How to Draw a Duck
Sketch the first shape lightly. It is a plump body with a curved neck rising from it, a little like a bowl with a handle, and the neck curve is the line most children want to redo. The big round head on top is almost as wide as the body.
Flat bill, lemon wing
The bill is long and flat and points left. Box four places a round eye with a dark pupil. The wing is a lemon shape with two short feather strokes inside, and the two short legs end in webbed feet with three little toes each. Two curved tail feathers finish the duck in box seven.
Grid, practice page and outline
The 3 by 3 grid shows each new line in orange and the earlier lines in black. The complete duck is in box eight, and a dashed space in box nine is left for your child’s own try. Page 2 repeats the finished duck and the written steps at the top, above a large box marked Draw yours here. The sheet is marked for ages 6 to 8, and because it is all circles, ovals and simple curves, younger children can manage it with an adult drawing alongside. An animation of about 14 seconds builds the duck line by line, and tracing the dashed outline once helps a child feel how the neck curves into the body. The nine boxes come out the same size only with fit to page off, so print the A4 or US Letter PDF at 100 percent.
Draw a duck 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 plump body with a curved neck.
Put a big round head on top of the neck.
Add a long flat bill pointing left.
Draw a round eye with a dark pupil.
Add a wing on the side.
Add two short legs with webbed feet.
Finish with two curved tail feathers.
Tips to make your duck drawing easy
- Sketch the body lightly first, since the neck curve is the part most children want to redo.
- Make the head circle big; on this duck it is almost as wide as the body.
- Keep the bill flat and long rather than pointed, so it reads as a duck and not a songbird.
- Draw the wing as a lemon shape with two short strokes inside for feathers.
- Add three little toes to each foot to show the webbing.
- Ink the finished lines with a marker, erase the pencil, then color.
Duck 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 duck
Finished drawing? Print one of our 2 duck coloring pages to color the same character in 2 difficulty levels, or color your own drawing with the step sheet beside you.
More duck activities
Frequently asked questions
How big should the head be?
Big. On this duck the round head is almost as wide as the body, and it goes on in step 2, after the plump body and curved neck.
What makes the feet look webbed?
Each of the two short legs ends in a foot with three little toes. Step 6 draws them, and the toes are what show the webbing.
Why is the bill flat?
A long, flat bill is what makes the bird read as a duck. A pointed one would make it look more like a songbird.
Is there something to trace before drawing freehand?
Yes. A dashed gray outline of the finished duck is shown on this page, and going over it once helps a child feel how the neck curves into the body.
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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