When I was younger, I’d seize any opportunity to stay inside and watch TV, regardless of whether my friends wanted to hang out with me or if I had school that day. Now that shelter-in-place is mandatory, I’ve found myself rewatching my childhood shows, as it feels like I’ve transported back to when I was a child, free of the worries the pandemic has brought.

Sesame Street has been an integral part of many childhoods and, beyond the show itself, the character designs appeal to me. If you’re tired of binge-watching, drawing is a great substitute, as it’s entertaining and can activate your hand muscles without being strenuous.

In this tutorial, I will be providing a step-by-step tutorial complete with examples of sketches on Big Bird, Elmo and the Cookie Monster from Sesame Street. With this basic tutorial, you can take each drawing at your own pace and add more detail along the way as you see fit.

The drawing materials can vary depending on what you have at home, or you can even use a drawing app, such as Medibang, like I did. Enjoy!

Click through each slideshow to view step-by-step instructions. 

Big Bird

Gallery • 9 Photos

Aastha Mangla

The finished drawing of Big Bird. Any materials are fine to use, but I'd recommend color pencils or markers.

Elmo

Gallery • 9 Photos

Aastha Mangla

To draw Elmo, you'll need a pencil, a pen, and any type of coloring materials you'd like in red and orange.

Cookie Monster

Gallery • 8 Photos

Aastha Mangla

To draw the Cookie Monster, you'll need a pencil, pen, and a blue coloring material.