All Activities

how to draw george washington

How to draw george washington - a free george washington drawing guide

Draw a portrait of George Washington with pencil by building basic shapes, adding facial features, hair, and colonial clothing. Develop proportion and shading skills.

Table of contents

Drawing Apps

Get inspired with these

Instructions

0:00/0:00

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

How to Draw George Washington | Step by Step Art Lesson for Beginners

What you need

Drawing paper, pencil, eraser, ruler, sharpener, blending tool (tissue or cotton swab), reference picture of george washington

Step 1

Gather all your materials and sit at a clean flat table so you are ready to draw.

Step 2

Place your reference picture of George Washington beside your paper where you can easily see it.

Step 3

Lightly draw a vertical oval in the middle of the paper to make the head shape.

Step 4

Draw one light vertical center line and one horizontal eye line across the oval to help place features.

Step 5

Add a jawline and chin shape under the oval to make the face look more like a real head.

Step 6

Sketch a short neck and broad shoulders so the coat will sit in the right place.

Step 7

Draw two almond-shaped eyes on the eye line to set the face’s expression.

Step 8

Draw the nose along the center line using simple straight and curved lines to match your reference.

Step 9

Draw the mouth between the nose and chin with a small curved line that matches the expression.

Step 10

Draw the ears level with the eyes and the bottom aligned with the nose.

Step 11

Sketch George Washington’s hairstyle/wig outline around the head following the reference shape.

Step 12

Draw the colonial clothing details like the cravat collar and the top of the coat as simple shapes.

Step 13

Gently erase the extra construction lines so only the main drawing remains.

Step 14

Add soft shading to the face hair and clothing with light pencil strokes and blend gently with a tissue to create form.

Step 15

Take a photo of your finished portrait and share your creation on DIY.org

Help!?

What can we use if we don't have a tissue for blending or a printed reference picture?

If you don't have a tissue for soft shading (step 13), use a clean fingertip or a cotton pad to blend, and if you can't print the reference picture, place it on a phone or tablet beside your paper as the instructions recommend.

My portrait looks off-center or the features are uneven—how can I fix the proportions?

Use the light vertical center line and horizontal eye line from step 4 to recheck positions, lightly adjust the almond-shaped eyes, nose, and mouth to those guides, and then gently erase extra construction lines as in step 11.

How can I change the activity for younger or older children?

For younger kids give a pre-drawn oval and labeled guideline lines to trace (steps 3–5) while older kids can add finer wig and coat details and more layered shading and blending (steps 9, 10, 12, 13) for a challenge.

How can we extend or personalize the finished George Washington drawing?

After erasing construction lines (step 11), personalize the portrait by adding color to the cravat and coat with markers or watercolor, sketch a simple background like a colonial flag, and then photograph the final piece to share on DIY.org as suggested.

4 Videos

Fun Facts

🇺🇸 George Washington was the first President of the United States and never lived in the White House.

🎨 Gilbert Stuart painted the most famous portrait of Washington — the unfinished Athenaeum portrait used on the U.S. one-dollar bill.

✏️ Pencil "lead" is actually graphite; artists use grades like HB, 2B and 6B to make lighter or darker marks for shading.

🔷 Portrait artists often begin by drawing simple shapes (ovals, lines, rectangles) to map proportions before adding details.

👔 Colonial men's hair was often powdered, tied back, or worn as a wig, and layered coats and waistcoats make great costume details to sketch.

How do you draw a pencil portrait of George Washington step-by-step?

Start with a clear reference photo of George Washington. Lightly sketch an oval for the head and add vertical and horizontal guidelines for the center line, eye line, and mouth. Block in the major facial shapes—cheeks, jaw, nose and brow—then place eyes, nose, and mouth using your guidelines. Add hair and colonial collar, refine outlines, darken key lines. Build values with light-to-dark shading, blend for smooth tones, erase construction lines, and add finishing details and highlights.

What materials do I need to draw a pencil portrait of George Washington?

You'll need a range of pencils (HB for light sketching, 2B and 4B for midtones and darks), a kneaded eraser for lifting graphite and a regular eraser for cleaning edges, a sharpener, blending tools such as a blending stump or tissue, and medium-weight drawing paper. Also have a clear reference image of George Washington and a ruler for initial guidelines. Optional: charcoal pencils, white gel pen for highlights, and a fixative spray.

What ages is drawing a George Washington portrait suitable for?

Drawing a portrait of George Washington suits children aged about 8 and up. Ages 8–10 will benefit from guided steps and simpler shapes; 11–14 can handle more accurate proportions and shading independently. Younger children (5–7) can participate by tracing shapes or coloring a printed outline with adult help. Tailor instruction to attention span and motor skills, offering shorter sessions and step-by-step demonstrations for younger artists.

What are the benefits of drawing a George Washington portrait for kids?

This activity strengthens proportion study, observational drawing, and shading techniques while improving fine motor control and patience. Children also learn historical awareness by studying Washington’s features and clothing. Repeated practice builds confidence, visual memory, and problem-solving as they simplify complex forms into basic shapes. Use it as a cross-curricular lesson: discuss colonial history, portrait etiquette, or compare other historical portraits to expand learning beyond art

Ready to create?