How To Draw a Koala Bear

Learn how to draw and colour in your very own cartoon koala bear step by step. This fun drawing exercise is suitable for people of all ages.

Art materials you will need...

  • Pencil
  • Eraser
  • Black marker pen
  • Grey, brown, green coloured pencils or felt tips

Watch the video tutorial

This video of how to draw a cute, cuddly Australian koala bear with a eucalyptus leaf is about 6 minutes long. A friendly voice tells you what pens and pencils you will need, and you can pause at any time to catch up. Click the play button below to get started with your koala illustration.

Step by step guide

Sketching and colouring in a cartoon koala bear drawing is easy when you take your time and go at your own pace. Scroll down to see how it's done, step by step.

  • 1. Draw the head

    Howdy friends, let’s learn how to draw a cartoon koala bear. 

    Take out your pencil and sketch a round blob with a flat bottom. 

    This shape will be our koala bear’s head. 

  • 2. Extend those lines to draw the body

    At either side of the head draw a line downwards, this will form the shape of our bear’s shoulders. 

    Then we can join up these lines by creating an outline of our koala’s body, with the legs at the bottom pointing outwards - this will all make sense with some pencil detail, don’t worry! 

    So guys, if your drawing is kinda like a jelly baby with an overgrown head, you’re on the right track haha.

  • 3. Draw on a cute face

    Then some facial features - a pear fruit for a nose. 

    Two tiny eye circles. 

    And a downward facing smile, which is how koala’s mouths’ always look and it doesn’t mean they aren‘t happy! 

    Here come the iconic fluffy ears, one either side of the bear’s head. 

  • 4. Add a pair of arms and a giant leaf

    Now onto the body again, and we need a pair of arms. 

    Let’s give our koala a eucalyptus tree to hug - after all, this is their favourite food! 

    So rather than draw the front two legs straight down by its side like a Teddy Bear, Care Bear or even panda bears these koala limbs will be curled up and almost touching each other. 

    The point at which they meet is in the middle of the chest. 

    Then for the eucalyptus branch. 

    Add a few leaves here and there. 

    Awesome, we are finished sketching. 

  • 5. Ink around those pencil lines

    Part two now, grab a black marker or pencil. 

    This is where we make the outlines of our cartoon koala illustration stand out. 

    You can trace over the original pencil lines, but if you’re happy with how your artwork looks then skip right ahead to the colouring in part. 

    How about some fun facts… Did you know that koala bears live in Australia and like to spend time by themselves. They can live for more than 10 years. And they have similar fingerprints to humans. 

    How interesting, huh? 

  • 6. Colour in your koala bear

    On to part three now… colouring in your koala drawing. 

    The normal colour for this cute little bear is grey, but you can choose white, brown or black to mix things up. 

    Don’t forget brown and green for it’s tree branch. 

    Thanks for watching guys, and don’t forget to check out more of Quickdraw’s step by step drawing ideas on this YouTube channel. 

    See you next time!

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