Follow this tutorial on how to draw Kung Fu Panda and learn to sketch one of the most iconic animated martial arts heroes in a simple style.

How to draw kung fu panda featured image

How to Draw Kung Fu Panda: Introduction

Here you’ll learn how to draw Kung Fu Panda step by step, using really simple and cute method. This version is cartoonish but keeps the character recognizable. The drawing includes all the important parts: facial markings, big ears, a waistband, and a patch on the pants.

To learn how to draw Kung Fu Panda, start by watching the proportions of the head and body. The head is large and the body should feel wide and solid. The eyes need to be low on the face with the patches carefully drawn around them.

Watch the symmetry of the eyes and patches. If one side is too low or small, it throws off the whole expression and proportion. The eyes and nose should stay small compared to the size of the head. If you already know how to draw a panda, this tutorial will seem much easier to you.

Keep the arms and legs simple, short, and thick, with minimal curves. It’s important to make sure the legs don’t angle too far outward and the feet stay balanced. The body shape should remain wide and bottom-heavy to keep the drawing grounded.

Kung Fu Panda Drawing Tutorial

Materials

Pencil
Paper
Eraser
Coloring supplies

Time needed: 40 minutes

How to Draw Kung Fu Panda

Build the head and torso base.
Let’s start this Kung Fu Panda drawing tutorial by sketching two basic shapes to outline the structure of the character. For the head, draw a wide, rounded dome with curved sides. Just below that, add a larger, more oval shape for the body. These proportions are cartoonish.
Add the eyes, nose, and mouth.
Inside the head shape, start drawing King Fu Panda’s face. First, sketch two round eyes in the center of the face. Just below, place an oval-shaped nose in the center, and beneath that, draw a small curved line for the mouth. You can lightly adjust the angle of the eyes if you want to give him a different expression.
Draw the ears and eye patches.
Kung Fu Panda’s ears should be roughly circular with a smaller inner circle inside each to show the ear’s thickness. After that, sketch two large, almond-shaped patches around the eyes. These patches should be equally in the size and slightly angled.
Add the panda’s upper limbs.
The arms should be thick and taper slightly toward the rounded ends. In this simplified version, the arms look like two smooth and thick shapes. You can give your Kung Fu Panda drawing a different look by changing the position of the arms. For example, you cam draw the arms lifted with bent elbows.
Add the panda’s lower limbs.
Draw two short, wide legs starting from the bottom of the body. These legs should look solid and thick. Use smooth likes to draw the legs and feet. To add some variation, you can later angle the feet slightly outward or lift one foot to illustrate kicking.
Sketch the fingers, toes, and midsection line.
Add a curved horizontal line across the belly to separate the upper and lower parts of the body – this line defines the edge of the fur pattern. Then, add simple rounded fingers and toes at the end of each arm and legs. Just three curves are enough to convey the hand and foot in this simplified version.
Draw the pants and waistband.
Begin with a wide waistband that wraps around the lower belly, following the contour of the curved line from the previous step. Add small vertical stripes along the belt to divide it into sections. Then illustrate the pants drawing the bottom edges with a couple of like. Add a patch detail on one leg using a small square.
Clean up and finish the sketch.
Now, refine the outline and erase any construction lines you no longer need. Adjust the symmetry, correct curves, and make sure every part of the drawing looks finished. If you want to add some details or make your Kung Fu Panda drawing look more authentic, do it now before moving on to color.
Paint the Kung Fu Panda drawing.
Color the ears, arms, and legs in black or dark gray. Fill the eye patches with the same tone, and color the eyes black while leaving small white reflections. The face and belly should remain a light cream or off-white. For the pants and belt, use a mix of brown tones for the fabric and add a lighter color for the patch.

Advanced Techniques

Once you’re comfortable with this version, try adapting it into different poses. For example, you can draw Kung Fu Panda with one leg raised in a kicking stance, or holding a staff in a defensive pose. Small changes in arm position and head tilt can add variety without making the structure more complicated.

If you’d rather move toward a more realistic or detailed version and draw Kung Fu Panda in an even more accurate style, start by narrowing the eyes, adjusting the body ratio, and adding more defined fur shapes and clothing folds. These tweaks can gradually move your drawing style away from pure cartoon and closer to something mid-level or even semi-realistic.

To build on this exercise, consider drawing other characters from the same series, such as Master Shifu or Tigress, using a similar approach. You can even create group compositions or draw your panda in a new costume – perhaps wearing armor or training gear.

Conclusion

This tutorial showed how to draw Kung Fu Panda in a simplified and stylized form, using rounded and very basic shapes to build a simple and cartoon version of the character. The overall proportions – such as the large head, compact limbs, and simple facial features – are created in the way to make the drawing look very accurate to the original image of the character. If you want to adjust the look, you can modify the expression by changing the size or angle of the eyes, or shift the body position slightly to create a different look.

For more tutorials on similar characters or other cartoon animals, check out the rest of the site. You can learn how to draw Mickey Mouse or other iconic cartoon animals in the same simple way. These lessons are created to help you consistently improve and gradually train your overall art skills.