How to Draw a Hippo
A hippo is mostly one giant round body, so drawing it is gentler than it looks. You begin with an oval for the head, add a huge rounded body behind it and four short, thick legs, then finish with an ear, a tail and a wide smiling mouth. There are only five steps, and the older lines turn grey so the new ones are easy to spot; print the tracing worksheet if you would like to practice over the lines first.
Watch it come together
What you need
- Pencil
- Eraser
- Paper
- Grey and pink crayons or markers
Steps
Step 1 of 5
Draw a big oval on the left side of the page for the head.
Step 2 of 5
Behind the head, draw a huge round body that starts and ends at the head.
Step 3 of 5
Add four short, thick legs under the body.
Step 4 of 5
Draw a small round ear on top of the head and a short tail at the back.
Step 5 of 5
Add a dot for the eye, two small dots for the nostrils and a long smiling mouth.
All together
Your finished drawing. Now it is ready for color.
Ready to color?
Print the coloring page of this drawing in three levels, or color it on screen.
Go to the coloring pageTracing worksheet
Print the sheet and trace over the faint lines to practice before you draw on your own.
Questions and answers
- How do I make the hippo's body look big and round?
- Draw the body as one wide curve that starts and ends at the head, and keep the legs short and thick. Short legs under a huge body are what make a hippo look so heavy.
- Where does the hippo's mouth go?
- Low on the face, as a long curve that ends in a smile. Put the two nostril dots above it, near the front of the snout.
