In this tutorial on how to draw Dumbo, you’ll learn how to sketch one of Disney’s most unique characters – the charming flying elephant.

You will enjoy this lesson, because now you will learn how to draw Dumbo. This is the hero of the popular cartoon by the Walt Disney Company. This is a small asian elephant that was in the circus along with other animals. Baby elephant Dumbo is kind, playful, and cheerful.

Unlike other elephants, Dumbo had very large ears. This often served as a reason for ridicule, but it is precisely such large ears that give the character a special charm. Dumbo used his huge ears as wings and thanks to this he could fly.

In order to correctly draw Dumbo the elephant, you need to carefully follow all the drawing steps. Use little hints at each step and you will end up with a cute baby elephant drawing.

Materials

Pencil
Paper
Eraser
Coloring supplies

Time needed: 35 minutes

How to draw Dumbo step by step

Outline the elephant’s signature hat.
Begin by sketching Dumbo’s small circus hat to establish the top point of the composition. Use smooth, curved lines to form a rounded cone that tilts to one side. Add a narrow band at the base to show the bottom part of the hat.
Sketch Dumbo’s trunk and head.
To draw the elephant’s head, outline the long trunk using long and smooth lines. Next, outline the top of the head with a slight curve and finish with the lower half of the face. Try to convey the contours of the cheeks and make Dumbo’s head as convincing as possible.
Sketch the ruffled collar.
Costume elements help organize the midsection, so place the collar now. Under the cheeks, sketch a scalloped band that wraps around the neck like a ruffle. Use repeating U-shapes to illustrate this part. Keep the pattern simple and even.
Illustrate the front limbs.
Now, let’s define the front pair of the Disney character. From the collar, draw two rounded tubes dropping downward, each widening a bit at the knee. You can also add a few shallow crease lines at the knees to represent soft skin.
Sketch the elephant’s rear legs.
Silhouette matters before details, so finalize the torso and place the big back legs. From the belly, sweep broad curves to form the large back legs of the cartoon animal. Keep everything simple and compact, matching a baby elephant’s proportions. Lightly indicate a crease where the thigh meets the belly.
Draw the large ear of Dumbo.
The iconic feature of the cartoon Disney elephant is the huge ears. From the head’s right side, draw the ear stretching back like a smooth wing, then curve it down to meet the hindquarter. Arther that, draw the second ear of Dumbo making it similar to the first one.
Detail the cartoon elephant’s legs.
Trace the final outline of the head and body of the cartoon elephant. Then erase all extra scaffolding. Soften or delete any doubled strokes. Add a few short wrinkles on the trunk, knees, and belly, plus tiny toe arcs.
Draw Dumbo’s eyes and smile.
Expression comes late to avoid distortion, so place features on the finished head. Sketch two large cartoon eyes with curved upper lids and small irises. Add short eyebrow lines above each eye and a tiny smile crease where the trunk meets the cheek. Indicate a small hair tuft on top of the head if desired. On the trunk tip, add two little notches for nostrils.
Color the drawing of Dumbo.
Paint the baby elephant with a soft gray; make the inner ears pink. Color the eyes blue with black pupils. Paint the circus collar yellow with a thin red trim. If adding the tiny hat, use yellow. Keep the colors minimal and smooth.