• 48 ideas
  • Checked October 2026

Art Ideas for Polar Bears

Press for a polar bear to draw: on the ice, a mother with cubs, swimming, or a face or paw.

Art Ideas for Polar Bears

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  1. Cubs frozen in place while their mother stalks aheadWhen she hunts, cubs under a year old hold still, watching, till she calls them back.

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On sea ice 12

  • A dozing polar bear dug into the lee of a ridge On sea ice, bears snooze at pressure ridges, digging in on the sheltered side and lying down.
  • A male polar bear beside a smaller female Males are 200 to 250 cm long and females 180 to 200 cm. Males also have proportionally larger heads.
  • A polar bear asleep on its back, limbs spread Polar bears sleep nearly eight hours a day, in several positions. This one is a star shape.
  • A polar bear asleep on its belly, rump in the air One of its sleeping positions: on the belly with the rump raised. A low wedge, highest at the back.
  • A polar bear galloping, hind feet bunched under its body Polar bears walk and gallop and do not trot. Leave a clear gap between the front and the hind feet.
  • A polar bear outline beside a brown bear outline The polar bear is more slender, with a longer neck and lower shoulder hump than the brown bear.
  • A polar bear pacing a frozen bay, front paws turned in A walking bear tilts its front paws toward each other. Point both front feet a little inward.
  • A polar bear standing where the ice meets open water Bears keep to places where sea ice meets water, such as leads and polynyas, because seals are there.
  • A storm-buried polar bear, one dark nose in a white mound After a snowstorm, bears may lie under snow for hours or days. Keep the mound low and smooth.
  • A wet polar bear mid-shake, drops flying off its coat Its hairs resist tangling when wet, so it shakes dry easily. Blur the outline and throw drops outward.
  • A yellowish summer polar bear on a gravel beach The fur turns yellowish with more time in the sun. When the sea ice melts in summer, bears live on land.
  • Two polar bears traveling together across a floe Mostly solitary, but some form lasting alliances: traveling, resting and playing together.

Mother and cubs 12

  • A cub copying its mother's hunting crouch Watching and imitating the mother is how polar bear cubs sharpen their hunting skills. Draw the same pose twice.
  • A lone cub bawling for its mother, mouth wide open Polar bear cubs cry for attention and hum while they nurse. Head up, front paws planted.
  • A maternity den in cross-section, family curled inside The den is dug under snow or earth and can be much warmer than the air outside. Cubs are born in it in winter.
  • A mother and cubs bedded down on a coastal hillside Polar bear mothers on coastal mountains sleep on a slope, where another bear is easier to see.
  • A mother polar bear nursing, sitting on her rump Cubs suckle while the mother lies on her side or sits on her rump. Tuck them against her chest.
  • A newborn polar bear cub, woolly and pink Newborns are tiny, about 600 g, with woolly hair and pink skin. The mother dwarfs them.
  • A polar bear chuffing softly through a half-open mouth A chuff is a soft, pulsing call made through a partly open mouth. It keeps mother and cubs in contact.
  • A two-year-old polar bear still following its mother Young stay with the mother two and a half years at most. Draw it nearly her size.
  • Cubs frozen in place while their mother stalks ahead When she hunts, cubs under a year old hold still, watching, till she calls them back.
  • The first spring walk: cubs at their mother's heels She leaves the den from late February to early April, with cubs able to walk beside her.
  • Polar bear twins tumbling at the den mouth, mother resting For about two weeks after leaving the den the family stays close by: the cubs play, the mother rests.
  • Twin cubs wrestling, one on its back in the snow Two cubs to a polar bear litter is typical. Put the second cub on top, paws on its chest.

