How to Draw the Sun
Draw a bright sun with rays, shading, and face using pencil, crayons, or paints. Practice shapes, shading, and symmetry, and color blending.
About this tutorial
Draw a bright sun with rays, shading, and face using pencil, crayons, or paints. Practice shapes, shading, and symmetry, and color blending.
What you need
Instructions
- 1
Step 1
Gather your materials and clear a flat workspace so you can draw comfortably.
- 2
Step 2
Fold your paper in half one way and then the other and open it to reveal a cross of creases that marks the center.
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Step 3
Use your pencil to draw a light circle at the crease intersection for the sun’s face.
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Step 4
Make evenly spaced small dots around the circle to plan where each ray will go.
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Step 5
Draw triangular rays from the circle to each dot keeping their lengths and shapes similar for a balanced look.
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Step 6
Draw a slightly smaller inner circle inside the face area to guide where the eyes and mouth will sit.
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Step 7
Sketch the sun’s face inside the inner circle with simple symmetrical eyes a nose and a smiling mouth.
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Step 8
Lightly shade the face with your pencil using short soft strokes to create a smooth gradient.
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Step 9
Choose two or three warm colors for the rays such as orange red and yellow.
- 10
Step 10
Color each ray starting with a darker color at the base and a lighter color toward the tip then blend the seam with a cotton swab or tissue.
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Step 11
Color the sun’s face with a light yellow and add a few darker strokes near the edge to show roundness.
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Step 12
Outline the sun and the facial features with the black marker or dark crayon to make them stand out.
- 13
Step 13
Gently erase any remaining pencil guidelines to tidy up your picture.
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Step 14
Share your finished sun on DIY.org
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Fun facts
How do I teach my child to draw a bright sun with rays, shading, and a face?
To draw a bright sun, lightly sketch a circle for the center and divide it into sections to plan symmetry. Add evenly spaced triangular or wavy rays, then sketch a friendly face with simple eyes and a smile. Use pencil for initial shading around the edges to create a round effect, blend gently with a stump or finger, then layer colors with crayons or paints, finishing with highlights and a clean outline.
What materials do I need to draw a sun with rays, shading, and a face?
You'll need drawing paper (or watercolor paper for paint); pencils (HB and a softer 2B), eraser, and sharpener; crayons or colored pencils; watercolor or tempera paints, brushes, palette, and a water cup; blending stump or cotton swab for shading; optional ruler or compass for circles; and a smock or wipes to keep clothes and surfaces clean.
What ages is this sun-drawing activity suitable for?
Suitable for ages 3 and up. Toddlers (3–5) enjoy simple circles and rays with adult help; preschoolers (4–6) can add faces and basic coloring; school-age children (6–10) practice shading, symmetry, and controlled blending; older kids and teens (11+) refine shading techniques, color mixing, and composition. Supervise paints and small tools for younger children and adjust complexity to each child's skill.
What are the benefits of drawing a sun with shading, rays, and a face?
Drawing a sun strengthens fine motor control, hand-eye coordination, and early geometry skills like shapes and symmetry. Shading and color blending teach value, depth, and color mixing; adding a face supports emotional expression and storytelling. The activity encourages observation of light and shadow, creativity, confidence, and can spark simple science conversations about the sun. Keep sessions short and give positive feedback to boost engagement.
Watch & Learn
Need help?
What can I use instead of a cotton swab or tissue to blend the colored seams if I don't have them?
If you don't have a cotton swab or tissue to blend the seam (step 10), use a clean fingertip or a small piece of folded paper towel to gently smudge the colors.
My sun's rays look uneven—how can I fix them so the sun looks balanced?
Use the paper's folded creases to confirm the center, re-place evenly spaced dots around the light pencil circle (step 4), and lightly measure each ray length with your pencil before drawing the triangular rays.
How can I adapt this activity for different ages or skill levels?
For younger children, pre-fold the paper and pre-draw the light circle and dots so they can color large rays with crayons, while older kids can follow steps 6–11 to sketch symmetrical facial features, shade the face, and blend colors for smoother gradients.
What are simple ways to enhance or personalize the finished sun?
After outlining and erasing guidelines (steps 12–13), personalize the sun by adding patterned rays or a watercolor background, glueing sequins or glitter along the edge, or cutting it out to make a hanging sun to share on DIY.org.