In this quick tutorial you'll learn how to draw a Koala in 6 easy steps - great for kids and novice artists.
The images above represent how your finished drawing is going to look and the steps involved.
Below are the individual steps - you can click on each one for a High Resolution printable PDF version.
At the bottom you can read some interesting facts about the Koala.
Make sure you also check out any of the hundreds of drawing tutorials grouped by category.
How to Draw a Koala - Step-by-Step Tutorial
Step 1: Begin the koala by drawing the head. It is a wide 'u' shape with a slight outward bump in the middle. This is the chin.
Step 2: Now we add the large nose. It is egg-shaped right in the middle of the head with a small 'v' at the bottom to make the nostrils. Add two small round eyes on either side of the top of the nose. Then add squiggly hair tufts on either side of the head.
Step 3: Just above the hair tufts draw two round ears. Join them with a line to finish the head.
Step 4: Next draw a large curved line for the body. The line curves around to the right sharply to make the rump. Start the strong front arm right under the head. There are two fingers on either side of the hand. Continue the hand line back to make the thick upper arm.
Step 5: The round top of the hind leg touches the bottom of the arm line. Draw the smaller hind leg. It is wide but much shorter than the front leg. The back of the hind leg reaches down to the bottom of the rump line.
Step 6: Draw two parallel lines joining the hind foot and the front hand to make a thick branch. From the right side of the face draw a line for the top part of the second arm. Two fingers are on the left side of the branch and two are on the other side. Add two rounded toes from the hind leg just above the first hind leg.
Interesting Facts about Koalas
Koalas belong to the Macropodidae family of marsupials, in which females carry their babies in a pouch on the front of their body, along with kangaroos, possums, wombats, opossums and the Tasmanian devil.
Koalas primarily live along eastern and southern coastal regions of Australia and are among the first marsupials that lived in China about 125 million years ago.
Did you know?
- While sometimes called koala bears, they are not bears, but do resemble them.
- Koalas have large, sharp claws for climbing trees.
- Other than primates, koalas are among only a few mammals that have fingerprints.
- Koalas are most active at night and are usually silent, except for males during mating season.
- A baby koala is called a “joey” that will immediately crawl into the pouch after its born, where it will live for about 6 months.
- The main diet of koalas is leaves from the eucalyptus tree.
In many areas of Australia, the koala has been described as a vulnerable, threatened and endangered species. Koalas have been represented on coins and emblems, featured in children’s stories and television shows, and Australia’s popular chocolate, Caramello Koalas, is named after them.
How to Draw A Koala – Quick Step-by-Step Tutorial