The new year, 2026, marks 250 years of the United States of America. A new book helps everyone participate in one of the nation’s oldest traditions: drawing the presidents!
Look at images of U.S. presidents across history. Something happened right around the time of William Henry Harrison. Can you spot it? It’s the invention of photography! John Quincy Adams was the earliest U.S. president to have his photo taken, years after his time in office. It was an early form of photograph called a daguerreotype—an image imprinted on a silver-coated plate.
During the days of the Founding Fathers, photography didn’t exist. But we still know what our first presidents looked like. Artists recorded their images in paintings, drawings, and even cartoonish caricatures. Each president has an official, hand-painted portrait at the White House—even today, long after the invention of photography!
Art still has a purpose in the age of photography. Realistic paintings can capture subtle details and moods. Cartoons can use exaggerated details to convey a message or a feeling.
The Bible tells us that “man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7) Photographs do a great job of showing outward appearances. Art can help viewers look deeper.
Could you draw the presidents? John Hutton thinks you can—and in just four steps! In 2025, this illustrator released a book with the White House Historical Association. It’s called How To Draw the Presidents and First Ladies.
“Drawing is simply another form of looking,” writes Hutton. “Everyone knows how to look, so everyone can learn to draw as well.”
In the book, readers can follow the steps to draw historical figures from George and Martha Washington to Donald and Melania Trump. Hutton’s drawings start with a simple oval shape. He divides that shape approximately into thirds. He uses just a handful of lines and only dots for eyes. But you can still recognize the famous faces he draws. It’s all about choosing the right details.
Of course, it’s easiest to draw the more recognizable figures. “People recognize that they’ve done a good job more quickly than they would if we were doing Franklin Pierce,” says Hutton. “Nobody knows who he is.” (Franklin Pierce was the 14th U.S. president, by the way.)
Want to see these sketches in action? Click the VIDEO button at the top of this story to watch our WORLDteen Sidebar, in which the God’s WORLD News team tries their hands at following the book’s instructions! Can you tell which president we chose to attempt? Let us know how we did—or send in your own presidential artwork—to WORLDteeneditor@gwnews.com.
Why? Making and viewing art provides a powerful way of seeing and communicating about the world, even in the age of video and photography.
Click the “video” button at the top of the story to watch our WORLDteen Sidebar video of the God's WORLD News staff practicing the book's instructions!
Recommended Reading: To learn how to make your own portraits, read How To Draw the Presidents and First Ladies by John Hutton.
