How to Draw A Grumpy Old Man in 6 Easy-to-Follow Steps | Free Drawing Tutorial for Kids

by | Jan 2, 2026 | Free Activity Pages, How to Draw Books for Kids

Free Activity Page from How to Draw: Grumpy Faces

Learn How to Draw A Grumpy Old Man Step by Step

Today I’m sharing a free step-by-step drawing page straight from my book How to Draw: Grumpy Faces. This free activity page walks young artists through How to Draw A Grumpy Old Man using the same six-step drawing format found throughout the book. The character featured on this page is a balding older man with a deeply grumpy expression, heavy eyebrows, a frown, and exaggerated cartoon features that make the drawing fun rather than intimidating.

As with all of my books, this character was hand-drawn by me—no AI, no shortcuts. Every line was designed to be clear, expressive, and easy for kids ages 5 and up to follow. If your child enjoys drawing faces, expressions, or characters with personality, learning How to Draw A Grumpy Old Man is a great place to start.

How to Draw: Grumpy Faces

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About the Book: How to Draw: Grumpy Faces

This free lesson on How to Draw A Grumpy Old Man is just one example of what kids will find inside How to Draw: Grumpy Faces. The book focuses entirely on facial expressions, giving kids the tools they need to draw faces that actually show emotion.

Inside the book, young artists learn how to draw:

  • Grumpy faces
  • Angry expressions
  • Annoyed looks
  • Confused faces
  • Tired expressions
  • Silly grumpy characters
  • Exaggerated cartoon emotions

Every character in the book follows the same six-step format used in the free page. This consistency helps kids feel comfortable turning the page and tackling the next drawing.

Learning How to Draw A Grumpy Old Man is often one of the most fun pages for kids because the expression is so bold and easy to recognize. It shows them that drawings don’t always have to be “happy” to be fun.

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Why Drawing Faces Is Such an Important Skill

Drawing faces is one of the most challenging—but rewarding—skills for young artists. The free page that teaches How to Draw A Grumpy Old Man helps kids practice several important artistic concepts at once.

Understanding Expression

Kids begin to recognize how eyebrows, eyes, and mouth shapes work together to communicate emotion.

Building Observation Skills

They learn to look closely at shapes and angles rather than guessing.

Improving Confidence

Completing a face successfully gives kids a strong sense of accomplishment.

Encouraging Character Creation

Once kids understand How to Draw A Grumpy Old Man, they often start inventing their own characters with different moods and personalities.

Faces are the foundation of character design, comics, and storytelling—and this book gives kids a friendly way to practice without pressure.

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Hand-Drawn Art, Not AI

Every face in How to Draw: Grumpy Faces, including the one featured in this free page, is drawn by me by hand. I don’t use AI-generated artwork in my books. I believe kids learn better from drawings that feel human, expressive, and intentionally designed for their age and skill level.

When kids learn How to Draw A Grumpy Old Man from a hand-drawn example, they’re not copying something stiff or generic. They’re learning from a character created with personality, exaggeration, and warmth—even when the expression itself is grumpy.

Draw 50 Grumpy Cartoon Faces


Part of the Larger How to Draw Series

How to Draw: Grumpy Faces is part of my larger How to Draw series, which includes many different themes designed to help kids build drawing skills step by step.

Across the series, kids learn how to draw:

  • Animals
  • Monsters
  • Dinosaurs
  • Robots
  • People
  • Faces and expressions
  • Cute characters
  • Silly characters

Every book uses the same six-step method, making it easy for kids to move from one theme to another. If a child enjoys learning How to Draw A Grumpy Old Man, they’ll likely enjoy exploring other characters that focus on expression and personality.

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Why Parents Appreciate This Format

Parents often tell me they love these books because they provide a creative, screen-free activity that still feels structured. Learning How to Draw A Grumpy Old Man isn’t just about copying a picture—it’s about building skills gradually.

This format helps kids:

  • Stay focused
  • Follow step-by-step instructions
  • Practice patience
  • Develop fine motor skills
  • Express emotions through art

And because the drawings are fun and exaggerated, kids stay engaged rather than frustrated.

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About the Free Grumpy Old Man Drawing Page

The free page breaks down How to Draw A Grumpy Old Man into six simple steps that build on one another. Kids begin with basic shapes and gradually add details like facial structure, wrinkles, eyebrows, and that unmistakable grumpy expression.

