How to Draw Hello Kitty
Master drawing classic Hello Kitty step-by-step, from sketching her iconic oval head and bow to outlining with bold black marker and applying vibrant coloring.
- Read the tools, materials, safety notes, and steps below for free.
- Tap Start Camera Coach when you want hands-free voice help.
- Allow camera and microphone. Point your phone at the work; the coach watches your progress and tells you the next step.
🧰 Required Tools & Equipment
- ✓ Fine-tip black permanent marker
- ✓ Dual-tip colored art markers or crayons
- ✓ HB graphite pencil
- ✓ White vinyl eraser
- ✓ Pencil sharpener
📦 Materials & Supplies
- ✓ Heavyweight marker paper or sketchpad (at least 80 lb / 120 gsm)
- ✓ Scrap paper or blotter sheet
⚠️ Safety Checkpoints & Warnings
- • Work in a well-ventilated space when using alcohol- or solvent-based ink markers.
- • Place a scrap blotter sheet beneath your work surface to prevent ink from bleeding through onto furniture.
- • Keep marker caps snapped tightly when not in use to avoid drying and prevent accidental staining.
📋 Step-by-Step Guide (5 Steps)
Sketch the Iconic Bow and Head Outline
Start near the upper-right corner of the head area by sketching a small circle for the bow's central knot, followed by two rounded triangular loops extending outwards. Next, sketch a broad, horizontally flattened oval for Hello Kitty's wide head, leaving the segment behind the bow open. Add two small, rounded triangle ears on the top left and top right corners of the head silhouette.
- • Head shape is noticeably wider than it is tall.
- • Bow sits distinctly at the base of the right ear.
- • Drawing a tall vertical oval instead of an elongated horizontal oval for the head.
Position Facial Features and Whiskers
Locate the horizontal center line of the face and draw a small horizontal oval nose slightly below the midpoint. Place two solid vertical oval eyes on either side of the nose, spacing them wide apart to capture her signature proportions. Draw three short, parallel whisker strokes angling slightly downward on both the left and right cheeks.
- • Eyes sit on the same horizontal level as the nose.
- • Exactly three whiskers extend outwards from each cheek.
- • Drawing a mouth (Hello Kitty character design canonically has no mouth).
- • Placing the eyes too close together toward the center of the face.
Sketch the Torso, Arms, and Feet
Draw a tapered A-line silhouette directly beneath the head to create her classic dress or overalls. Add two simple curved arms pointing outward from the sides of the torso, shaping small mitten-like paws without individual fingers. Finish the base by sketching two rounded, stubby feet separated by a small curved center notch.
- • Body height is roughly equal to or slightly shorter than head height.
- • Limbs exhibit classic chibi rounded proportions.
- • Drawing the body too long, which ruins the iconic squat proportion.
Ink the Final Outlines and Erase Guidelines
Trace firmly over your pencil sketch using a fine-tip black marker, creating clean, uniform cartoon contours. Let the ink dry for 60 seconds to ensure it will not smudge when touched. Use a white vinyl eraser to gently remove all visible pencil guidelines from the page.
- • Crisp, bold black outlines define the character without gaps.
- • All gray graphite lines are completely erased.
- • Erasing before the marker ink has fully dried, resulting in dark smears.
Apply Vibrant Colors and Shading Accents
Fill the bow and dress with a solid, vibrant red or hot pink marker using smooth, parallel strokes. Color the small oval nose with a bright primary yellow, taking care not to overlap into the white fur. Leave the face, arms, and feet clean white, optionally adding a subtle cool-gray shadow along the under-chin line for dimensional polish.
- • Bow and outfit are evenly saturated with uniform color.
- • Nose is solid bright yellow and face remains pristine white.
- • Over-saturating the paper with marker passes, causing the paper fibers to tear or pill.
Credit: inspired by an original tutorial by Art for Kids Hub — watch the original on YouTube.
Don’t have everything?
- No Fine-tip black marker? Black gel pen or dark felt-tip pen
- No White vinyl eraser? Standard pink eraser or kneaded eraser
- No Colored markers? Colored pencils or wax crayons