Last Updated on May 14, 2026
Welcome, dear artists! Today we’re diving into a fun and engaging journey to discover how to draw Gloria, the tetartagonist of the Madagascar franchise. Remember her? That lovely, charismatic hippo that has won the hearts of many. Let’s get started!
Gloria’s Unique Appearance
- Body Shape: Gloria possesses a pear-like shape, where her upper body is considerably slimmer than her robust lower half. This gives her a distinctive silhouette.
- Color and Markings: While our guide is a sketch, it’s good to remember that Gloria’s skin is predominantly grey, with a slightly lighter shade on her belly, face, and ears. Small dark brown dots sporadically grace her body.
- Features: Gloria’s features include triangular nostrils
- Stature: Gloria, even amongst other hippos, stands out due to her heavier build. Moto Moto, another character, notably comments on her “plumpiness” and “chunkiness” in the sequel.
While focusing on Gloria, you might also want to consider drawing her friends. Characters like Alex, Marty, and Melman, who’ve shared numerous adventures with Gloria, can be great additions to your sketchbook.
About This Drawing Guide
This tutorial comprises 9 steps that systematically guide you through the drawing process. Here’s what each color signifies in our guide:
- Red Color: Represents the current drawing step.
- Grey Color: Displays the basic proportions sketch, ideally done with light pencil strokes.
- Black Color: Indicates lines from previous steps.
The first stage of our guide lays emphasis on creating a basic structure to get the proportions right. After you’ve successfully sketched out Gloria, the last stage lets you ink your drawing. Remember to let the ink dry thoroughly before erasing any pencil marks to achieve a clean final sketch.
Working through how to draw Gloria can feel a bit tricky at first, since her rounded, hefty shape takes some getting used to, but a lot of those proportions tend to click much better on a second pass. Don’t stress if your first attempt feels off, just go through the steps again and you’ll likely notice things falling into place. If you want a steady stream of new guides like this one, there’s an email signup at the top of the page where you can get a weekly batch of fresh tutorials dropped right in your inbox.
