Would you like to improve your ability to draw reptiles? More specifically, do you want to know how to draw turtles? Even more specifically, how would you like to know a step-by-step way to draw a sea turtle?
Turtles are my favorite reptiles. I remember having a pet turtle as a kid. I thought the slow way in which it moved was so cool, and I loved to watch it pop its head in and out of its shell!
That’s why I decided to do a drawing tutorial featuring a turtle. I also felt like doing a sea creature, so I settled on a sea turtle!
If you can learn how to draw a sea turtle, with its many scales, wrinkles, and possibly challenging shell, then you will feel more confident while drawing other reptiles too.
I created this tutorial to help you do just that. Read on to learn how to draw a swimming sea turtle step by step!
Use a Reference Photo of a Sea Turtle
I decided to draw a picture of this green sea turtle for the tutorial.
As you draw along with the step-by-step images, I hope you occasionally look at this sea turtle photo too.
I will not be drawing the surrounding ocean environment. I will just draw the sea turtle itself.
Materials Used for This Drawing
Here is a list of the materials I am using for this drawing.
If you don’t have some of these materials, that’s okay. You can still make do with a regular pencil and eraser, as long as you just get started!
If you wish to purchase any of these materials, they can be found at your local art store, or you can buy them using the links below.
Affiliate Disclaimer: The links below are affiliate links. I will receive a small commission if a purchase is made through one of these links. Learn more here.
You can watch the time-lapse video version of this tutorial below. Watch it once all the way through to get a sense of the overall process. Then watch a second time and draw along with me, pausing as needed.
Outline the Sea Turtle’s Head and Shell
We are going to use some basic shapes to sketch the initial outline of the sea turtle. Begin with a 2B pencil and an oval shape for the head. This should be almost like an egg shape tilted on its side. Make the left side a little wider than the right. The turtle’s beak will be on the right.
Next, draw two lines coming from the head. This will be the sea turtle’s neck, which is shaped like a cylinder. Keep the lines parallel. Then connect the two lines with a curved line that follows the same curvature as where the head meets the neck.
Now, draw a wavy line for the front part of the shell on the sea turtle. Draw the first part of the line curving just over the top of the neck. Then bend the line toward the left and curve it downward again. This longer curve will be just over the turtle’s flipper.
Continue extending this line toward the left side of the paper. Curve the line slightly downward and then back up to form the lower edge of the turtle’s shell.
Now, I want the top edge of this turtle’s shell to be at a level a little bit higher than its head. I sketched a temporary horizontal guideline to help me with the placement. After that, it’s just a matter of drawing a curved line from the back of the shell to the top and back down toward the neck.
Draw another curved line from the bottom of the shell to the base of the sea turtle’s neck. This completes the basic shape of the turtle’s shell and main body. Next, we will add some flippers.
Outline the Sea Turtle’s Flippers
Draw a long, curved shape with a slight bend for the front flipper in the foreground. Make it so it is angled toward the back. Align the tip of the flipper almost as far back as the rear of the turtle’s shell.
Then draw the front flipper on the other side of the sea turtle. This should also be a curved shape, but it should be much shorter and wider than the first flipper. Draw a line on the flipper just below the head to indicate where the flipper is bending.
Sketch the outline of the hind flipper with a pointy claw along the lower edge. This flipper should be very short and shaped almost like a foot. After that is done, erase some of the looser guidelines that are no longer needed, such as the line behind the front flipper and the curved lines at the base of the neck and head.
Draw the Head and Neck of the Sea Turtle
Now, it’s time to draw details on the sea turtle to make it look more realistic. We’ll start with the sea turtle’s facial features. Draw a sharp curved line to better define the separation between the head and neck. From here, draw a line to the front of the turtle’s face to represent the mouth. Then, shape the beak above the line and the upper eye on the other side. After that, draw an almond-shaped eye with an overlapping upper eyelid. Draw two tiny nostrils, a line between the eyes, and the side of the beak curving around the eye.
Draw a series of scales covering the turtle’s face. These scales can have a shape somewhat similar to triangles, squares, pentagons, or hexagons. Wrap the scales around the eye area. Then cover the rest of the upper face. Keep them generally similar in size. Draw the lower beak and some lighter marks and scribbles for more subtle scales and wrinkles on the lower jaw.
Draw wrinkles on the top of the sea turtle’s neck. Make sure the lines wrap around with the curvature of the neck. Draw a couple of long wrinkles between the base of the neck and the shell. Build upon these by sketching lines for even more wrinkles stretching down the neck. Finish up with the visible part of the underside of the shell and a few more wrinkles and loose scales nearby.
Draw Scales on the Sea Turtle’s Flippers
Begin drawing scales on the front edge of the sea turtle’s far flipper. These scales should be similar in size and shape to the scales on the face, although more of these scales seem to resemble a pointy, triangular shape on the flipper’s underside. Notice also how the scales should wrap around the flipper’s front edge.
Continue to draw scales down the length of the flipper. As you approach the bottom of the flipper, draw a sharp claw protruding from the edge. Draw a few more oval or rectangular scales on the flipper’s underside near the tip. Then sketch some similar shapes with much lighter pressure on the rest of the flipper’s underside.
Begin drawing scales on the front edge of the long flipper in the foreground. Begin near the top. As you work your way down the edge, draw one or two scales per row. About midway down the flipper, start drawing only one scale for each row. Make these scales with straight edges on the top and bottom but pointy on the sides. Use a triangle shape for the big scale at the tip of the flipper.
Draw a line from the tip of the flipper that goes down the middle. You can use this line to divide the remaining space into smaller scales. Draw some larger scales near the top. Draw curved lines to form the top of the sea turtle’s flipper where it joins the body and bends over.
Next, draw scales on the hind flipper of the sea turtle. Start with the front edge. Draw the scales in such a way that they wrap up the side and over the top. Fill the remaining surface with mostly oval-shaped scales. Make the scales narrower as they recede farther away.
Draw the Line Pattern on the Shell
Now let’s start to draw the pattern on the shell of the sea turtle. The various shapes that form the design on the turtle’s shell are called scutes. We’ll draw the smaller ones first. Begin with the scutes around the neck. Make the outer edge parallel to the curve around the neck with shorter lines going inward. Then bring these similar box shapes down along the shell’s edge around the flipper. Finish drawing the scutes along the edge of the shell’s side. Keep most of them rectangular in shape with a few of them having pointy tops.
Okay, let’s look at the larger shapes on the shell. The large scutes on the right and left side of the sea turtle are called lateral scutes. The ones along the top of the shell and the turtle’s spine are called central scutes. Draw a line from the bottom of the shell and another from just above the flipper. Connect these lines with the shell’s outer edge to complete one large lateral scute and two smaller central scutes.
Starting from the bottom edge of the shell again, draw another line going toward the top of the shell for the next lateral scute. It’s important to point out that when drawing these lines on the shell, you should follow the natural curvature of the shell’s surface. Form the triangular spaces between the top of the lateral scutes that belong to each central scute. If necessary, draw curved guidelines along the top of the shell to help you align each of the points.
Erase any guidelines you may have. Now you are left with a detailed line drawing of a sea turtle! Let’s add some shading in the remaining steps.
