Learn how to draw Dorothy Gale, the main character of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, a brave and determined girl on a quest to return home.

How to Draw Dorothy Gale: Introduction

Drawing Dorothy Gale, the beloved character from The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, is a great exercise for developing fundamental artistic skills. In this tutorial, we focus on creating a recognizable version of Dorothy using simplified shapes and clear, structured steps.

One of the key challenges when drawing Dorothy Gale is making her immediately recognizable. This tutorial focuses on her defining features, such as her hairstyle and outfit, in a simplified style. I’ll show you how to simplify these parts, making them authentic.

Learning how to incorporate these distinctive elements effectively teaches artists how to translate iconic traits into their drawings in a clear and concise manner. This process improves observation skills and develops the ability to create simplified but recognizable characters.

This skill is particularly useful not only for drawing familiar figures but also for creating original characters, such as unique heroes and villains. It forms the foundation for your future, more complex artworks.

Dorothy Gale Drawing Tutorial

Materials

Pencil
Paper
Eraser
Coloring supplies

Time needed: 45 minutes

How to Draw Dorothy Gale

Sketch the head and body outlines.
To begin drawing Dorothy Gale, start by outlining the basic shapes of her head and upper body. For the head, sketch a vertically oriented oval. Below the head, draw a small, pear-shaped outline for her body. The upper part of the body should be narrow and gradually widen to a lower part.
Add Dorothy Gale’s facial features.
Start by drawing the eyes as two large, round shapes slightly below the horizontal midpoint of the oval. Below the eyes, add a tiny, curved line for the nose, positioned at the center of the face. Finish the face by drawing a small, soft smile just beneath the nose.
Draw the hair of Dorothy Gale.
Dorothy Gale’s signature hairstyle features two neat braids, so focus on capturing this detail. Start by sketching the top of her hair, following the curve of her head. From each side of her head, draw two braids that hang down past her shoulders.
Draw the top of the dress.
Now, draw the neck of Dorothy Gale just below her chin. Now, let’s start drawing the dress. Add the rectangular neckline of her dress, which go over her shoulders and connect to the front. Next, draw the shoulders of the dress as two large circles with small rectangular cuffs at the bottom.
Draw Dorothy Gale’s skirt.
Now, sketch the belt with two horizontal lines. Then, from the edges of the belt, draw lines that angle outward to form the flared shape of the skirt. Connect these side edges at bottom with a long and curved line. Draw the skirt narrow at the waist and wider at the bottom.
Draw the arms and hands.
Add Dorothy Gale’s arms by sketching two slender shapes extending downward from her shoulders. Position the arms close to her body, with a slight outward curve for a natural look. At the ends of the arms, draw the hands. Keep the hands simple, using small ovals or rounded shapes to represent her fingers.
Outline the legs and shoes.
Below the skirt, add Dorothy Gale’s legs and shoes to complete the lower part of her figure. Sketch two straight, narrow legs extending down from the bottom of her dress. At the ends of the legs, draw the shoes as small, rounded shapes.
Add finishing touches to the sketch.
At this stage, carefully review the entire Dorothy Gale drawing and erase any unnecessary guidelines or overlapping lines. Go over the final lines with a steady hand to make them crisp and clear. This step is very important for preparing your character illustration for the final touch – coloring.
Add color to your drawing.
Use light blue for her dress, as this is her classic look. Color her braids brown and add soft red tones for her iconic shoes. For her face and hands, use a light peach or beige tone. Add subtle highlights inside her eyes to give your drawing more finished look.

Conclusion

This the end of the lesson on how to draw Dorothy Gale from The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, and I hope I’ve provided an easy approach to depict this well-known character in a simplified style.

I’d appreciate it if you shared your thoughts about this lesson and whether you were able to create a recognizable version of Dorothy Gale. Your feedback is valuable, and it’s always interesting to see how others interpret the example. If you’d like, feel free to share your drawings on Pinterest to showcase your work and compare your results with those of other young artists.

Additionally, take a look at other lessons in the Comics, Cartoons, and Movies categories, where you can learn how to draw Cinderella and other iconic characters. These tutorials offer opportunities to continue developing your skills while working on designs inspired by classic tales and films.