How to Draw Pennywise: Easy 10-Step Horror Art Tutorial

Ready to bring the iconic clown to life? This tutorial is perfect for intermediate artists looking to practice expressive character design. You will need a graphite pencil, an eraser, and a fine-liner pen to capture those spooky details. Follow along to master the proportions of his face and signature ruffled collar.

10 Steps

🎯 Final Result

A high-quality, finished drawing of Pennywise the clown, showing detailed makeup and collar.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Sketching the Base Oval

A simple light pencil oval used as a guide for the clown's head shape.

Start by drawing a light, vertical oval. This acts as the foundation for the head. Teacher's Tip: Keep your pencil pressure very light here so you can easily adjust the shape later if needed.

Step 2: Defining the Forehead

The top of the oval is replaced with jagged lines to form the hairline.

Erase two small sections at the top of your oval and replace them with irregular, jagged curved lines. This creates the high, receding hairline. Tip: Vary the length of your strokes to make the hair look more natural and less uniform.

Step 3: Shaping the Jaw and Ears

The jawline is narrowed and ears are added to the sides of the head.

Erase the bottom of your oval and draw a sharper chin contour. Add the ears on either side using small, curved 'C' shapes. Tip: Add a tiny inner curve to the ear to give it depth and realism.

Step 4: Drawing the Eyes

Detailed eyes with teardrop makeup and furrowed brows.

Draw the iconic teardrop makeup shapes above the eyes, then sketch the eyes themselves. Add a small circle for the pupil. Tip: Draw the furrowed brow lines between the eyes to give him that signature intense, menacing look.

Step 5: Adding the Mouth and Nose

The nose and a wide, toothy grin are added to the face.

Sketch the three-lobed nose and the wide, sneering mouth. Use vertical lines for the teeth. Tip: Keep the mouth lines slightly curved to emphasize the sinister grin.

Step 6: Starting the Ruffle

The beginning of the ruffled collar using overlapping curved lines.

Extend curved lines from the chin to start the neck ruffle. Use overlapping 'U' shapes to create the fabric folds. Tip: Think of these as soft clouds surrounding the neck.

Step 7: Completing the Ruffle

The full, layered ruffled collar is completed.

Continue adding layers of ruffles below the face. Connect them with flowing lines to show the volume of the collar. Tip: Make the ruffles slightly larger as they move away from the neck to show perspective.

Step 8: Adding Hair Texture

Wild, textured hair added to the top of the head.

Use quick, overlapping curved strokes to add the clown's wild hair. Tip: Don't worry about making it perfect; the messier the hair, the more chaotic the character looks!

Step 9: Defining Shoulders

Shoulder lines added to complete the torso frame.

Draw two curved lines extending from the bottom of the ruffles to form the shoulders. This grounds the character in the frame.

Step 10: Final Coloring

The finished, colored Pennywise illustration.

Time to bring him to life! Use white for the face, and bold red for the nose and the makeup lines. Tip: Use a light grey pencil to add subtle shadows under the ruffles for a 3D effect.