Shade the Hind Flipper and the Shell
Beginning with the hind flipper, shade each of the individual scales. Put a little touch of darker shading on the claws along the front edge. Leave white space between each of the scales.
Next, let’s start shading the sea turtle’s shell. Outline the individual scutes on the rear section of the shell. Leave a narrow gap in between each scute. You can use a kneaded eraser to remove graphite from these gaps to make them lighter in value. Afterwards, put a light base layer of shading over the area, followed by a darker layer. Leave some splotchy areas open for the lighter base layer to show through. This helps to create an irregular spotty design on the sea turtle’s shell.
Shade the rest of the turtle’s shell in much the same manner. Alternate back and forth between outlining the scutes, shading a light base layer, and overlaying a darker layer of tones. Remember to keep the gaps between the scutes lighter in value. It’s also helpful to put a streak of darker shading along the border of some of the scutes, riding along the gaps in between. This gives the individual scutes a slightly raised appearance. Make sure to put the heaviest shadow areas just under the shell on the side, between the flipper and the neck, and over the neck.
Shade the Front Flipper of the Sea Turtle
The next step is to shade the flipper. Put some shading near the top area where the flipper is joined to the sea turtle’s body. Then outline each of the individual scales just like we did for the scales on the hind flipper and the scutes on the turtle shell.
Shade inside each of the scales on the sea turtle’s flipper. Leave the gaps between each scale a lighter value. Go back and lift stray graphite from these gaps with a kneaded eraser if necessary. Place darker shading along the front edge of the flipper to help distinguish this front plane from the flipper’s side plane.
Shade the Sea Turtle’s Neck and Head
Outline the wrinkles at the top of the sea turtle’s neck. These helps to make the wrinkles appear deeper. Do the same with other wrinkles on the neck. Draw details and a little shading on the lower part of the shell. Lightly outline some of the scales on the neck and lightly shade the entire neck area.
In order to shade the sea turtle’s head, we’re going to repeat the same process that we have been doing for the other scales and the shell. Outline each of the scales on the head. Shade the sea turtle’s eye a dark black. Leave a tiny highlight. Shade the nostrils too.
Now shade each of the scales on the turtle’s head. Continue to leave the thin light gaps between the scales. Shade the beak as well. Place a lighter layer of shading on the lower part of the mouth. Keep this value similar to what was used for the neck.
Draw the Finishing Touches on the Sea Turtle
On the far flipper, outline the scales seen along the front edge and the ones close to the tip. As for the scales in the middle of the flipper, go over them lightly but not nearly as dark as the others.
Shade the scales of the far flipper. Leave the gaps between the scales lighter. The area in the middle of the flipper should be a lighter value too. Use the same level of shading for this area as that used for the neck.
Put a claw on the flipper in the foreground similar to the one that is on the far flipper. Use a 6B pencil to go over the darkest shadows on the sea turtle. Erase any smudging around the drawing and dust away any residue.
And that is how to draw a sea turtle step by step!
Tutorial Recap
For a quick visual recap of this tutorial, take a look at the image below. It shows you a step-by-step summary progression for how to draw a sea turtle.
Tips for Your Next Sea Turtle Drawing
The next time you wish to create a realistic sea turtle drawing, here are a few reminders:
Try using a reference photo while you draw the sea turtle so you can be sure to include its realistic traits for an accurate representation.
Start off by sketching basic shapes to establish the general proportions and positions of the head, neck, shell, and flippers. Don’t worry about perfection. Then build on additional details and adjust your basic shape guidelines as you go along.
Consider using both a color and a black-and-white version of your reference. You can use both photos together to give you information about light and dark values as well as subtle changes in color, such as the slight variations between the lighter and darker shades of green on the turtle’s neck, scales, and shell.
Try drawing a variety of sea turtles. Draw sea turtles in different positions. You might find that a distant view from overhead looking down at the top of the shell will be easier. For more of a challenge, try drawing a view from under the sea turtle looking at the bottom of its shell.
Try drawing a regular turtle, tortoise, or another reptile. Once you are more comfortable drawing a sea turtle, you should find it easier to draw other animals that are similar.
Keep practicing while implementing these ideas, and you will soon be amazed at how easily drawing sea turtles comes to you! Have fun!
If you are a person who is fond of cats and cat faces in particular, then it’s probably safe to say that you find kitten faces irresistible. Not only are kitten faces cute, but they are also a fun subject to draw. You may even be looking for a step-by-step way to draw a cute kitten face.
If so, then look no further! In this tutorial, I will show you how to draw a kitten face step by step.
Use a Reference Photo of a Kitten Face
Here is the reference photo for this tutorial…a cute domestic kitten with her head looking up. We can see a little bit of the kitten’s body, but our focus for this tutorial will just be the head.
Also, I will make broad, loose strokes when adding the fur and some other features. In many ways, the end result will be more of a freehand sketch than a polished drawing. Anyway, feel free to refer to this photo in addition to the step-by-step images.
You can use the same concepts you learn from this tutorial and apply them to drawing other kitten faces. Kittens have many common traits. However, there can be significant differences from one kitten to the next. So, having a reference photo of the kitten face you are trying to draw is not a bad idea.
Materials Used for This Drawing
Here is a list of the materials I am using for this drawing.
If you don’t have some of these materials, that’s okay. You can still make do with a regular pencil and eraser, as long as you just get started!
If you wish to purchase any of these materials, they can be found at your local art store, or you can buy them using the links below.
Affiliate Disclaimer: The links on this page are affiliate links. I will receive a small commission if a purchase is made through one of these links. Learn more here.
You can watch the time-lapse video version of this tutorial below. Watch it once all the way through to get a sense of the overall process. Then watch a second time and draw along with me, pausing as needed.
As an alternative, when you sign up for the Let’s Draw Today Newsletter, I will give you the extended video course version of this tutorial and 9 others (10 in all) as a free gift!
To begin drawing a kitten face, lightly sketch a circle for the head. I’m using a 2B pencil. Then draw a horizontal guideline with a slight curve to reflect an upward tilt of the head. After that, sketch a curved vertical line. Remember, the kitten’s head is facing to our left. Next, sketch two more curved lines parallel to the first horizonal guideline.
Let’s draw the outline of the kitten’s eyes. The last two horizontal guidelines I sketched during the last step are meant to help locate the top and bottom of the eyes. The tricky thing about cat eyes is they have a sharp diagonal angle from the inner to the outer corner. The inner corners of each eye should be aligned with one another between the center and lower horizontal guidelines.
We can start drawing the nose next. If necessary, adjust the levels of the eyes so the right eye is slightly lower than the left, as in the reference photo. This way, the bottom of the right eye can be aligned with the top of the kitten’s nose. Sketch a pointy bottom to the nose.
Below the nose, draw shapes that form the mouth area. Sketch a line from each side of the nose that curves downward. Sketch a vertical line down the center of the nose and beyond the lower tip. Use diagonal lines to connect this middle line to each lower end of the mouth area.
We can draw the mouth next. I will draw a mouth that is more visibly open than the reference. Draw a line for the opening just under the nose. Sketch another short line just under that. Then we can begin drawing the kitten’s jaw.
