How to Draw a Sleepy Face (Easy Step by Step)
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A sleepy face is a great first drawing because it is built from just a few easy shapes: a big circle, curved lines, a small oval, a bubble and some Zs. Each part is simple, but together they tell a story about someone drifting off to dreamland.
- Easy
- 10 minutes
- 8 steps
You need: paper, a pencil, an eraser, and crayons or markers for coloring.
Start drawing
In this article (7 sections)
How to draw a sleepy face step by step
How to Draw a Sleepy Face · tinyhandscreate.com
Step 1: Guide shapes
Lightly sketch this oval. It only shows where the big parts go, so press softly. You will erase it at the end.
Step 2: The round face
Draw a big circle in the middle of your paper for the head. Take your time and try to close the circle where you started.
Step 3: Sleepy eyes
Draw two curved lines like little smiles, side by side in the middle of the face. These are eyes that are closed in sleep.
Step 4: The tiny nose
Between the eyes and a little below them, draw a very small curved line, like a tiny smile. This is the nose.
Step 5: The sleepy mouth
Below the nose and a little to the left, draw a small tall oval. This is the mouth, open a little as it breathes in its sleep.
Step 6: The bubble
Next to the mouth, on the right, draw a small round circle like a soap bubble puffing out while snoring.
Step 7: The little z
Outside the face at the top right, draw a small z. Make a line across, a slanted line down, and another line across.
Step 8: The bigger Zs
Below the small z, draw two bigger Zs, one on top of the other. Use the same three lines for each: across, slant, across.
All done!
Erase the guide shapes, go over your lines, then color it in.
Finished your sleepy face? Keep the pencils out and learn how to draw Saturn or how to draw the solar system next.
Tips for drawing a sleepy face
- Draw the circle with one smooth, slow motion. If it comes out a little wobbly, that is fine, because a sleepy face looks friendly when it is not perfect.
- Make both eye curves about the same size and keep them at the same height. Start each one at the top left, dip down, and curl up on the right.
- Keep the nose and mouth small so the face looks calm and quiet. Draw the small z first, then make the two Zs below it larger so the snores seem to grow.
Free sleepy face coloring page
Want to go straight to coloring? Open this sleepy face coloring page at full size and print it. It is the same drawing you just learned, with clean lines ready for crayons or markers.
How to color your sleepy face drawing
Try soft night colors like light yellow for the face, blue for the bubble and purple for the Zs. You can also color the background a deep blue to make it look like nighttime.
Sleepy face fun fact for kids
People spend about one third of their lives asleep. Even while we sleep, our brains stay busy, and that is when most dreams happen.
Questions about drawing a sleepy face
What shapes do I need to draw a sleepy face?
You need one big circle for the head, two curved lines for the closed eyes, a tiny curved line for the nose, a small oval for the mouth and a small circle for the bubble. The Zs are made of three straight lines each.
How do I make my sleepy face look cuter?
Keep the eyes, nose and mouth small and place them low on the round face, which gives a baby-like look. Making the bubble and the Zs a little bigger adds to the sleepy mood.
Why do we draw Zs for sleeping?
Zs became the sign for snoring in comics many years ago, because the sound of a snore is a little like a buzzing zzz. Now almost everyone knows that Zs mean someone is asleep.
