How to Draw Matryoshka Doll Step-by-step Tutorial

Today we’ll draw a cute Matryoshka Doll with this quick step-by-step tutorial. This drawing is based on a simple figure-eight shape, and it’s super easy to draw! Let’s do it. 🙂

Russian Matryoska Doll, watercolour on paper, 14cm x 10cm (5.5 x 4 inches)

In this post, I will cover:

• Step-by-step tutorial
• FREE printable PDF
• Drawing tips
• My inspiration for this drawing
• List of materials I used
• Gallery of drawings from our community members

Printable PDF

Click here to download a FREE printable PDF of this tutorial.

Please enjoy it for personal use, and please give me credit and link back to this post if you share it with others.

Drawing Tips

• Start with a figure-eight shape. This shape will serve as a guide to help you draw the overall body shape and position the bow.
• Add different textures and decorations. I’ve used polka dots and yellow flowers, because that’s the story of my version of this matryoshka (more on that below). But you can use any textures you like. How about flowers, stripes, colour gradations, or even little kitten faces.
• Use the best paper you can afford. I coloured this drawing with watercolours. I’ve had many goes at watercolour before, and I wasn’t satisfied with the result. The colours would come out uneven and with weird textures. This week I decided to try my Arches paper on a whim (saw it in the closet from my art school days). Oh my, it made all the difference. It was a pleasure to work with. Seriously, it was like night and day. This paper got me exactly the even watercolour wash I was looking for.

My Inspiration

Today is March 8th — International Women’s Day. For anyone connected to Russia in any way (I grew up in Moscow) it’s a very special day. It’s sort of a blend of mother’s day and women’s day. And it’s a celebration of the coming of Spring. Winters are long and cold in Russia, so March brings a much-awaited promise of warmth and new life.

When I was a child, my Dad used to always buy us special yellow flowers on this day. Little did I know that these yellow flowers are Wattle flowers! Life has interesting connections… I now live in Australia – the homeland of the Wattles. 😀

So for today’s tutorial I created a kawaii version of something very Russian, very dear to my heart, and with a touch of Australiana.

Materials I Used

• White Nights watercolours
  • Cadmium Red
  • Lemon Yellow
  • Cadmium Yellow
  • Sap Green
  • Sepia
• Arches watercolour paper, 300gsm, cold press
• Copic Multiliner pen, black, 0.5mm
• Uni-ball Signo white pen
• 2B pencil
• Erasers:
  • Faber-Castell Dust Free Eraser
  • Tombow Mono Zero eraser

Drawings Gallery

Here are a few drawings from our insanely active kawaii drawing community from email, Facebook and Instagram.

If you would like your work featured here, there are two ways for me to find you:

1. Join our private Facebook group and share your drawing of this tutorial
2. Share on Instagram and tag me @tatyanadeniz or #tatyanadeniz

Share the Love

If you like this tutorial, please share it with your friends using the buttons below. 🙂 Let’s create together! ♥

Happy drawing,