Complete the Outline of the Head
Let’s continue to shape the outline of the kitten’s head. Extend the jawline from under the mouth area. Next, start shaping the side of the kitten’s face. I am not drawing precisely on top of my circle guideline from the first step. Instead, I am drawing alongside it, because our little kitten’s head is much smaller than our circle guideline would suggest.
Next, identify the top of the kitten’s head. First, locate where the ears should be. The ear on the right is aligned a little to the right of the eye. Note the amount of space between the eye and the top of the head. It reveals the top of the head should be lower. The other ear is aligned to the right of the nose.
Complete the Outline of the Ears
To draw the outline of the first ear, we already marked where along the head one edge begins. For the other edge of the ear, put a mark where the outer edge of the eye is located. For the tip, mark above the area of the inner corner of the eye. Now we can complete the ear outline by connecting the marks.
Next, we need to find where the other side of the ear connects. The reference photograph reveals that the edge of the head is about two eye-widths away from the corner of the eye. The ear itself connects below the eye level. The top tip of this ear is slightly lower than the first one. Connect the ear at the base and finish the side of the head.
We no longer need most of these guidelines, so we can start erasing them now. As you erase, take care to maintain the contours of the kitten’s face. Very carefully erase the remaining guidelines inside the outline of the kitten’s face. Try your best to not erase the outline of the facial features you drew up to this point.
Add Details to the Kitten’s Eyes
Next, we can begin working on the eyes. A kitten has a very different pupil from a human. Draw a vertical slit slightly left of center that still curves on the kitten’s eyeball. Do the same for the other eye.
After that, very lightly draw the outline of the highlights in each eye. There is one major highlight in each eye. Both have an irregular shape. The first one intersects the pupil about halfway and covers its lower half. The second one is similar but is shaped slightly different.
Outline along the inside edge of each eye. Put a round edge against the corners to give more shape to the eyeball. Lightly shade the eyes. Shade around the highlights to leave them free of any pencil marks. Then put another layer of light shading in the eyes. Make this layer slightly darker.
Shape the Nose and Furry Patterns
Next, start shaping up the nose. Define the upper edge. Then outline the lower part of the line in the middle as well as the lower tip. From the lower portion of the nose, start drawing lines inward to shape the nostrils. Curve these lines toward the outer edges and back up toward the top. Then draw curved lines toward the inner part of the nostrils.
Now we can begin drawing some of the furry pattern around the kitten’s eyes. Start by drawing curved, zigzag lines above each eye. Sketch a basic outline of the light-colored furry pattern that is around the kitten’s eyes and on the forehead. Draw it branching out in a couple of different directions. Put another layer of shading over the eyes too, but still shade around the highlights.
Add Minor Details to the Ears and Mouth
Take some preliminary steps to shape the ears. Sketch a diagonal line running parallel to the edge of the ear to our right. Then start shaping the lower end. Draw a similar diagonal line on the other ear.
Focusing on the mouth area now, start sketching some marks, spots, and other tiny dots. This area is where most of the whiskers will originate. We will save drawing the whiskers as one of the final steps of the tutorial. For now, draw these dots in diagonal rows sloping downward from the nose. Make the top rows out of thicker spots. Make tinier dots for the lower rows.
Draw Fur on the Ears and Forehead
Back up to the first ear, draw some hairs pointing up along the edge. Draw a few sprigs of hair down the other edge too. Sketch a line along the inside edge to complete the flap. Erase the outline of the head immediately in front of the ear. Then draw thicker fur in front of the ear.
Continue to add fur to the kitten’s forehead. Erase the outline of the head between the ears. Then in its place, sketch the furry outline of the top of the head. Use longer vertical strokes to represent more fur on the forehead.
Sketch along the edges of the second ear with short strokes to give it a slightly hairy appearance. Return to the first ear to draw some long hairs along the inner edge. Then do the same with the other ear. Additionally, sketch some fur along the lower edge of the ear. Put some shading and a rim along the ear flap’s outer edge.
Continue adding fur to the top of the kitten’s head. Shade around the lighter fur patches identified earlier. Bring the fur down to the area under the ear. Use a swooping motion to curve the hairs upward. Keep checking the reference photo to look for the direction of hair growth.
Draw Fur on the Kitten’s Face and Neck
Put some dark shading around the kitten’s eye. Extend the tones beyond the outer corner. Shade around the section of light fur that is under the eye. Then add more fur along the side of the face under the ear. Sketch fur on the other side of the kitten face and between the eye and the mouth area too.
Shade the nostrils. Trace over the outline of the nose. Add some darker shading around the mouth area and to the inside of the mouth itself. Sketch some fur under the mouth. Erase the outline before drawing the hairs along the outermost edge.
With your kneaded eraser, get rid of the outline shaping the area of the mouth that will contain the whiskers. Replace the outline with a furrier edge. Repeat this on the other side of the mouth. Apply some tones to fill in the open area on the side of the face.
Begin loosely sketching some fur to signify the neck of the kitten. The fur on the sides of the neck go in the same direction as the fur on the sides of the face. Make the fur directly under the mouth area slightly darker, as well as the fur on the right side.
Add Depth to the Fur and Final Details
Darken the outline of the nose. Put some light shading on the nose as well. Look for opportunities to create contrast by putting darker tones next to lighter tones. Add darker values along the bridge between the eyes and on the forehead over the eyes. Remember to shade with the hair growth.
Put some darker tones at the base of the ear to make the lighter-value fur stand out. Put some more dark shading on the neck under the mouth area. Switch to a 6B pencil to trace over the darkest areas, like the outline of each eye, pupils, nostrils, mouth, and shadows in the fur.
Use a sharp 2B pencil to draw whiskers on the face of the kitten. As you draw each whisker, start at the base and gradually lighten the pressure on your pencil until you gently lift it off the paper to leave a tapered end. If you want to draw more or fewer whiskers than what’s on the reference, that’s fine too!
And that is how to draw a kitten face!
Tutorial Recap
For a quick visual recap of this tutorial, take a look at the image below. It shows you a progression of the main steps for how to draw a kitten face.
Tips to Remember the Next Time You Draw a Kitten Face
Here are a few tips to remember the next time you want to draw a kitten face.
Even if you’d rather make more of a sketch of a kitten, you should still work from a reference photo so you can make a more realistic representation of your kitten face within your sketch.
Pay attention to the unique traits of the kitten’s face and how they differ from human characteristics. Pay attention especially to the slant of the kitten’s eyes as well as the kitten’s vertical pupils.
Consider using both a color and a black-and-white version of your reference. You can use both photos together to give you information about light and dark values as well as subtle changes in color, such as the slight variations between the lighter and darker patches of the kitten’s fur.
Try drawing a variety of kitten faces. Although kitten faces have a lot of traits in common, there are many cat breeds that have differences in fur length, color patterns, facial shape and structure, and other traits you would encounter as you draw kitten faces.
So now that you know how to draw a kitten face step by step, you have nothing holding you back from filling up a sketchbook with as many cute kitten faces as possible! You might even consider snapping some pictures of your own kitty or the kittens of your family members and friends for practice. If people really like your work, you can give your kitten drawings away as a gift or even sell them!
