How to Draw Famous People: 18 Easy Step-by-Step Tutorials

🖍️ 18 free tutorials

Bring history and pop culture to life with these 18 beginner-friendly portrait tutorials. Designed for artists of all ages, these guides break down complex facial features into simple, manageable shapes. Grab your pencil and paper to start building your drawing confidence today.

Billie Eilish

Capture Billie's iconic grunge aesthetic. Focus on the sharp angles of her hair and expressive eyes to nail her signature look.

Billie Eilish

Ariana Grande

Practice drawing stylized accessories like cat ears. Keep your lines smooth to capture her polished, pop-star style.

Ariana Grande

Lionel Messi

Focus on capturing movement and athletic posture. Use light guidelines to ensure his jersey proportions remain balanced.

Lionel Messi

Pocahontas

Emphasize flowing lines to represent hair and traditional clothing. This is a great exercise for practicing organic shapes.

Pocahontas

William Shakespeare

Challenge yourself with historical details like the ruff collar. Break the complex lace pattern into simple geometric shapes first.

William Shakespeare

George Washington

Focus on the structure of the face and the cravat. Use light shading to define the texture of his powdered wig.

George Washington

Thomas Jefferson

Build your presidential gallery. Focus on the jawline and hair volume to create a recognizable likeness.

Thomas Jefferson

Abraham Lincoln

The stovepipe hat is the key feature here. Use vertical lines to establish the height and structure of the hat before adding facial details.

Abraham Lincoln

Martin Luther King Jr

Capture the thoughtful expression by focusing on the tilt of the head and the eyes. Use soft pencil strokes for a respectful, lifelike finish.

Martin Luther King Jr

Isaac Newton

Incorporate the apple as a narrative element. This is a great way to practice drawing hands and spherical objects.

Isaac Newton

Harriet Tubman

Focus on the strength and dignity in her expression. Use cross-hatching techniques to add depth to her clothing.

Harriet Tubman

Cartoon Giannis Antetokounmpo

Practice caricature techniques by exaggerating key features like hair and facial structure while keeping the proportions balanced.

Cartoon Giannis Antetokounmpo

Taylor Swift

Capture the energy of a stage performance. Focus on the dynamic pose and the details of the outfit to bring the drawing to life.

Taylor Swift

Jane Goodall

Focus on capturing a kind, gentle expression. Use soft, curved lines for the face and hair to create a warm, approachable look.

Jane Goodall

Katherine Johnson

Practice drawing a confident, intelligent expression. Focus on the eyes and the structure of the glasses to create a realistic portrait.

Katherine Johnson

Jackie Robinson

Focus on the determined set of the jaw and the details of the baseball cap. This is a great study in capturing personality through facial features.

Jackie Robinson

John F. Kennedy

Focus on the proportions of the face to achieve a recognizable likeness. Use light shading to define the contours of the cheekbones.

John F. Kennedy

Easy Mother Teresa

Focus on the gentle lines around the eyes and mouth to convey warmth. The headscarf is a great exercise in drawing simple, draped fabric.

Easy Mother Teresa