How to Draw Jungle Animals Step by Step Printables for Kids
Drawing jungle animals can be fun and easy when you use directed drawing steps. Directed drawing gives you simple, step by step instructions to help you create animals like toucans, gorillas, frogs, and elephants. Grab these free How to Draw Jungle Animals directed drawing printables.
You only need basic art supplies, like paper and a pencil, to start.

How to Draw Jungle Animals: Easy Step-by-Step Guide for Kids
Following clear directions helps you focus on each part of the animal, one small step at a time, and is easy to follow. You don’t need fancy skills or artistic experience. This approach breaks down animal drawing so anyone can do it and enjoy success.
You’ll learn how to draw right alongside examples for each stage with directed drawing. Soon, you’ll have a rainforest or jungle scene filled with animals you drew yourself.
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Getting Started with Jungle Animal Directed Drawing
Learning how to draw jungle animals is easier when you have the right materials, understand how to observe, and work in a comfortable spot. Picking good art supplies and setting up your space helps your creative ideas flow while you practice important drawing techniques.
Choosing Your Art Supplies
Start by gathering all the art supplies you need before you begin. You will want sketchbooks or plain paper, colored pencils, pastels, and Sharpies for outlining. Many artists find that using a pencil with a good eraser helps make corrections while learning.
It is a good idea to pick colors that match real animals, such as cool colors for snakes or frogs. Pastels can help add soft colors and blend easily, while colored pencils work well for sharper, neat lines. Sharpies make bold outlines that look clear and strong in your finished animal drawing.
Understanding Proportions and Observation for Kids
When doing directed drawing, you need to look carefully at the animals you want to draw. Focus on observation, paying attention to the size and shape of the animal’s body parts. For example, an elephant has a big body and large ears, while a monkey’s arms and legs are long and skinny.
Learning about proportions means making sure the head, body, and legs match the real animal. A simple way to check is to compare each part on your paper or use your pencil to measure. Don’t be afraid to adjust your lines until your animal looks right; practice makes it easier each time.
Directed drawing steps often start with drawing basic shapes, like circles and ovals, before adding smaller details. This helps you place things, like eyes or noses, in the correct spots. Careful observation and practice will make your original drawings look more like real jungle animals.
Setting Up Your Drawing Space
A good drawing space makes it more fun to create. Choose a table or desk with plenty of light from a lamp or a window. Lay out your art supplies where you can easily reach them.
Remove anything you do not need so your sketchbook or paper has room to move around. If you like, keep some reference pictures or animal toys nearby to look at while you draw. Keeping your workspace tidy can help you focus and enjoy the drawing process more.
Make sure you have a comfortable chair, and take breaks to stretch your hands if you are drawing for a long time. Creating the right setup will help you relax and make your jungle animal art even better.
How to Draw Animals

Step-by-Step Jungle Animals Directed Drawing Guide
Drawing jungle animals with directed drawings is simple and fun. You’ll learn to sketch faces, show feelings in your animals, and add cool details like scales and fur.
Drawing Big Cats and Their Emotions
Start your animal drawing by sketching the outline of a cat’s head, like a tiger or lion. Use a simple circle for the head and ovals for the ears. Draw the body with basic curved lines.
Focus on the eyes and mouth to show emotions. Make wide eyes for surprise or curve the mouth up for a happy cat. Add eyebrows or whiskers to change the mood.
Break it down into steps. First, outline the face. Next, shape the nose, mouth, and ears. Then, add details like stripes, fur patterns, and shadows using short, quick lines.
Here’s a quick guide:
| Step | Action |
|---|---|
| 1. Shape | Draw head and body |
| 2. Features | Add eyes, nose, mouth |
| 3. Details | Draw fur, stripes |
| 4. Emotions | Change eyes, mouth |
Try using colored pencils or markers to finish your portrait. Mix yellow, orange, and brown for a tiger or gold and brown for a lion.
DIRECTED DRAWING
Creating Reptiles and Other Wildlife
Begin your reptiles with basic shapes. Draw an oval for the snake’s head and a long, curvy line for its body. For other wildlife like toucans, sketch a large beak using a triangle and a round body.
Add scales or feathers for texture. Use small dots or short lines. For reptiles, create shiny eyes by leaving a white spot in the pupil.
Wildlife portraits come alive with great detail. Draw claws, tails, or wings using smooth or jagged lines to match the animal. Use dark green, grey, or brown for most reptiles.
A quick checklist:
- Use ovals, triangles, and lines for shapes
- Add skin patterns like scales or spots
- Highlight eyes for life
Bringing Jungle Pets and Horses to Life
Many kids imagine pets or even horses living in the jungle, so try drawing them, too. Start with an oval head and a rectangle for the body.
To make your pets look cute, draw big, friendly eyes and a soft nose. Add ears on top for cats or to the side for dogs. For horses, draw a long, curved line for the neck and a rounded nose.
Show the animal’s expression by changing the shape of the mouth or the angle of the ears. Add a mane for horses with long, wavy strokes. Using short marks, fill in details, like fluffy tails or paw lines.
Consider finishing with colored pencils or crayons. To make your drawing stand out, use light brown or grey for horses and any fun color for pets.
How to Draw Jungle Animals for Kids
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