When searching for ideas of what to draw, people often look no further than their pets for inspiration. It’s only natural for dog owners to want to draw a portrait of their favorite four-legged companion.
Perhaps you have a dog of your own that you would just love to draw.
Or, maybe you don’t own a dog but you just think they are cool. Maybe you see so much personality in the face of a dog that you just have to draw it, or at least try.
But what if you don’t know how?
In this tutorial, I will show you a step-by-step method for drawing the face of a dog. This tutorial will be basic enough for you to keep up with as a beginner but detailed enough for you to still end up with a pleasing realistic drawing of a dog face.
Use a Reference Photo of a Dog Face
Here’s a picture of the little guy we are going to draw. As you can see, this tutorial will show you how to draw the face of a bulldog, an English bulldog to be precise! We will use this as our reference photo and to help us with proper placement of all the dog’s facial features.
You can use the basic concepts you learn from this tutorial and apply them to drawing other dogs. Since there are so many different breeds of dogs with such a variety of physical traits, using a reference photo is an important step in capturing accurate features of any dog face you choose to draw.
Materials Used for This Drawing
Here is a list of the materials I am using for this drawing.
If you don’t have some of these materials, don’t let that stop you. A sheet of paper, a standard pencil, and an eraser are a great start!
If you wish to purchase any of these materials, they can be found at your local art store, or you can buy them using the links below.
Affiliate Disclaimer: The links below are affiliate links. I will receive a small commission if a purchase is made through one of these links. Learn more here.
You can watch the time-lapse video version of this tutorial below. Watch it once all the way through to get a sense of the overall process. Then watch a second time and draw along with me, pausing as needed.
As an alternative, when you sign up for the Let’s Draw Today Newsletter, I will give you the extended video course version of this tutorial and 9 others (10 in all) as a free gift!
Let’s first see how to draw the head of a dog. Start with an HB pencil and a rough sketch of a circle for the dog’s head. Next, sketch a vertical line and a horizontal line for some facial guidelines. There should be an ever so slight curve to each of these lines due to the tilt of the dog’s head.
Plan the placement of the eyes. They should be approximately an equal distance from the center. Then, sketch the shape of the snout. Extend the snout below the circle and make the bottom parallel to the horizontal guideline on the circle.
Now let’s work on developing the shape of the dog’s eyes. Although this dog has some large eyes and very round eyeballs, the shape of the skin surrounding the eyes is very angular. They almost resemble pentagons, but they still have some curvature.
Start sketching the brow on the side of the face next to the dog’s right eye. That’ll be on our left side. Then sketch the outline of the nose. Pay attention to placement in relation to the surrounding features. For example, the left edge of the nose is a little to the right of the dog’s right eye. Similarly, there is more space between the dog’s nose and his left eye due to the turn of his head.
Draw the Dog’s Ears and Nose
The bottom tip of the ear should align with the bottom of the nose. Also, the pointy side of the ear that sticks out is aligned with the upper portion of the eye. Draw a curved line from the bottom tip. Sketch the outline for the brow. Draw the upper edge of the ear from the outer tip to the brow. A little higher, draw a flap connecting the ear to the head.
Sketch a guideline from the first ear to locate the connection for the other ear. Then, sketch the brow of the dog’s left eye. Draw the side curvature of the dog’s face and the edge of the ear along the side. The lower tip of the ear is slightly aligned with the first ear and the nose. Use the outer tip of the first ear and the top of the dog’s left eye to locate the outer tip of this ear. Use a pencil to check the angle. Connect the ear at the head. This preliminary sketch of the dog ears is the first step in learning how to draw them.
Draw a vertical line separating the nose into two parts. Then, sketch the nostril on our right side. Pay attention to the size of the nostril as well as the shape. Repeat this process with the other nostril. Try to match the angles of the outline of the nostrils correctly in relation to the angles of the nose outline.
Draw the Dog’s Mouth
Since the face of this dog we are drawing is the face of a bulldog, there are a lot of wrinkles or flaps, especially around the nose and mouth. Start by sketching some wrinkles extending from the nostrils and a short line below the nose.
Now, let’s see how we can draw the mouth of the dog in a way true to the reference. Start branching out the mouth from the short line below the nose. Keep branching out until you are aligned with the inner corner of the eye. Then start curving the bottom of the snout. Repeat this on the other side. Check the slope of the line connecting both sides of the bottom to make sure it is the same angle as the horizontal guideline of our original circle.
Draw a slightly curved line to show the opening of the dog’s mouth. Repeat this for the bottom of the lip. Although we don’t have to with this drawing, there will be occasions when drawing a dog’s mouth requires you to draw its sharp teeth. Draw what looks like a “W” shape under the mouth. Leave a little space between this and the bottom lip. Draw the lower area of the snout with some wrinkles along the lower edge.
Draw the Dog’s Eyes and Side of the Face
Here’s how to draw dog eyes step by step. Starting with the eye to our left, I’m sketching a line on the underside of the brow to allow for how much it protrudes. Then, we can draw a squarish highlight. For this iris and pupil, try to draw them as circular as possible. For the other eye, I’m drawing the iris and pupil first. I’m saving the highlight for last. The order doesn’t really matter. Just make sure you leave a little opening for the highlight.
From the edge of the iris, we can see a little wrinkle on the brow. As we keep looking at this brow, we can notice even more wrinkles. There are some pretty deep and significant ones at that. Keep drawing lines to develop the shape and wrinkles of the brow.
Sketch a thin line just under the eye to represent the eyelid. Also, there is a long fold or wrinkle on the side of the face running along the brow. Develop the top portion of the brow a bit more. Draw a line running along the white patch of fur going down the dog’s forehead. Curve this line downward to shape the side of the snout. Then sketch a few more wrinkles under the eye and on the cheek.
Draw the Rest of the Upper Face
First, draw a tip to the bottom of the brow to the left of the dog’s right eye. Then, draw a dip in the brow similar to what the other brow had. There’s also a long wrinkle along this side of the face. Now, I’m defining the outline of the snout. Since the head is slightly turned, make sure the snout overlaps the corner of this eye just a little. Sketch a few lines to develop the area above the brow.
Draw a line for the side of the face that hides behind the dog’s protruding brow. Draw the bumpy contour that is the top of the dog’s head. Afterwards, start drawing some of the forehead wrinkles and the edge of the white fur pattern. There are several overlapping layers of thick, flappy skin, so it’s helpful to use the reference photo as a guide.
Since we have our facial features in place, we no longer have a need for our guidelines. Use a kneaded, plastic, or regular eraser to get rid of them. The kneaded eraser is best for maneuvering around those very tight areas.
The design pattern on this dog or any other animal must follow the bends and folds of the surface upon which it lies. Draw the outline of the white fur pattern. Make sure to curve the outline up and around the wrinkles. Draw the frown lines, or forehead furrows, between the eyes, just above the dog’s left nostril.
Finish Outlining the Snout and Ears
Now, let’s work on the snout. We have some thick overlapping folds here above the nose. Sketch a line coming down beside the nose. Sketch a shorter, somewhat horizontal line immediately to the right of the nose. Keep working your way down.
