In this quick tutorial you'll learn how to draw a Sloth in 8 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 Sloth.
Make sure you also check out any of the hundreds of drawing tutorials grouped by category.
How to Draw a Sloth - Step-by-Step Tutorial
Step 1: Let's draw a sloth! Start with a long curbed line for the sloth's back.
Step 2: Next, draw a circle at one end for the head.
Step 3: Then, fill in two small circles in the middle of the face for the eyes. Trace some shapes that come around the sides of the sloth's eyes for detail.
Step 4: Draw a big circle in between the eyes, and then a smaller circle at the top of that one. This is your sloth's nose!
Step 5: Now, trace a thick tube shape for the arm, making sure to leave a small dent at the end for where the claws are going to go. Trace the other arm the same way, only bending it so that it looks like your sloth is leaning forward!
Step 6: From there, draw a line across the bottom for the belly.
Step 7: Now, draw the back leg by tracing two squiggly lines coming down with a dent at the end also. Make sure your sloth's leg is thick!
Step 8: Last, draw the claws by tracing long, curbed lines that end in a point. There's your sloth! Did you know that sloths spend most of their time in trees, only coming down when they have to use the bathroom, about once a week?
Interesting Facts about Sloths
Sloths are related to armadillos and anteaters, although some people say they look a little like monkeys because of their long arms and shaggy fur. Sloths also have really long claws. They are very slow-moving animals. In fact, they barely move at all, and they can sleep up to 20 hours a day. Sloths live in the trees of the tropical forests in Central and South America. There are two kinds of sloths: the two-toed and the three-toed.
Did you know?
- Sloths spend almost all of their time hanging upside down from trees. They usually only leave trees when they have to use the bathroom, about once a week.
- Sloths eat fruit and plants. They drink water from plants as well.
- Sloths are great swimmers.
- Sloths move so slowly algae actually grow on their fur, and so their fur appears to be green. Sloths’ slow-moving pace is actually a great defense mechanism. From the air, they look like green bushes, so predators ignore them.
There are six species of sloths. Some species are endangered because the rainforests that they live in are being torn down by humans. Not all sloths can adapt to living in places like zoos because they eat only specific kinds of plants.
How To Draw A Sloth – Step-by-Step Tutorial