How to Draw a Bear
Nearly every part of this bear is a circle or an oval, so he is one of the gentler animals to start with. The head goes down first. It is the biggest circle, sketched lightly so it can be erased and redrawn if it comes out lopsided. The two small round ears overlap its top a little instead of floating above it.
Face first, then the body
The first four steps finish the face: head, ears, two dot eyes, then a round muzzle holding an oval nose and a smile. Pause after step 4 to admire it. Steps 5 to 7 add a big round body with a round belly, short oval arms with two chunky legs, and a tiny tail peeking out at the side. Short, wide feet make him look sturdy.
The grid and page 2
Page 1 is a 3 by 3 grid. Each box adds its new lines in orange over the black ones, box eight holds the finished bear and the dashed ninth box is left for your child. Page 2 has a small bear and the seven written instructions above one large box to draw in. The label says ages 6 to 8, but a younger child can follow along if a grown-up draws next to them. A dashed gray outline and an animation of roughly 15 seconds are on this page as well. Scaling to fit shrinks the step text along with the boxes, so print the A4 or Letter file at 100 percent.
Draw a bear in 7 steps
New lines in each step are orange. Where a new part covers an earlier line, that bit turns dashed gray: rub it out.
Draw a big round head.
Add two small round ears on top.
Draw two dot eyes.
Add a round muzzle with an oval nose and a smile.
Draw a big round body with a round belly.
Add short arms and two chunky legs.
Finish with a tiny tail peeking out.
Tips to make your bear drawing easy
- Sketch the head circle lightly so it can be erased and redrawn if it comes out lopsided.
- Place the ears so they overlap the top of the head a little rather than floating above it.
- Leave a gap between the two eyes about as wide as one eye.
- Draw the body circle so its top tucks just under the chin.
- Keep the legs short and square; a bear looks sturdy when its feet are wide.
- Pause after step 4 and admire the face before moving on to the body.
Bear outline to print and trace
Print the finished outline on its own: trace over it with a pencil to learn the shapes, or use the dashed tracing sheet for younger kids who are still building pencil control. Both fit A4 and US Letter.
Color your bear
Finished drawing? Print one of our 2 bear coloring pages to color the same character in 2 difficulty levels, or color your own drawing with the step sheet beside you.
More bear activities
Frequently asked questions
How small should the bear's ears be?
Small and round. Step 2 puts them on the top of the head so they overlap it a little instead of floating above it, which is why the head circle goes down first and stays light.
Why are some lines orange?
In each box the lines from earlier steps stay black and only the new part is orange. That way a child can see at a glance which piece to add next.
What does the finished bear look like?
He is a round, standing bear with dot eyes, a muzzle with an oval nose and a smile, short arms, two chunky legs and a tiny tail at his side. Box eight on page 1 shows him whole.
Is there anything to help a child who finds freehand drawing hard?
Yes. A dashed gray outline of the whole bear is included for tracing, and the short animation shows the order of the lines, so a child can watch and trace before drawing alone.
About this printable
- Made with AI assistance (vector drawing authored by a language model) and checked by automated tests and an AI reviewer.
- Checked by automated tests and an AI reviewer on 22 Oct 2026.
- Free for personal and single-classroom use. See the license. Read the license · How these are made · Report a problem.
- Vector PDF, 2 pages, 186×254 mm art box — prints edge-safe on A4 and US Letter.
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