Draw a bumpy line going down each side of the snout. These lines represent the outer edges of the rows of wrinkles between the nose and the mouth from where some of the whiskers originate.
From these two outlines, just begin sketching very light lines indicating the folds. These light lines should travel upward toward the nose. Also, there is a bit of curvature on some of the lines.
Sketch an indication of tonal value changes on the ears. These light lines will be helpful during the shading process. They will let us know where we need to shade lightly and where we need to shade a bit darker.
That just about does it for how to draw the outline of a dog face.
Of course, if you draw a dog face but neglect to shade it, some people might consider something to be missing. Therefore, we’ll look at the shading steps next.
Shade the Forehead
Starting with the top of the dog’s head, I’m sticking with my HB pencil as I add a light base layer of fur. We will gradually build up the fur with darker layers of value. For a more jagged, furry edge to show where the outlines are, make sure to erase the outline before drawing the fur. Keep your pencil strokes nice and short. By the way, the steps I show you for how to draw dog fur are the same basic steps for drawing all animal fur.
Keep drawing more fur for the top of the dog’s head. Use the same method. Make sure you don’t put too much shading in the white fur on the forehead. Remember to add shading between the wrinkles too. Always draw fur in the direction of hair growth.
Shade the Dog’s Brows
Over the dog’s left eye, erase any stray guidelines. Then, darken the ridge between the white fur and the brown brow. On the brow itself, put a light layer of hair. Notice that the direction of the hairs is shifting to the right as we work our way to the right on this brow.
I’m switching to the 2B pencil for some shadow marks near the top of the brow. There is a deep groove in this dog’s brow, so put some darker tones in this area. The hairs are branching out from the inside, so let’s make our marks that way to show it.
Start adding a second layer of fur atop this first layer. Stay consistent with the direction of hair growth as you draw the marks. Leave some areas untouched to show highlights in the fur. Go along the border between the white and brown fur and sketch more hairs on the brown side. Darkening the brown hairs will make the white hairs stand out that much more.
Shade the dog’s right brow in a similar way. Draw hairs radiating from the corner, up around the eye, and then pointing toward our left. Add darker tones to the inner corner of the eye. Use an HB pencil for a light base layer of fur before switching over to the 2B pencil for darker values.
I’m going to start on the pupils, and I want them to be a very dark tone, so that’s why I am using a 6B pencil. Start by outlining the pupil, and then shade the inside. Be very careful to preserve the highlight. Repeat this process with the other pupil. After that, outline the iris of each eye.
The irises are typically a lighter value as you get closer to the pupil. Therefore, I’m switching now to a 2B pencil. Sketch along the inside edge of the circle to make it appear thicker. As for shading, pretend there is an imaginary dot in the middle of the pupil. Then make lines very close together radiating from that imaginary dot outward to the edges of the iris. Do the same thing with the other eye.
Okay, now it’s back to the 6B pencil. As we know, our dog has some very thick brows above the eyes. These thick brows stick out beyond the eyes, and therefore, cast a shadow underneath. Use the 6B to sketch a representation of this shadow and perhaps even some eyelashes. This also helps to better define the bottom of the brow.
So, I have my HB pencil now to shade just the outer edge of the eyeball. We must remember that the eyeball is a sphere, and as light hits a sphere, the light gradually fades as you get closer to the edges of the sphere. We can outline the eyelid much darker though. Sketch some minute hairs at the corners of each eye.
Draw Fur on the Sides of the Dog’s Face
Sketch fur on the sides of the face. Begin with a light base layer. Sketch most of the hair growing towards the outside edges of the face. Remember to erase the outline along the edge of the face before sketching the fur there. Sketch another darker layer of fur on top of the base layer. Some of this fur might curl upward or grow in different directions.
Keep adding darker tones around the eyes, from the lower eyelids to the outer corners of each eye. This extra shading around the eyes helps to add more form to the brows and surrounding features. Additionally, keep looking for other areas that need more tones applied to better distinguish between the white and brown fur. For the fold on the snout closest to the dog’s left eye, sketch some light downward hairs in the middle of the fold. Define the outer furry edge of the fold by placing some darker tones next to the white hairs.
Shade the Dog’s Nose
We’re just about ready to shade the dog’s nose, but first let’s shade the area just above it. As I add the hairs on this fold, I’m putting a little twist to them along this edge just to help show the coil shape of the fold. Now, this dog has a spot on this fold just above his nose. Start by sketching the outline of the spot. Then shade darker tones inside.
Okay, in the next several steps, I will show you how to draw a dog’s nose with shading that creates the nose’s bumpy texture. I’m putting a jagged texture along the top edge to represent the fur that’s sticking out from the fold and beyond the nose. Then, outline the contours of the nose.
Start developing the texture of the nose by drawing some lines coming from the edges to the inner areas of the nose. You can imagine these as little grooves in the nose and even see them in the reference.
The dog’s nose has these circular bumps on the surface. We can begin to create a texture that resembles these bumps by drawing light, little circular scribbles on the surface. Scribble around the little grooves drawn in the last step.
Begin shading the nostrils and the various cracks along the outline of the nose. Since the nose has some very dark tones compared to the rest of the drawing, it’s a good idea to switch to the 6B pencil to go over the darkest areas.
Keep using the 6B pencil to trace over the grooves and cracks on the nose’s surface. Then, build up the texture with a layer of dark circles and ovals. Rather than the scribbles from before, draw fewer individual round shapes, but still cover the surface.
With a 2B pencil, shade the nose area one last time. Shade over and around the various round, bumpy shapes. Leave some of the edges of the nose and cracks a little lighter to resemble subtle highlights.
Shade the Dog’s Mouth and Snout
Trace over the vertical line extending from the nose to the mouth. Sketch fur over the outlines going down each side of the mouth. Trace over the outline for the top lip too. Then with a 6B pencil, shade the inside of the mouth very dark.
Similar to the spot above the nose, this dog has a large spot or birthmark covering the area between the nose and mouth. Sketch its outline as well as some texture details on each side of the vertical line joining the nose and mouth.
To shade this spot, I’m starting with a general base layer of diagonal strokes to cover the entire surface. Then, I’m going over it again with a second layer of shading. However, this time my strokes are shorter to more closely resemble hair. Finally, use darker tones to sharpen the edges just under the nose and around the mouth.
Use a light touch to sketch the white fur on the sides of the snout. The lower left area of the snout should have much darker fur. Sketch the fur under the dog’s mouth. Use a mix of shadows and lines coming downward from the mouth. You may notice that the right side of the snout does not have the dark patch of fur that was found on the other side.
Shade the Ears and Finish Drawing the Dog Face
Now let’s work on the ears. Sketch a base layer of tones on the dog’s right ear, taking care to place darker values in the proper locations. Sketch another layer of tones to build up the texture of the fur. Replace the outline of the ear with short strokes to resemble the hair on the edge. Use a 6B for the darkest areas.
Repeat this process for the other ear. Sketch a base layer of shading for the ear. Use short pencil strokes along the edge of the ear to create that furry look. Build up the layers of fur on the ear with additional shadows.
Okay, we are almost done. It’s time to add the finishing touches. Look for opportunities to make lighter values stand out better by creating darker values adjacent to them. Keep sketching over other parts of the face to build up volume while still preserving highlights. Don’t forget to add the whiskers!
