How to Draw Totem Pole — Free Practice Sheets

A totem pole drawing is built from a tall central column and a stack of carved animal forms, each with its own face, body, and pattern lines. This page shows how to place the column first, then add the top head, wings, and lower figures in order. The practice sheets let you trace, copy to a grid, or complete a partial outline, so you can compare your drawing with a full reference sheet and judge the visible features rather than a pixel-perfect match.

Start with the column and the top head

Begin by drawing a tall vertical rectangle. This rectangle is the central column that holds every figure, so keep its sides straight and roughly parallel. Decide how much of the page height it will use before adding details; a column that runs from near the top of the page to a rounded base leaves room for three or four stacked forms.

Place the largest animal head at the top of the column. Give it pointed ears, two eyes, and a wide snout. The head should sit centered on the column, with the ears rising above the rectangle's top edge. Keep the eyes level with each other and the snout centered below them. These simple landmarks make the head read as a carved face rather than a flat shape.

1. Draw a tall vertical rectangle to establish the totem pole's central column.
2. Add a large animal head at the top with pointed ears, eyes, and a wide snout.

Add wings and stack the lower figures

Attach symmetrical wings to the upper body, extending outward from the column. Draw one wing, then mirror its feather lines on the other side so the pair matches in length and angle. Feather lines can be simple parallel strokes inside each wing shape. The wings should reach horizontally beyond the column, which gives the pole its wide upper silhouette.

Below the top head, stack additional carved face and body shapes down the column. Each figure can differ: one might have a beak, another a rounded body with segment lines. Keep each form centered on the column and let the shapes touch or overlap slightly so the stack reads as one carved pole. Finish with a rounded base at the bottom.

1. Attach symmetrical wings with feather lines extending outward from the upper body.
2. Stack additional carved face and body shapes down the column, finishing with a rounded base.

Use bold outlines and internal pattern lines

Totem pole drawings read clearly when the outer outlines are bold and the internal pattern lines are lighter. Use a strong line around each head, wing, and body shape, then add thinner lines inside for eyes, feathers, and body segments. Internal lines describe carved detail; they should follow the shape of the form rather than cross it randomly.

When you practise with a sheet, trace the reference outline first, then try the contour independently on a blank area. Compare your drawing with the separate full reference sheet and check the visible features: stacked faces in a vertical column, protruding beaks, horizontal wings, and bold outlines with internal pattern lines. Different drawings can be correct, so assess the features and proportions rather than exact matching.

1. Trace the reference outline, then practise the contour independently.
2. Compare with the separate full reference sheet and check the visible features and proportions.

Check your work

• The central column is tall, vertical, and has roughly parallel sides.
• A large animal head sits at the top with pointed ears, two level eyes, and a centered wide snout.
• Wings extend horizontally from the upper body and are symmetrical in length and feather lines.
• Additional carved face and body shapes are stacked down the column and centered on it.
• Outlines are bold, and internal pattern lines for eyes, feathers, and segments stay inside their forms.
• A rounded base closes the bottom of the pole.

Worked example

totem pole: Trace the reference outline, then practise the contour independently. Compare with the separate full reference sheet.

Common mistakes

• Drawing the column with slanted or uneven sides. Use a straight edge or light guide line to keep the two vertical sides parallel before adding any figures.
• Making the wings different lengths or angles. Draw one wing fully, then mirror its feather lines and outer edge on the opposite side.
• Letting internal pattern lines wander outside their shape. Keep eyes, feather lines, and segment lines inside each form, following its outline.

Questions and answers