Swimming and hunting 12

  • A long swim: one small white head in a wide sea One study found swims averaging 3.4 days and about 154 km. Leave most of the page as water.
  • A polar bear afloat, only eyes, nose and ears dry The eyes sit near the top of the head; that may keep them out of the water at the surface.
  • A polar bear at swimming speed, a wave at its chest It swims at up to 6 km/h. A V of ripples spreads back from the neck.
  • A polar bear floating high on its hollow fur The guard hairs are hollow, which helps the bear trap heat and float. Show a broad back above the surface.
  • A polar bear following a long crack through the pack Seals make up most of its diet, and it finds them where ice meets water, along cracks called leads.
  • A polar bear hauling out, hooked claws on the ice The small claws are sharp and hooked and help the bear climb onto ice.
  • A polar bear paddling, broad front paws spread The large paws work as paddles. Front paws wide and flat, pulling one after the other.
  • A polar bear tipping into a three-minute dive It can stay under for up to three minutes. Body angled down, hind legs last to go.
  • A polar bear wading in to cool off A thick coat and 5 to 10 cm of fat keep it warm, so a hot bear cools off by entering the water.
  • A polar bear waiting motionless at a breathing hole Some bears simply stay still beside a seal's breathing hole, or at the ice edge, and wait.
  • A stalking polar bear crouched low to the ice As it gets nearer it crouches lower, then charges at speed. Belly close to the ice, head down.
  • A swimming polar bear from below, hind legs trailing It paddles with its broad front paws. The hind legs steer and help it dive.

Faces and paws 12

  • A polar bear side on, snout curved like a Roman nose The snout profile is curved, like a Roman nose, at the end of a long neck.
  • A polar bear yawning, long canines showing The canines are longer, sharper and more widely spaced than a brown bear's.
  • A polar bear's black nose and lips, close up The skin is black, including the nose and lips, and it absorbs heat.
  • A polar bear's coat drawn in pale blue shadows only The fur looks white because it scatters light back. Draw only the shadows and let the paper be the fur.
  • A polar bear's ears, small against the cold The ears are small, which keeps in heat and guards against frostbite. Set them well apart.
  • A polar bear's face front on, three black dots On a white head the two eyes and the nose are the only dark marks. Space them as a triangle.
  • A polar bear's front paw from below, hair between the pads The feet are hairier than other bears', for warmth and grip on snow and sea ice.
  • A polar bear's hooked claw, small and sharp Short, sharp and hooked. Draw one claw as a small curved thorn at the end of a furry toe.
  • A polar bear's skull beside a brown bear's Narrower, flatter and smaller than a brown bear's skull, with smaller, more pointed cheek teeth.
  • A polar bear's small eyes, set near the top of the head The eyes are fairly small, which may protect them from blowing snow and snow blindness.
  • One polar bear track: broad pad, five toes, claw dots Large paws, the front broader than the back. Press the front print wider than the hind one.
  • Polar bear guard hairs up close: clear, hollow tubes The fur has no pigment. Guard hairs are transparent, hollow and about 15 cm long, over 5 cm of underfur.

How it works

Art ideas for polar bears, 48 of them: bears on sea ice, mothers and cubs, swimming and hunting, and faces and paws. Each hint names the feature to get right, and many carry a checked fact.

Read the full guide

White fur, black skin

The fur has no pigment and looks white because it scatters light; with sun it yellows. The skin under it is black, and so are the nose and lips. Draw the shadows in pale blue or cream and leave the paper to be the fur.

Cool and easy ones first

Easy keeps to one shape: a sleeping bear with its rump in the air, a paw print, a face of three black dots. Choose a group under the button; Level waits under More filters. Beside a brown bear, give it a longer neck, a narrower head and a lower shoulder hump.

  • Shade a polar bear in pale blue or cream. The darkest marks are the eyes, nose and lips.

Questions and answers

What color is a polar bear's skin?

Black, including the nose and lips, and it absorbs heat. The fur over it has no pigment: the guard hairs are transparent and hollow, and the coat looks white because it scatters light. With more sun it turns yellowish.

How do you make a polar bear look different from a brown bear?

Give it a more slender build, a smaller, flatter, narrower skull, a lower shoulder hump and a longer neck. The snout profile curves like a Roman nose, and the ears are small.

How many cubs does a polar bear have?

Typically two. They are born in a maternity den in winter, weighing around 600 g, and the family leaves the den from late February to early April. Young stay with the mother two and a half years at most.

Can polar bears swim?

Yes. They swim at up to 6 km/h, paddling with the broad front paws while the hind legs steer, and can dive for up to three minutes. One study found swims averaging 3.4 days.

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