How to Draw a Chicken Dinner: Easy 10-Step Guide

Perfect for budding artists ages 5 and up, this tutorial breaks down a hearty chicken dinner into simple, manageable shapes. All you need is a pencil, an eraser, and a piece of paper to get started. By the end, you will have a complete, steaming meal illustration that is ready for your favorite colors.

10 Steps

🎯 Final Result

A colorful, finished cartoon chicken dinner drawing on a plate with a side bowl.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Sketching the Plate and First Leg

Sketching the initial plate rim and the base of a chicken drumstick using light pencil lines.

Draw a wide, sideways 'C' shape for the top rim of the plate. Add a curved line overlapping the edge to start the first drumstick. Teacher's Tip: Keep your pencil pressure light here so you can easily adjust the size of the plate later.

Step 2: Adding the Second Drumstick

Drawing a second chicken leg with a heart-shaped bone tip overlapping the first leg.

Sketch a second drumstick overlapping the first. Add a small heart shape at the tip to represent the exposed bone. Teacher's Tip: Don't worry if the heart isn't perfect; a slightly wobbly bone looks more natural and organic.

Step 3: Defining the Bone and Potatoes

Adding detail to the chicken bone and starting the outline for a mound of mashed potatoes.

Refine the bone on the first drumstick with small curved lines. Begin the base of your mashed potato mound next to the chicken. Teacher's Tip: Use a 'bumpy' motion with your wrist to make the potatoes look fluffy rather than flat.

Step 4: Texturing the Potatoes

Adding texture lines to the mashed potatoes to give them a fluffy, realistic appearance.

Use overlapping curved lines to build up the height of the mashed potatoes. Teacher's Tip: Imagine you are scooping real potatoes with a spoon; the overlapping lines create that nice, soft texture.

Step 5: Adding Green Beans

Drawing long, tapered green beans next to the mashed potatoes.

Add more texture lines to the potatoes, then draw your first green beans using long, thin shapes that taper to points. Teacher's Tip: Vary the length of the beans to make your dinner look more natural.

Step 6: Filling the Plate

Adding extra green beans to the plate to create a full, balanced composition.

Draw a few more green beans tucked behind the first ones. Teacher's Tip: Overlapping objects is a great way to add depth and make your drawing look 3D!

Step 7: Drawing the Side Bowl

Outlining a small bowl sitting beside the main dinner plate.

Sketch a bowl next to your plate using overlapping curved lines for the rim. Teacher's Tip: Keep the bowl slightly smaller than the plate so the focus remains on the chicken.

Step 8: Filling the Bowl

Adding swirling details inside the bowl to represent food.

Draw the contents of the bowl using swirling, overlapping lines that meet at a point. Teacher's Tip: Use a continuous motion to make the food look like it's piled high.

Step 9: Adding Steam

Adding wavy steam lines rising from the hot food in the bowl.

Finish the bowl and add wavy, rising lines above the food to represent steam. Teacher's Tip: Draw these lines very lightly to show that the food is hot and fresh!

Step 10: Adding Color

A fully colored, vibrant cartoon chicken dinner illustration.

Bring your dinner to life with color! Use warm browns for the chicken and soft colors for your sides. Teacher's Tip: Use a darker brown for the shaded areas of the chicken to give it a crispy, roasted look.