And that is how to draw a dog face with realistic features!
Tutorial Recap
For a quick visual recap of this tutorial, take a look at the image below. It shows you a progression of the main steps for how to draw a dog face, from the outline to the final result.
Tips to Remember the Next Time You Draw a Dog Face
Here are a few tips to keep in mind for the next time you want to draw the face of a dog.
Work from a reference photo so you can stay true to the characteristics of the breed of dog you are trying to draw.
Break your dog face into basic shapes that resemble the parts of the face. Then focus on one area and draw one feature or detail at a time.
Consider using both a color and a black-and-white version of your reference. A black-and-white reference allows you to take some of the guesswork out of applying light and dark values. A color reference is useful when you are working on an area of the drawing that has two different colors adjacent to each other. A good example from this tutorial is the dog’s white and brown fur on the forehead. This allows you to take steps to ensure the color change is apparent in your shading.
Try drawing a variety of dog faces of different breeds. The only way to truly get better at drawing dog faces is to practice as much as possible!
The next time you think about drawing animals, approach the task in the same manner as you would to assemble a puzzle.
When you put a puzzle together, you take small pieces of a picture and assemble them so they eventually form the complete picture.
You can think of drawing animals the same way.
Animals are classified according to their characteristics. Animals with furry bodies are mammals. Then you have animals with beaks and wings that help them fly. We call these animals birds. Animals that live in water and on land are called amphibians. The list goes on. You get the idea!
There are too many species of animals for me or anyone else to teach you how to draw in a single blog post. However, if you know how to draw some common characteristics of animals, you can combine that knowledge to draw many animals that share those characteristics.
How to Draw Animal Fur
Most of the animals people love (many pets come to mind) have fur. So, if you want to know how to draw animals, it goes without saying that you should be good at drawing fur.
In order to draw animal fur, you first need to consider what kind of animal fur you should draw. What kind of fur does your animal subject have?
Does Your Animal Have Long Fur?
If so, you can create a realistic fur texture by sketching layers of fur in the general direction of growth. Begin with a light base layer. Then, with a bit more pressure or a softer pencil, apply a layer of midtones. As you do this, use a sharp pencil and draw the individual hairs the appropriate length relative to your animal subject. After that, build up the details with additional layers of fur, using an even softer pencil for the shadowy areas.
Is the Fur Fluffy or Coarse?
Here are a couple of approaches for drawing these two very different types of fur. You can draw soft fur by drawing sections of hair that are clumped together and gradually building up layers of suggestive value. For more coarse fur, you can use a sharp tool such as a stylus or clay tool that creates grooves in the paper for individual strands of hair. Then, shade the area with a soft pencil, blend the graphite, and keep adding layers of detail.
Does the Animal’s Fur Have a Color Pattern Like Stripes or Spots?
You can start by outlining these patterns in the animal’s fur. Then, you would shade these areas just as any other. Even though they will be darker than the surrounding fur, there will be slight variations of the values found in the design patterns themselves, depending on where light might be present.
Regardless of the type of fur your animal has, there are a few universal rules to remember when drawing it. First of all, pencil shading will create a resemblance of fur. Remember this when you feel the urge to draw every strand of hair. The amount of additional pencil strokes and the level of realism is up to you. Secondly, you need to create a range of light and dark values that consider highlights and shadows. Last but not least, whenever you are drawing animal fur, always draw in the direction of hair growth!
How to Draw Horns and Antlers
Some animals not only have fur, but they have horns or antlers too! When it comes to drawing animals such as deer, moose, cows, or goats, you need to know enough about their antlers or horns in order to draw them.
Characteristics of Horns and Antlers
First, it might be helpful to note that horns and antlers are not exactly the same. Antlers like on a deer or moose are branched and part of the actual skull of the animal. On the other hand, horns are not branched and they are separate structures from the skull.
Horns can be large or small, long or short, curved or wavy or coily. Horns have different textures depending on the animal. Some horns are much bumpier than others. Antlers tend to have a much softer texture than horns, being more hair-like and velvety.
Use a Similar Process for Drawing Antlers and Horns
Regardless of whether you are drawing horns or antlers, the process is similar.
Make sure you have a reference photo so the horns or antlers you draw stay true to the look of the animal. Compare with the head in the reference to judge proper size, shape, and positioning.
Draw the basic outline of the shape of the horns or antlers. Use a combination of 2D shapes to build a 3D framework.
Expand on the shape by outlining the horns or antlers in more detail. If drawing horns, this might involve bringing more attention to its bumpy texture.
Add shading around the bumpy surface of horns to make the texture realistic and believable. If drawing antlers, add softer shading with fewer light and dark contrasts. Maybe you will even add a few indications of hairs to suggest the velvet covering.
Tutorials for Drawing Mammals
Animals with fur, horns, or antlers belong in the mammal class. Here are a couple of drawing tutorials on two of the most well-known and beloved furry mammals of all.
While it is good (and kinda cool) to know how to draw a single feather, it’s a little different when drawing a collection of feathers on a bird. That’s where I want to direct these following few tips.
When drawing feathers, it’s important to use a reference photo of the bird whose feathers you are drawing. Start with a simple line drawing outlining the bird. Identify and sketch an outline of some of the more prominent feathers, especially on the wings and tail.
Then, gradually develop the line drawing into a closer resemblance of feathers by using a mix of light and dark values.
Apply a layer of light shading over the feathery area first. Next, put dark shading over the first layer of lighter shading.
As you shade, keep your pencil strokes going in the direction of the feathers. This is really important in creating a feathery appearance. Keep working in layers to build up texture.
Look where some feathers overlap others and create cast shadows underneath. Use your darkest values in the most shadowy areas (like underneath and between feathers) to contrast with the lighter vales.
Drawing Wings from Different Angles
What if you want to draw expanded wings? What if you want to draw a bent wing?
If drawing wings in different positions, it’s helpful to have knowledge about the anatomy of a bird’s wings in addition to a reference photo. Understanding how the joints of a bird’s arm work (hint: think about your own arm) and how the feathers are attached to the arm will help you to make better decisions about the placement of the various feathers.
How to Draw Beaks
Unlike feathers which are exclusive to birds, you might encounter beaks while drawing a few other animals too. The parrot fish, the platypus, and turtles have beaks, to name a few. Still, the vast majority of beaks belong to birds.
Knowing how to draw beaks will help you to draw all of these animals. For the purposes of these tips, I will be referring primarily to drawing birds.
Beaks come in all shapes and sizes, and they serve many different purposes. Getting familiar with a variety of beaks is the first step to drawing them better.
Look for an assortment of beaks to sketch on a regular basis. Consistent practice is the second step.
When you are ready to draw beaks a little more realistically, you should approach them in much the same manner I suggest to draw other things.
Start with a good reference and an outline of the beak. Make sure the beak is placed on the head of the bird properly. It might help to think of the bird’s head as a sphere and draw a perpendicular axis through its center, pointing outward. This will ensure the beak is not at the wrong angle.
After you have established the outline, start shading layers of value. Begin with light values and gradually add darker values. Make sure to include details specific to the beak you are drawing that will make it both identifiable and unique.