This character features:

  • A balding head with hair around the sides
  • Thick, downward-angled unibrow
  • An open-mouthed frown
  • Simple cartoon wrinkles
  • A rounded, expressive face shape

The goal of this page isn’t just to copy a face—it’s to help kids understand how expressions work. By learning How to Draw A Grumpy Old Man, kids start to see how small changes in eyebrows, eyes, and mouth shapes can completely change a character’s mood.

Once the drawing is complete, kids can personalize it even further by adding:

  • Glasses
  • A hat
  • Facial hair
  • Different expressions
  • Color and shading

Printing the free page multiple times allows kids to experiment and draw different versions of the same character, reinforcing what they’ve learned about facial expressions.

Grumpy Faces Drawing Book for Kids


Final Thoughts

I hope your young artist enjoys working through this free page and learning How to Draw A Grumpy Old Man. It’s a great way to explore facial expressions, practice drawing faces, and build confidence with character design.

If your child has fun with this activity, How to Draw: Grumpy Faces offers many more expressive characters to explore, all using the same approachable six-step format.

Step-by-Step Drawing Tutorials

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Meet The Author & Artist

Kevin Coulston is a children’s book author, illustrator, cartoonist, and member of the National Cartoonists Society. Over the course of his career, he has published more than 100 books, including instructional drawing books, activity books, comics, graphic novels, and children’s picture books.

His popular How to Draw, Trace Then Color, and Draw by Grid series have helped thousands of aspiring young artists learn to draw through simple, approachable lessons featuring hundreds of Kevin’s original cartoon characters.

Kevin is also the creator of the comic series Dylan McVillain and The Adventures of a 4th Grade Space Captain, as well as the children’s picture book series Alexis and the T-Rexes. In addition to his publishing work, Kevin created, wrote, illustrated, and animated the web series Bad Jokes with Ugly Folks, starring legendary voice actors Rob Paulsen and Tara Strong.

Kevin believes anyone can learn to draw—and that learning is a lot more fun when the characters you’re drawing are weird, silly, and just a little ridiculous.

What Our Customers Are Saying

“The author really does a great job demonstrating how easy (and rewarding!) it can be to draw seemingly ordinary things you (and your little ones!) may feel too intimidated to try drawing without the step-by-step guide! Putting already-known shapes together and making something new and original is a fantastic way to learn! And recognizing that you can add your own twists and personality to your drawings makes all the difference. I think it’s a fun, original approach to building confidence for a lifelong hobby. I have the ebook copy, and can only imagine how great a physical copy would be!”

– Daenarah [Amazon Review]

“There are several of these fun books by this author. My kids and I have had a lot of fun with these. It’s a great activity to do as a family and see how they all turn out. Almost like a sip and paint but more of a juice box and draw.”

– Allison B. [Amazon Review]

My kids can’t wait to start drawing these monsters in their illustrations! The many different moods of the monsters appeal to their different personalities. We love the many options, styles, and opportunities to expand upon the characters. Recommended for all ages!

– Kasey [Amazon Review]

“Kevin has put out many books on drawing and animation, and has such a great feel for HOW to explain the process. His art is so expressive and kid-friendly, but his real strength is in his ability to really explain and show how it’s done, making it accessible to kids and adults. I’m a firm believer that not everyone who “can do” can teach, but Kevin does both beautifully! Pick this up and watch kids have a blast making robots of all sorts, while learning great fundamental art skills at the same time!”

– Tom R. [Amazon Review]

“My 5yo LOVES this book! The drawings are cute and the instructions are easy to follow along with. She gets a kick out of drawing muffin monsters and ketchup monsters and it actually keeps her pretty focused for long periods of time.”

– Monica [Amazon Review]

“This is a fantastic book for kids who love art, cartoons, comic books, or just having fun! There are a lot of characters to choose from, and really easy step-by-step instructions to follow. You child will have a blast drawing these fun, silly characters! And just in time for Easter baskets!”

– Bestmomever [Amazon Review]

“This is a very good book for kids that want to learn to draw, my sons love it and Kevin does a great job of making drawing fun and not intimidating. Highly recommended for the long summer hours!”

– David D. [Amazon Review]

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