inside the arms and under the belly with a softer pencil pressure to create shadow.
Step 13
Erase the light guidelines and any stray marks to clean up your drawing.
Step 14
Trace the final lines with a black marker and then colour your gorilla using greys browns and darker tones for shaded areas.
Step 15
Take a photo of your finished gorilla and share it on DIY.org.
Help!?
What can we use if we don't have a black marker or a camera to share our drawing?
If you don't have a black marker, carefully trace the final lines with a sharp dark pencil or ink pen after erasing guidelines, and use a phone, tablet, or a scanned copy to take the photo for DIY.org.
My gorilla's head and body look wrong—what should I fix first?
If proportions are off, lightly redraw the big head circle and larger overlapping body oval and use the horizontal and vertical head guidelines to re-place the eyes, muzzle, nose, and mouth before erasing stray marks.
How can I change the steps for younger or older kids?
For younger children, simplify to the head circle, body oval, basic eyes, muzzle and hands and skip fur strokes and complex shading, while older kids can add more short pencil fur strokes, layered soft-pencil shading under the chin/arms/belly, and trace with marker for a polished look.
How can we make the gorilla drawing more interesting or personal?
Personalize it by varying fur colors when you colour with greys and browns, adding a jungle background, changing the expression, or using more detailed fur texture and darker shaded areas before photographing and sharing on DIY.org.
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Gorillas for Kids
Facts about animal drawing for kids
🦍 Gorillas are the largest living primates — adult males (silverbacks) can weigh around 180–220 kg (400–485 lb).
✏️ Many artists start by blocking a gorilla's head and body with simple shapes (circles, ovals, rectangles) to get proportions right.
🔍 Gorillas, like humans, have unique fingerprints and very human-like hands that help them grasp and manipulate objects.
🎨 The name 'silverback' comes from the silver hair on mature males' backs — a handy natural highlight when shading fur.
🌟 Koko, a western lowland gorilla, famously learned over 1,000 signs, showing how expressive gorilla faces and gestures can be for drawing.
How do I teach my child to draw a friendly gorilla step by step?
What materials do I need to draw a gorilla with my child?
What ages is learning to draw a friendly gorilla suitable for?
What are the benefits of learning to draw a gorilla and any safety tips?