How to Draw Animal Scales
Wanna draw fish or lizards? If so, you are going to have to draw lots of scales!
Even though different animals have different scale patterns, the method for drawing scales remains basically the same.
Make sure you invest a little time in studying the animal you wish to draw and its scale pattern. Pay attention to how the scales are aligned with one another. Also, some scales might be larger than others in certain places on the body.
The grid pattern depends on the animal. It could form perpendicular blocks, or the blocks could be staggered like a brick wall.
Your grid should curve to the contours of the surface on which it lays.
Then, draw the shape of the scales over your grid squares. Again, the shape will depend on the animal. Some scales might be shaped like hexagons. Other scales might be more oval-shaped.
Remember foreshortening. Make scales smaller or narrower as they wrap around and get closer to the edges of a limb or other curved body part.
Drawing scales can be tedious and time-consuming, but the end result is well worth it. If you’d rather not make such a realistic representation, then there’s nothing wrong with taking a more suggestive approach.
Tutorial for Drawing a Reptile
Here is a drawing tutorial on a reptile who happens to live underwater. Additionally, this tutorial will give you plenty of practice with drawing scales.
Would you like to improve your ability to draw reptiles? More specifically, do you want to know how to draw Read more
How to Draw Fish Fins
While knowing how to draw scales comes in handy when you want to draw a fish, it’s equally as important to understand how to draw fins.
Just as with any animal you wish to draw, it pays to study the unique characteristics of the fish you are drawing. This is especially true of its fins.
First, choose a reference photo of a fish to draw. Then, when it comes to drawing the fins, ask yourself questions. How many fins does my fish have? Where are the various fins placed on the body? Are their singular fins or pairs of symmetrical fins? How big is each fin in relation to the fish’s body and the other fins? What is the general shape of each fin?
When you are sketching your fish outline, consider the answers to the above questions and sketch the basic shape of each fin.
When you are ready to add details to your fins, begin with the thin fin rays that extend from the body to the tip. The fin rays likely have unique characteristics as well, depending on your fish.
Then add light and dark values for shading and/or any level of additional details you desire.
Start Putting Your Animal Puzzle Pieces Together
Now that you have learned a little about drawing some basic characteristics for many common animals, it’s time to start putting it all together with a complete animal drawing!
Of course, your animal is certain to have other traits besides fur, horns, antlers, feathers, beaks, scales, or fins. That’s okay though!
Throughout the course of reading this post, maybe you noticed some common themes to drawing these animal traits. In case you missed them, let me sum them up for you:
If it seems overwhelming to draw an entire animal, take it one piece at a time, just like a puzzle.
Take one small part (or piece) of the animal, and focus on finishing that part. Then focus on drawing the next piece. Before long, every piece of the puzzle will be in place, and you will be finished drawing your animal.
If you keep these tips in mind, not only can you draw the animal traits I covered in this post, but you will be drawing more animals than you ever realized you could draw!
Would you like to improve your ability to draw reptiles? More specifically, do you want to know how to draw turtles? Even more specifically, how would you like to know a step-by-step way to draw a sea turtle?
Turtles are my favorite reptiles. I remember having a pet turtle as a kid. I thought the slow way in which it moved was so cool, and I loved to watch it pop its head in and out of its shell!
That’s why I decided to do a drawing tutorial featuring a turtle. I also felt like doing a sea creature, so I settled on a sea turtle!
If you can learn how to draw a sea turtle, with its many scales, wrinkles, and possibly challenging shell, then you will feel more confident while drawing other reptiles too.
I created this tutorial to help you do just that. Read on to learn how to draw a swimming sea turtle step by step!
Use a Reference Photo of a Sea Turtle
I decided to draw a picture of this green sea turtle for the tutorial.
As you draw along with the step-by-step images, I hope you occasionally look at this sea turtle photo too.
I will not be drawing the surrounding ocean environment. I will just draw the sea turtle itself.
Materials Used for This Drawing
Here is a list of the materials I am using for this drawing.
If you don’t have some of these materials, that’s okay. You can still make do with a regular pencil and eraser, as long as you just get started!
If you wish to purchase any of these materials, they can be found at your local art store, or you can buy them using the links below.
Affiliate Disclaimer: The links below are affiliate links. I will receive a small commission if a purchase is made through one of these links. Learn more here.
You can watch the time-lapse video version of this tutorial below. Watch it once all the way through to get a sense of the overall process. Then watch a second time and draw along with me, pausing as needed.
Outline the Sea Turtle’s Head and Shell
We are going to use some basic shapes to sketch the initial outline of the sea turtle. Begin with a 2B pencil and an oval shape for the head. This should be almost like an egg shape tilted on its side. Make the left side a little wider than the right. The turtle’s beak will be on the right.
Next, draw two lines coming from the head. This will be the sea turtle’s neck, which is shaped like a cylinder. Keep the lines parallel. Then connect the two lines with a curved line that follows the same curvature as where the head meets the neck.
Now, draw a wavy line for the front part of the shell on the sea turtle. Draw the first part of the line curving just over the top of the neck. Then bend the line toward the left and curve it downward again. This longer curve will be just over the turtle’s flipper.
Continue extending this line toward the left side of the paper. Curve the line slightly downward and then back up to form the lower edge of the turtle’s shell.
Now, I want the top edge of this turtle’s shell to be at a level a little bit higher than its head. I sketched a temporary horizontal guideline to help me with the placement. After that, it’s just a matter of drawing a curved line from the back of the shell to the top and back down toward the neck.
Draw another curved line from the bottom of the shell to the base of the sea turtle’s neck. This completes the basic shape of the turtle’s shell and main body. Next, we will add some flippers.
Outline the Sea Turtle’s Flippers
Draw a long, curved shape with a slight bend for the front flipper in the foreground. Make it so it is angled toward the back. Align the tip of the flipper almost as far back as the rear of the turtle’s shell.
Then draw the front flipper on the other side of the sea turtle. This should also be a curved shape, but it should be much shorter and wider than the first flipper. Draw a line on the flipper just below the head to indicate where the flipper is bending.
Sketch the outline of the hind flipper with a pointy claw along the lower edge. This flipper should be very short and shaped almost like a foot. After that is done, erase some of the looser guidelines that are no longer needed, such as the line behind the front flipper and the curved lines at the base of the neck and head.
Draw the Head and Neck of the Sea Turtle
Now, it’s time to draw details on the sea turtle to make it look more realistic. We’ll start with the sea turtle’s facial features. Draw a sharp curved line to better define the separation between the head and neck. From here, draw a line to the front of the turtle’s face to represent the mouth. Then, shape the beak above the line and the upper eye on the other side. After that, draw an almond-shaped eye with an overlapping upper eyelid. Draw two tiny nostrils, a line between the eyes, and the side of the beak curving around the eye.
Draw a series of scales covering the turtle’s face. These scales can have a shape somewhat similar to triangles, squares, pentagons, or hexagons. Wrap the scales around the eye area. Then cover the rest of the upper face. Keep them generally similar in size. Draw the lower beak and some lighter marks and scribbles for more subtle scales and wrinkles on the lower jaw.
