How to Draw the Grinch?

Start with a pear-shaped head, then get the sloping brow and the wide crooked grin right — those two features do almost all the work. The Grinch is recognisable from his expression more than anything else, so a rough drawing with the correct scowl still reads as the Grinch.

Step by step:

1. Head shape. Draw a shape like an upside-down pear — narrow at the top, wide at the cheeks and jaw. Don't make it a circle; the width at the bottom is characteristic.
2. Guidelines. Draw a light horizontal line across the middle for the eyes and a vertical line down the centre.
3. The brow. This is the key feature. Draw two heavy eyebrows that slope steeply down towards the centre, meeting in a deep V. Make them thick and slightly wavy.
4. Eyes. Under the brows, draw two almond shapes tilted to follow the brow angle. Add small pupils positioned to one side, giving him that sidelong scheming look.
5. Nose. A small rounded nose low on the face, roughly at the centre line, turned up slightly at the tip.
6. The grin. Draw a wide curved mouth stretching almost the full width of the face, curling up higher on one side than the other. The asymmetry is what makes it look sly rather than happy.
7. Teeth. Add a row of small squarish teeth along the top of the grin, with light vertical lines between them.
8. Chin and cheeks. Add a soft rounded chin below the mouth and slight cheek curves.
9. Ears. Two pointed, slightly leaf-shaped ears on the sides, angled outwards and back.
10. Fur texture. Go around the whole outline replacing smooth lines with short jagged strokes so he looks furry. Add a few tufts on top of the head.
11. Santa hat (optional but recognisable). A floppy triangular hat leaning to one side with a bumpy brim and a pom-pom.
12. Outline and colour. Ink your final lines, erase the guides, and colour him green — mid-green for the face with darker green shading around the edges and under the brow, plus yellow-tinged eyes and a red hat.

A simpler version for younger children:

1. Draw a wide oval for the head.
2. Add two big downward-slanting eyebrows.
3. Two circles for eyes underneath.
4. A small nose and a big curved smile.
5. Two pointed ears.
6. Colour it green.

Even at this level, the slanted brows make it unmistakable.

What makes a Grinch drawing work:

• The brow angle. If the eyebrows slope down towards the nose, you have a Grinch. If they're flat or raised, you have a green cat. This single line matters more than everything else.
• Asymmetry in the grin. One side higher than the other. A symmetrical smile looks friendly, which is wrong.
• The eyes looking sideways, not straight ahead.
• A jagged fur outline rather than a clean edge.
• Wide jaw, narrow crown.

Common mistakes:

• Making the head a plain circle, which loses the character entirely
• Drawing a neutral or symmetrical mouth
• Eyebrows too thin — they should be heavy and dominant
• Forgetting the fur texture and leaving smooth outlines
• Colouring him a flat uniform green with no shading, which looks lifeless

Drawing the whole figure: the Grinch has a pear-shaped body matching his head, thin arms with long spindly fingers, a rounded belly and small feet. Keep the limbs skinny in contrast to the wide middle. His posture is usually hunched and sneaking, with shoulders raised.

Materials: pencil and eraser for the sketch, a fineliner or black pen for the outline, and green pencils or markers in two or three shades so you can shade. A yellow pencil for the eyes and red for the hat completes it.

Tip on the fur: don't try to draw individual hairs. Just make the outline slightly wobbly with occasional small spikes, and add a few short strokes inside the edges of the face. It reads as fur without the effort. For another festive subject built the same way, see how to draw Santa.