How to Draw a Lion in 6 Easy-to-Follow Steps | From ‘How to Draw: Cool Stuff 2’ | Free Kids Activity Page

by | Jan 22, 2026 | Animals, Free Activity Pages, How to Draw Books for Kids

Free Drawing Page: How to Draw a Lion Step by Step

In this post, I’m sharing a free step-by-step drawing page straight from my book How to Draw: Cool Stuff 2. The character featured on this free page is a friendly cartoon lion, drawn in a simple, approachable style that makes it easy for kids to follow along and feel successful.

Lions are one of those animals kids love to draw, but they can feel intimidating at first. This free page breaks the process down into clear steps, making How to Draw a Lion feel fun instead of frustrating. The lion has a cheerful expression, a simplified mane, and a cartoon look that keeps the focus on learning rather than perfection.

How to Draw: Cool Stuff 2

Sign up for my free newsletter to get more drawing pages or videos like this right in your inbox! Click here.


About the Book: How to Draw: Cool Stuff 2

How to Draw: Cool Stuff 2 is all about variety. Instead of sticking to a single theme, the book includes step-by-step drawing pages featuring characters inspired by many different ideas, including animals, people, robots, dinosaurs, and more.

The lion featured on this free page is one of many characters designed to give kids a broad drawing experience. Learning How to Draw a Lion is just one example of how the book helps kids explore different subjects without having to commit to a single theme.

All of the artwork in the book is hand-drawn by me. I don’t use AI-generated art or stock images. Every character is created with kids in mind, using clear lines and simple shapes that support learning.

Get The Book


Why Lions Are Great for Step-by-Step Drawing

Lions are recognizable, expressive, and easy to simplify into cartoon form. That makes them perfect for teaching drawing fundamentals.

When kids learn How to Draw a Lion, they’re practicing:

  • Drawing rounded shapes
  • Creating facial expressions
  • Understanding symmetry
  • Building confidence through repetition

Because the character is friendly and not overly detailed, kids can focus on enjoying the process rather than worrying about mistakes.

Learn to Draw Cool Stuff


Part of the Art Books for Kids Series

How to Draw: Cool Stuff 2 is part of my larger art books for kids series, which now includes many different drawing styles and themes. The goal across the entire series is the same: make drawing approachable, fun, and rewarding.

Across the series, kids can explore:

  • Step-by-step drawing
  • Tracing and coloring
  • Grid-based drawing
  • Open-ended creative challenges

Learning How to Draw a Lion is one small step in a much bigger creative journey.

Browse 80+ Art Books for Kids


Encouraging Screen-Free Creativity

Activities like this free lion drawing page are a great way to encourage creativity without screens. Sitting down with paper and a pencil gives kids a chance to slow down, focus, and create something tangible.

Learning How to Draw a Lion helps kids practice patience, fine motor skills, and creative thinking in a relaxed, enjoyable way.

Draw Cool Stuff Step-by-Step


About the Free Lion Drawing Page

The free activity page included with this post teaches How to Draw a Lion using the same step-by-step method found throughout How to Draw: Cool Stuff 2. Kids start with basic shapes and slowly build the drawing until the full character comes together.

On this page, kids will learn how to draw:

  • The lion’s head and rounded face
  • A simplified mane that frames the character
  • Friendly eyes and a calm, happy expression
  • A clean cartoon outline that’s easy to color

Free Activity Page (save and print):

Learning How to Draw a Lion this way helps kids stay focused and feel confident as they move from one step to the next. Each step adds just enough detail to keep the drawing interesting without feeling overwhelming.

This page is also great to print more than once. Many kids like to draw the lion again after finishing it the first time, changing colors, expressions, or even adding a background.

Learn to Draw 49 More Characters


Final Thoughts

I hope you and your young artist enjoy this free drawing page and have fun learning How to Draw a Lion step by step. The friendly cartoon style makes this a great activity for kids who love animals and want to build their drawing confidence.

