How To Draw a Cartoon Elephant

This simple lesson will show you how to draw a cartoon elephant for beginners using the most basic shapes.

In our cartoon helicopter drawing lesson, we explained that any cartoon character, animal, or object is essentially an extreme simplification of forms.

The artist takes the most noticeable and largest parts of the subject and reduces them to their simplest shapes while preserving recognizability.

So what comes to mind first when we think of an elephant?

It is, of course, the distinctive head shape with a long trunk and large ears, as well as the massive body with strong legs and a thin tail.

All of these parts should be simplified and minimized, removing unnecessary details to achieve a clear cartoon effect.

How to draw a cartoon elephant

Step 1: Outline the animal’s head shape

The first and most recognizable part of an elephant is its large head, so begin with it. Draw the head of the cartoon elephant as a large circle, using smooth lines, but do not worry about making the circle perfectly even. As you position this circle, keep the rest of the elephant’s body in mind so you leave enough space for it, as well as for the long trunk.

Step 2: Draw the torso of the cartoon elephant

Now sketch the elephant’s torso as a large circle intersecting with the circle of the head. This circle should be noticeably larger than the head and positioned slightly lower to maintain correct proportions. As before, avoid using dark lines or trying to make the circle perfectly even and smooth.

Step 3: Sketch the trunk and smile

Now begin transforming the simple circles into the shape of an elephant, starting with the head. First, draw the trunk of the cartoon elephant using two long, smooth lines for the sides and a small curved line at the tip. At the point where the trunk connects to the head, on the right side, draw a smiling mouth to give the elephant a friendly cartoon expression.

Step 4: Draw the legs of the cartoon elephant

An elephant’s legs are usually large and massive, and this should be reflected in your cartoon sketch of the animal. First, draw the side edges of the elephant’s legs using smooth lines. Then add the lower edges of both legs with simple horizontal lines. Avoid adding unnecessary details, since you are creating a simplified cartoon drawing.

Step 5: Trace and unify the silhouette

Now carefully and smoothly erase any unnecessary construction lines that show through the main contours of the drawing. In the back, draw a small tail for the cartoon elephant. Then trace the entire elephant, making the outline clean and unified – almost like a simple sand-mold shape.

Step 6: Add the eye, ear, and toenails

Move to the head and draw the cartoon eye of the elephant with a round pupil inside. Add three eyelashes on top. Then, on the side of the head, draw a large ear in the form of an elongated oval. On each leg, draw three large cartoon-style toenails.

 

Simplifying form in cartoon drawings is one of the most important principles used by animators and artists working in this style.

To create convincing and engaging cartoon characters, you need to master this approach. You observe a person, animal, or object and identify the most distinctive and noticeable features. Then you remove unnecessary details, emphasizing only those elements that stand out the most.

Expressiveness is another key aspect of the cartoon style – large eyes, exaggerated emotions, and dynamic poses all contribute to the effect.

Anthropomorphism also plays an important role when drawing animals and even objects in a cartoon manner. For example, think of the living cars from Cars or the animated household items from Beauty and the Beast.

These are clear examples of simplification, expressiveness, and human-like qualities applied to non-human subjects.

All of these principles can easily be applied when drawing any cartoon character, animal, or object.

For instance, in our cartoon dog drawing lesson, we used these exact methods to simplify and stylize the form. The same approach was applied in our cartoon cat drawing lesson.

We discuss all of this and much more in our cartoons category, where you can learn how to recreate well-known animated characters and develop your own interpretations.

If this lesson felt too simple, or if you have already studied it and now want to draw the same animal in a more realistic and dimensional manner, be sure to visit our main elephant drawing lesson in the academic style.