How to draw a star

There are two ways to draw a star. The one-stroke method crosses lines through the middle and leaves a pentagon inside that you have to erase. This method draws only the outline, so the star is ready to fill straight away.

Marking the five points first is what keeps the arms the same length.

Step-by-step: how to draw a star

1. 

   1Circle and five points

   Draw a light circle. Mark a dot at the top, then two on the sides a little above the middle, and two at the bottom — five dots evenly spread round the circle.

2. 

   2Draw the top point

   From each side of the top dot, draw a straight line down and inwards. Stop each line about a third of the way towards the centre.

3. 

   3Draw the side arms

   From the end of those lines, go out to the side dots and back in, making the left and right points.

4. 

   4Draw the legs

   Finish with the two bottom points the same way, joining back to where you started. Erase the circle and dots.

5. 

   5Add a face and sparkles

   Two dot eyes and a smile in the middle make it a friendly star. Add two little sparkles nearby.

6. 

   6Colour the star

   Fill it with yellow and add pink cheeks under the eyes.

Tips for a better star

• Inner corners at a third. The inner corners sit about a third of the way from the centre to the circle. Deeper makes a skinny star, shallower a chubby one.
• Use the pencil for the dots. They’re easy to erase afterwards.
• Straight lines, fast. A quick stroke is straighter than a slow one.

Try a variation

Fill a night sky: big and small stars on black paper with the neon drawing canvas. Or draw a shooting star by adding three curved lines trailing behind it.

More things to draw

Level up

• Basic shading
• Colour theory for beginners
• Drawing ideas
• Easy things to draw