How to Draw a Smiley Face (Easy Step by Step)
A smiley face is one of the easiest drawings to start with, and this one gets a friendly waving hand to go with it. It is built from a big circle, a few small ovals, an open smile with a tongue, and a hand made of simple rounded lines.
- Easy
- 10 minutes
- 8 steps
You need: paper, a pencil, an eraser, and crayons or markers for coloring.
Start drawingIn this article (7 sections)
How to draw a smiley face step by step
How to Draw a Smiley 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 on the left side of your page. Take your time and let your pencil go all the way around until the ends meet.
Step 3: Two tall eyes
Inside the face, draw two tall ovals side by side, up near the top. Leave a small gap between them.
Step 4: Little cheeks
Draw a small, flat oval on each side of the face, low down near the edge. Draw a tiny oval inside each one.
Step 5: Open smile and tongue
Draw a straight line across the lower face, then curve a bowl shape hanging down from both ends. Draw a small hill inside the bottom for a tongue.
Step 6: The sleeve cuff
To the right of the face, draw a wide, short rectangle with rounded corners. This is the cuff at the bottom of the waving hand.
Step 7: Thumb and palm
Start at the left end of the cuff and draw a slanted line up and to the left for the thumb. Make a little rounded tip, then come back and go straight up for the side of the palm. Draw the other side of the palm curving up from the right end of the cuff.
Step 8: Waving fingers
At the top of the palm, draw three tall, thin fingers with round tops, standing close together. Make the middle one the tallest.
All done!
Erase the guide shapes, go over your lines, then color it in.
Finished your smiley face? Keep the pencils out and learn how to draw a peace sign or how to draw a thumbs up next.
Tips for drawing a smiley face
- Draw the face circle slowly so the line stays round instead of flat on one side.
- Make both eyes the same height by starting them at the same spot near the top of the face.
- The hand is the trickiest part: draw the cuff first, then build the thumb and palm up from it, and keep the fingers about the same width.
Free smiley face coloring page
Want to go straight to coloring? Open this smiley 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 smiley face drawing
Color the face a sunny yellow, the cheeks pink, and the tongue red. For a creative twist, give the waving hand a bright striped sleeve or a rainbow cuff.
Smiley face fun fact for kids
The yellow smiley face most people know was drawn in 1963 by an artist named Harvey Ball, and he reportedly finished it in about ten minutes.
Questions about drawing a smiley face
What shapes do I need to draw a smiley face?
You need a big circle for the face, two tall ovals for eyes, two small ovals for cheeks, and a bowl shape for the open smile with a small hill for the tongue. The waving hand uses a rectangle and a few rounded fingers.
How do I make my smiley face look happier?
Make the smile wide and open, and add the tongue. Little cheeks on both sides make the face look cheerful right away.
How do I draw a hand that looks like it is waving?
Start with the cuff, then draw the thumb slanting out to one side and the fingers pointing straight up. Spreading the thumb away from the fingers is what makes the hand look like a wave.
