The paramecium is a truly fascinating creature, but one that so rarely receives the attention and study that it deserves. It is our goal to change this – starting with helping you learn how to draw your own paramecium, and label all of the parts accurately. Ready to learn? Then let’s get started!
Tutorial Video
Step-By-Step Images and Instructions
1.
Begin with a thick blue pen, and draw a large “loop”, pointing towards the top left-hand corner of the page, in the center. Take the back of this down, across, and up to add a “bump” at the top, and then continue the line across. Add a “U” shape, and then connect the edge of this to the bottom of the loop. Add a curved line across the top of the “U”.
2.
Grab a thin black pen, and draw a curved shape just below the “U”.
3.
Now, add a circle to the left of this, and add a series of teardrop shapes all around this, creating a “sun” shape.
4.
Add another “sun” shape to the left of the first…
5.
And then add a circle above this, with a small “crescent moon” shape and several circles inside this.
6.
Repeat this to the right of the top “sun”…
7.
And then to the right of the shape.
8.
Add another example just above this…
9.
And then add a circle to the right, with three small circles inside.
10.
Now, add three groups of two circles – two above this shape, and one below.
11.
Connect the top circle to the bottom of the “U” shape with two wavy lines.
12.
Next, add a small “peanut” shape inside the “U”, and then add two more of these to the top.
13.
Add a series of small circles to the side of the “bump” on the right…
14.
And then draw an arrow shape to the right of these, pointing to the right. Add another arrow shape, pointing down, from the “peanut” shapes above the blue.
15.
Use the black pen to add a series of small marks all around the blue line, with wavy lines at the bottom.
16.
Grab a green pen, and fill in the small shapes in the circles.
17.
Use a purple pen for the large curved shape in the center, and then a black pen for the smaller circles inside the blue line.
18.
Use a blue pen for the “sun” shapes.
19.
Use an orange pen for the circles around the green sections, and for the orange arrows.
20.
Grab a blue pencil, and shade the main section of the shape.
21.
Grab a black fineliner pen and a ruler, and draw a series of lines all around the outside of the shape.
22.
Label the image “Paramecium”, and then add the relevant labels to the spaces where they belong. From the bottom right corner: Anal pore (cytoproct), Cell mouth (cytosome), Buccal overture, Oral groove (vestibulum), Radiating Canal, Contractile Vacuole, Pellicle, Cilia, Cytoplasm, Micronucleus, Macronucleus, Food vacuole.
These are truly fascinating, unusual creatures, so why not spend a little time learning more about them? There is plenty to explore!