Draw wrinkles on the top of the sea turtle’s neck. Make sure the lines wrap around with the curvature of the neck. Draw a couple of long wrinkles between the base of the neck and the shell. Build upon these by sketching lines for even more wrinkles stretching down the neck. Finish up with the visible part of the underside of the shell and a few more wrinkles and loose scales nearby.
Draw Scales on the Sea Turtle’s Flippers
Begin drawing scales on the front edge of the sea turtle’s far flipper. These scales should be similar in size and shape to the scales on the face, although more of these scales seem to resemble a pointy, triangular shape on the flipper’s underside. Notice also how the scales should wrap around the flipper’s front edge.
Continue to draw scales down the length of the flipper. As you approach the bottom of the flipper, draw a sharp claw protruding from the edge. Draw a few more oval or rectangular scales on the flipper’s underside near the tip. Then sketch some similar shapes with much lighter pressure on the rest of the flipper’s underside.
Begin drawing scales on the front edge of the long flipper in the foreground. Begin near the top. As you work your way down the edge, draw one or two scales per row. About midway down the flipper, start drawing only one scale for each row. Make these scales with straight edges on the top and bottom but pointy on the sides. Use a triangle shape for the big scale at the tip of the flipper.
Draw a line from the tip of the flipper that goes down the middle. You can use this line to divide the remaining space into smaller scales. Draw some larger scales near the top. Draw curved lines to form the top of the sea turtle’s flipper where it joins the body and bends over.
Next, draw scales on the hind flipper of the sea turtle. Start with the front edge. Draw the scales in such a way that they wrap up the side and over the top. Fill the remaining surface with mostly oval-shaped scales. Make the scales narrower as they recede farther away.
Draw the Line Pattern on the Shell
Now let’s start to draw the pattern on the shell of the sea turtle. The various shapes that form the design on the turtle’s shell are called scutes. We’ll draw the smaller ones first. Begin with the scutes around the neck. Make the outer edge parallel to the curve around the neck with shorter lines going inward. Then bring these similar box shapes down along the shell’s edge around the flipper. Finish drawing the scutes along the edge of the shell’s side. Keep most of them rectangular in shape with a few of them having pointy tops.
Okay, let’s look at the larger shapes on the shell. The large scutes on the right and left side of the sea turtle are called lateral scutes. The ones along the top of the shell and the turtle’s spine are called central scutes. Draw a line from the bottom of the shell and another from just above the flipper. Connect these lines with the shell’s outer edge to complete one large lateral scute and two smaller central scutes.
Starting from the bottom edge of the shell again, draw another line going toward the top of the shell for the next lateral scute. It’s important to point out that when drawing these lines on the shell, you should follow the natural curvature of the shell’s surface. Form the triangular spaces between the top of the lateral scutes that belong to each central scute. If necessary, draw curved guidelines along the top of the shell to help you align each of the points.
Erase any guidelines you may have. Now you are left with a detailed line drawing of a sea turtle! Let’s add some shading in the remaining steps.
Shade the Hind Flipper and the Shell
Beginning with the hind flipper, shade each of the individual scales. Put a little touch of darker shading on the claws along the front edge. Leave white space between each of the scales.
Next, let’s start shading the sea turtle’s shell. Outline the individual scutes on the rear section of the shell. Leave a narrow gap in between each scute. You can use a kneaded eraser to remove graphite from these gaps to make them lighter in value. Afterwards, put a light base layer of shading over the area, followed by a darker layer. Leave some splotchy areas open for the lighter base layer to show through. This helps to create an irregular spotty design on the sea turtle’s shell.
Shade the rest of the turtle’s shell in much the same manner. Alternate back and forth between outlining the scutes, shading a light base layer, and overlaying a darker layer of tones. Remember to keep the gaps between the scutes lighter in value. It’s also helpful to put a streak of darker shading along the border of some of the scutes, riding along the gaps in between. This gives the individual scutes a slightly raised appearance. Make sure to put the heaviest shadow areas just under the shell on the side, between the flipper and the neck, and over the neck.
Shade the Front Flipper of the Sea Turtle
The next step is to shade the flipper. Put some shading near the top area where the flipper is joined to the sea turtle’s body. Then outline each of the individual scales just like we did for the scales on the hind flipper and the scutes on the turtle shell.
Shade inside each of the scales on the sea turtle’s flipper. Leave the gaps between each scale a lighter value. Go back and lift stray graphite from these gaps with a kneaded eraser if necessary. Place darker shading along the front edge of the flipper to help distinguish this front plane from the flipper’s side plane.
Shade the Sea Turtle’s Neck and Head
Outline the wrinkles at the top of the sea turtle’s neck. These helps to make the wrinkles appear deeper. Do the same with other wrinkles on the neck. Draw details and a little shading on the lower part of the shell. Lightly outline some of the scales on the neck and lightly shade the entire neck area.
In order to shade the sea turtle’s head, we’re going to repeat the same process that we have been doing for the other scales and the shell. Outline each of the scales on the head. Shade the sea turtle’s eye a dark black. Leave a tiny highlight. Shade the nostrils too.
Now shade each of the scales on the turtle’s head. Continue to leave the thin light gaps between the scales. Shade the beak as well. Place a lighter layer of shading on the lower part of the mouth. Keep this value similar to what was used for the neck.
Draw the Finishing Touches on the Sea Turtle
On the far flipper, outline the scales seen along the front edge and the ones close to the tip. As for the scales in the middle of the flipper, go over them lightly but not nearly as dark as the others.
Shade the scales of the far flipper. Leave the gaps between the scales lighter. The area in the middle of the flipper should be a lighter value too. Use the same level of shading for this area as that used for the neck.
Put a claw on the flipper in the foreground similar to the one that is on the far flipper. Use a 6B pencil to go over the darkest shadows on the sea turtle. Erase any smudging around the drawing and dust away any residue.
And that is how to draw a sea turtle step by step!
Tutorial Recap
For a quick visual recap of this tutorial, take a look at the image below. It shows you a step-by-step summary progression for how to draw a sea turtle.
Tips for Your Next Sea Turtle Drawing
The next time you wish to create a realistic sea turtle drawing, here are a few reminders:
Try using a reference photo while you draw the sea turtle so you can be sure to include its realistic traits for an accurate representation.
Start off by sketching basic shapes to establish the general proportions and positions of the head, neck, shell, and flippers. Don’t worry about perfection. Then build on additional details and adjust your basic shape guidelines as you go along.
Consider using both a color and a black-and-white version of your reference. You can use both photos together to give you information about light and dark values as well as subtle changes in color, such as the slight variations between the lighter and darker shades of green on the turtle’s neck, scales, and shell.
Try drawing a variety of sea turtles. Draw sea turtles in different positions. You might find that a distant view from overhead looking down at the top of the shell will be easier. For more of a challenge, try drawing a view from under the sea turtle looking at the bottom of its shell.
Try drawing a regular turtle, tortoise, or another reptile. Once you are more comfortable drawing a sea turtle, you should find it easier to draw other animals that are similar.
Keep practicing while implementing these ideas, and you will soon be amazed at how easily drawing sea turtles comes to you! Have fun!
