In this free art lesson, you'll learn how to draw an Emperor Penguin Chick step-by-step.

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All of the tutorials on How2DrawAnimals.com are good drawing tutorials for beginners and experienced artists alike. The online tutorials are easy to follow; they teach you the how to draw basics while showing you how to draw animals step by step. Each animal has a video drawing tutorial option, as well as step-by-step photos and written text to follow.

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To draw this Penguin Chick step by step, follow along with the video tutorial below and pause the video after each step to draw at your own pace. You may find it easier to follow the step-by-step drawings below the video. The new lines in each step are shown in red, so you'll know exactly what to draw next. You may want to open the video in a new tab and use both drawing methods. Take your time and draw at your own pace.

The Written step-by-step video tutorial:

For the first few steps, don't press down too hard with your pencil. Use light, smooth strokes to begin.

Step 1: Draw a circle near the top of the paper as a guide for the penguin chick's head. First make four marks to determine the circle's height and width. Then connect the marks using curved lines. If you're struggling to draw the circle, just trace the outer rim of a circular object like a coin or a bottle cap. For a more detailed guide on the different ways to draw a circle check out this tutorial: Four simple ways to draw a circle.

Step 2: Inside the head, draw two intersecting lines as guides to help you place the bird's facial features later. Use a vertical and a horizontal line so that the end result is similar to a scope.

Step 3: On the left side of the head, draw a small, thin arc as a guide for the baby penguin's beak. The lower edge of the arc should line up with the horizontal guide.

Step 4: Below the head, draw a big circle as a guide for the body. Use the four-marks method to draw this circle. Leave a small gap between the circles. If you draw the big circle too far away, the penguin's body will be too long. Make this circle big. It should be about twice the size as the circle for the bird's head. Sketch lightly at first so that it's easy to erase if you get the shape or size wrong.

Step 5: Connect the circles using two long lines to finish the guide for the penguin chick's body. The lines should slope outward so that the resulting shape is narrow at the top and wide at the bottom.

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Step 6: Inside the second circle, near the middle, draw a long, wavy line as a guide for the penguin's flipper.

Step 7: Starting on the right side of the body, draw a long line that curves to the left as a guide for the first foot. At the bottom, curve the line back up toward the circle to form a small arc. To the left, draw a small arc as a guide for the other foot that's peeking from behind the baby penguin's body.

That's it for the guides! From this point on, press harder with your pencil for a more defined drawing.

Step 8: Inside the head, lightly sketch a small circle for the eye. Use the initial lines as guides for placement. When you get the position and size of the bird's eye right, darken the lines but make the sides pointier. Draw a couple of curved lines around the eye for the bit of bare skin on the eyelids. Farther out around the penguin's eye, draw a series of short strokes for some fur. Inside the eye, draw a couple of tiny circles to represent highlights or glare. Shade the eye but don't overlap the tiny highlight circles. Use a dark value near the middle of the eye for the pupil. Use a slightly lighter value along the bottom edge to give the eye a more curved look.

Step 9: Darken part of the top edge of the small arc for the first section of the penguin chick's beak. Draw a line across the arc for the mouth. Draw this line closer to the bottom edge of the arc. Make the line for the mouth long so that it stretches inside the head. Darken the bottom edge of the arc for the lower part of the beak. Stretch this line inside the head too. Draw a series of short strokes along the right side of the beak for the feathery base.

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Step 10: Use the first circle as a guide to draw the rest of the baby penguin's head. Draw a series of short strokes along the top edge of the circle to create the fluffy shape of the head. Make the left side of the head wider so that the strokes end on top of the beak. Draw a few short strokes below the beak for the fluffy texture on the bird's neck. Draw a series of short strokes around the eye for the pattern on the down feathers. The pattern curves around the eye and then back to the left side toward the beak. To the right, draw a curved, vertical line that's made up of short strokes for more of the pattern.

Step 11: Use a series of short strokes along the outer edges of the guides that are under the head to create the penguin chick's fluffy body. At the bottom, curve the strokes to the right so that they overlap the small arc to the left. Keep the strokes short for a fluffy texture. If you make the strokes too long, the feathery down will be too shaggy. Draw strokes across the arc for the down feathers on the right leg. Continue to draw short strokes along the right outer edges of the guides to complete the shape of the penguin's body.

Step 12: Use the wavy line in the middle of the body as a guide to draw the baby penguin's flipper. Draw the shape of the flipper around the guide. Make the top part wide and the bottom part narrow. When you get the shape right, darken the flipper using short strokes for the fluffy texture. Follow the path of the guide line so that the flipper has a similar wavy shape. On the left side, draw a short, curved line for the other flipper peeking from behind the penguin's body.

Step 13: Use the small arc on the bottom, right side as a guide to draw the penguin's first foot. Separate the toes by drawing long curved lines across the arc. On the tip of the toes, draw triangular shapes for the nails. Make the toes wide and round. The nails should be similar to curved cones. Use the arc on the left as a guide to draw the visible toes of the bird's other foot. Draw this foot the same way. Use curved lines for the toes and triangular shapes at the tips for the nails.

Step 14: For a cleaner look, erase as much as you can of the initial guide lines. Don't worry about erasing all of the guides. It's okay to leave some behind. Re-draw any final sketch lines you may have accidentally erased.

Final Step: Shade your penguin chick drawing. Use a medium value for the base of the beak and a light value for the tip. Use a dark value for the pattern on the head. Vary the pressure on your pencil to get different degrees of tonal value. Use a very light value for the rest of the bird's body, especially on the chest. Shading can be time-consuming, so be patient and take breaks. For a more detailed guide on how to shade, check out this tutorial: How to shade.

Add a bit of light value around the penguin chick's eye to create shadows on the white section. Use a darker value along the edge of the flipper and on the bottom for more shadows. Use a streaky dark value to shade the bird's rough and bumpy feet. It's a good idea to use reference as you draw for a more accurate depiction of a baby penguin. Use a dark value to add a cast shadow at the bottom. Don't forget to pause the video to draw at your own pace.

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