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

Ready to bring a farmyard friend to life? This tutorial is perfect for artists ages 5 and up. All you need is a pencil, an eraser, and a piece of paper to practice your line work and shapes.

10 Steps

🎯 Final Result

A colorful, finished cartoon rooster illustration.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Sketching the Head

A simple pencil-drawn circle serving as the base for a rooster's head.

Draw a light circle for the head. Teacher's Tip: Keep this small—about the size of a coin—to leave plenty of room on your paper for the tail and body.

Step 2: Adding the Comb

Adding a bumpy, crown-like comb to the top of the rooster's head circle.

Use curved lines to draw an irregular, bumpy shape on top of the head. This is the rooster's comb. Tip: Think of it like drawing a series of small, connected hills.

Step 3: The Beak and Wattle

Drawing a teardrop beak and heart-shaped wattle under the rooster's head.

Draw a teardrop shape for the beak, then add a line across it to create a 'smile.' Below the beak, add an inverted heart shape for the wattle. Tip: Keep the wattle soft and rounded to make your rooster look friendly.

Step 4: Neck Feathers

Replacing the bottom of the head circle with jagged lines to represent neck feathers.

Erase the bottom of your head circle and replace it with jagged, V-shaped lines. This creates the texture of neck feathers. Tip: Vary the length of your 'V' shapes to make the feathers look natural.

Step 5: Detailing the Wing

Drawing a wing on the rooster's side using overlapping U-shaped feather patterns.

Use overlapping 'U' shaped lines to outline the wing. Tip: These 'U' shapes act as individual feathers, so try to keep them consistent in size.

Step 6: Forming the Body

Outlining the rooster's rounded body shape with U-shaped leg attachments.

Draw a large, open semicircle for the torso. Connect the lines using 'U' shapes where the legs will attach. Tip: Don't worry about making the lines perfectly smooth; feathers are naturally messy!

Step 7: Drawing the Feet

Adding detailed legs and three-toed feet to the bottom of the rooster's body.

Draw two parallel lines for each leg, ending in three toes made of overlapping 'U' shapes. Add small horizontal lines on the legs for detail. Tip: Make sure the feet are wide enough to help your rooster 'stand' on the page.

Step 8: The Tail Feathers

Adding long, sweeping tail feathers to the back of the rooster.

Draw long, flowing tail feathers. Start with small ones near the body and make them longer as you move outward. Tip: Use long, sweeping curves to give the tail a sense of movement.

Step 9: Facial Features

Adding a detailed eye and eyebrow to the rooster's face.

Draw the eye using two small ovals, one inside the other. Shade the center to create a pupil. Add a small curved line above for the eyebrow. Tip: A simple eyebrow gives your rooster a lot of character!

Step 10: Adding Color

A fully colored, vibrant cartoon rooster drawing.

Bring your rooster to life with color! Use bright reds for the comb and wattle, and try mixing blues, greens, or oranges for the feathers. Tip: Try a 'Dominique' pattern by alternating black and white stripes on the feathers.