If your child enjoys this page, How to Draw: Cool Stuff 2 includes many more characters to explore, all created using the same easy-to-follow approach.

Beginner Drawing Books for Kids

Sign up for my free newsletter to get more drawing pages or videos like this right in your inbox! Click here.

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]

Let’s Draw Pikachu (Video Tutorial)

Follow along as we draw Pikachu from Pokémon! If you loved this fun video drawing tutorial, you’ll love drawing cute creatures in my new book “Trace Then Color: Unicorn Animals”. Bring a touch of magic to your child’s creative time with Trace Then Color: Unicorn...

Free Activity Page: How to Draw a Tropical Fish | 6 Easy Steps | Step-by-Step Drawing Page

Learn to Draw a Tropical Fish in 6 Easy Steps From How to Draw: Fish, Sea Creatures, and More If you're looking for an easy and enjoyable drawing activity for kids, I’ve got a free step-by-step drawing page to share today. It comes straight from my book How to Draw:...

Video Drawing Tutorial: How to Draw A Baby Monster in 7 Minutes | From The Fun Kids Art Activity Book How to Draw: Cute Cartoon Monsters

Free Video Tutorial from How to Draw: Cute Cartoon Monsters - How to Draw A Baby Monster Today I’m excited to share a free drawing video featuring one of my favorite characters from How to Draw: Cute Cartoon Monsters—a tiny, round, adorable baby monster with a big...

Trace Then Color A Cow-terpillar! (Free Activity Page)

Get ready for a fun and quirky coloring adventure with Trace Then Color: Mutant Animals! 50 Mutant Animals to Trace and Color! This exciting activity book lets kids trace and color 50 unique and imaginative animals with a playful twist. Get The Book! Perfect for young...

Video Drawing Tutorial: Shape Drawing Challenge #6 | Drawing with Shapes | Shape Drawing Book for Kids

Shape Drawing Challenge #6 — Turning a Bean Shape Into a Duck, a Whale, and an Alien If your kids enjoy creative drawing activities and love watching a simple scribble turn into something completely new, the latest entry in my Shape Drawing Challenge video series is...

How to Draw: Dog Man (Video Tutorial)

With Dog Man releasing in theaters next week, it’s a good time to revisit this tutorial in my “How to Draw” fan art series on YouTube. Learn how to draw Dog Man himself! If you enjoyed this video tutorial, check out these fun activity books that walk you through...

How to Draw A Crusty Goober! (Free Activity Page)

Get Creative with How to Draw: Crusty Goobers! Have you ever looked at a weird stain on your fridge shelf and thought, "That could be a creature from another dimension"? Or maybe you've doodled a goofy little monster in the margins of your notebook and wished you...

How to Draw: Petey from Dog Man (Video Tutorial)

Dog Man comes to theaters this weekend! Let’s revisit this tutorial in my “How to Draw” fan art series on YouTube. Learn how to draw Petey from Dog Man! If you enjoyed this video tutorial, check out these fun activity books that walk you through drawing 50 different...

Free Activity Page: How to Draw A Plesiosaur by Grid | Learn to Draw Dinosaurs with the Grid Drawing Method

How to Draw A Plesiosaur: Step-by-Step Grid Drawing Fun for Kids If you’ve been searching for a fun and effective way to teach your child how to draw a plesiosaur, you’re in the right place. This post introduces a free activity page from the book Draw by Grid: Cartoon...

Free Activity Page: How to Draw a Silly Dinosaur | From – How to Draw: Cool Stuff 2 | A Step-by-Step Drawing Book for Kids

How to Draw a Silly Dinosaur – Free Page from How to Draw: Cool Stuff 2 Today I’m sharing something special – a free page from my newest drawing book, How to Draw: Cool Stuff 2! This particular page will walk you step-by-step through How to Draw a Silly Dinosaur. This...

News and Free Drawing Tutorials