How to Draw a Brain: Easy 10-Step Guide for Kids

Looking for a fun way to combine art and science? This tutorial is perfect for ages 5+ to learn the basic anatomy of a brain through a cute, cartoon style. All you need is a pencil, an eraser, and some paper to get started on this screen-free creative activity.

10 Steps

🎯 Final Result

A colorful, friendly cartoon brain illustration.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Establishing the Center

A faint vertical pencil line drawn in the center of a white page as a guide for drawing a brain.

Draw a light, vertical line down the center of your page. Teacher's Tip: Use a ruler if you need to, but keep it faint—this is just a guide to help you balance the two halves of the brain.

Step 2: Shaping the Left Hemisphere

Drawing the left side of the brain using bumpy, irregular curved lines.

Outline the left side of the brain using a series of connected, bumpy, curved lines. Teacher's Tip: Think of these as little hills and valleys; don't worry about making them perfectly symmetrical.

Step 3: Shaping the Right Hemisphere

Adding the right side of the brain outline to match the left side.

Mirror your work by drawing the right side of the brain using similar bumpy, curved lines. Teacher's Tip: Try to keep the overall height of both sides roughly the same.

Step 4: Closing the Top

Connecting the top sections of the brain with rounded, bumpy lines.

Connect the top of your two sides with more curved, bumpy lines to enclose the shape. Teacher's Tip: Make these curves slightly larger to give the brain a rounded, healthy look.

Step 5: Closing the Bottom

Completing the bottom outline of the brain with small, connected curves.

Finish the bottom outline with smaller, tighter curves. Teacher's Tip: Notice how the shape narrows slightly toward the middle—this helps it look more realistic.

Step 6: Cleaning Up

The brain outline with the center guide line erased.

Gently erase your vertical guide line from the center. Teacher's Tip: Make sure your paper is clean of eraser crumbs before moving to the next step so your lines stay crisp.

Step 7: Adding Texture

Adding 'U' shaped lines throughout the interior of the brain to create a wrinkled texture.

Draw small 'U' shaped lines inside the brain to represent the sulci and gyri (the folds). Teacher's Tip: Vary the size and direction of these 'U's to make the brain look complex and textured.

Step 8: Giving it Personality

Adding a cute face with eyes, eyebrows, and a smiling mouth to the brain.

Draw two ovals for eyes and a curved line for a happy mouth. Add small eyebrows above the eyes. Teacher's Tip: A simple smile makes the brain look friendly and approachable!

Step 9: Adding Eye Detail

Detailing the eyes with pupils and highlights.

Draw a smaller oval inside each eye with a tiny circle for a highlight. Shade the area around the circle to create the pupil. Teacher's Tip: Leaving that tiny white circle uncolored makes the eyes look bright and alive.

Step 10: Adding Color

The finished, colored cartoon brain drawing.

Color your brain! While we used pink for a fun, cartoon look, you can experiment with shades of grey to be more scientifically accurate. Teacher's Tip: Use a darker pink or grey to shade the 'folds' to give your drawing more depth.