How to Draw an Orangutan: Easy 9-Step Guide for Kids

Bring the rainforest to your sketchbook with this fun, beginner-friendly orangutan tutorial. Designed for ages 5 and up, this activity requires only a pencil, paper, and eraser to build confidence in character sketching. Follow along to create a charming, furry primate friend in just a few simple steps.

10 Steps

🎯 Final Result

A friendly, cartoon-style orangutan sitting in a jungle setting, fully colored.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Sketching the Face

Close-up pencil sketch of an orangutan face showing eyes, nose, and mouth structure.

Start by drawing the orangutan's face. Use curved lines for the mouth, eye ridges, and nostrils. Teacher's Tip: Keep the eyes small and centered; drawing them as half-circles makes the expression look much friendlier.

Step 2: Defining the Facial Features

Adding facial contours and mouth details to the orangutan sketch.

Draw a curved 'M' shape above the eyes and add lines around the mouth. Tip: Use short, quick strokes to create the texture around the mouth—this makes the fur look soft and realistic.

Step 3: Adding the Mustache and Beard

Drawing the orangutan's signature mustache and beard using jagged lines.

Enclose a mustache shape above the mouth and connect it to the beard area using jagged lines. Tip: Don't worry about making these lines perfectly smooth; jagged edges are perfect for representing shaggy animal hair.

Step 4: Sketching the Shoulders

Outlining the shaggy shoulders of the orangutan with jagged lines.

Use jagged, overlapping lines to draw the furry shoulders. Tip: Imagine the fur is hanging down; draw your lines in a downward motion to capture the weight of the hair.

Step 5: Drawing the Forearm and Hand

Sketching the orangutan's long arm and hand with fingers.

Complete the forearm and sketch the hand using overlapping curved lines for the fingers. Tip: Keep the fingers slightly curved to make the hand look like it's gripping a branch.

Step 6: Adding Arm Detail

Refining the arm and hand details with additional fur texture.

Contour the hand and continue the furry arm lines. Tip: Use varying lengths for your jagged lines to make the fur look natural and layered.

Step 7: Drawing the Legs

Starting the leg structure of the orangutan drawing.

Use 'U' shaped lines for the fingers and begin the leg structure. Tip: Orangutans have long limbs; make sure your leg lines are nice and long to keep the proportions correct.

Step 8: Completing the Lower Body

Adding the feet and toes to the orangutan's lower body.

Finish the legs and draw the toes using overlapping curves. Tip: If the toes look too small, don't worry—just erase and make them slightly wider to give the feet a sturdy look.

Step 9: Final Touches

Finalizing the outline of the orangutan with chest and belly details.

Enclose the feet and define the chest and belly with more jagged fur lines. Tip: Use a long, sweeping curved line across the chest to separate the belly from the upper body.

Step 10: Coloring Your Masterpiece

Finished, colored orangutan illustration with reddish-orange fur and brown skin.

Time to add color! Use vibrant reddish-orange for the fur and a deep brown for the face, hands, and feet. Tip: Use light pressure with your brown pencil to create shadows on the face for a 3D effect.