How to Draw a Dragon easy with this how-to video and step-by-step drawing instructions. Pencil drawing tutorials for beginners and for All.
Please see the drawing tutorial in the video below
Throughout human history, every culture has had their version of the dragon. The Chinese dragon was revered as a symbol of luck. The western dragon was often portrayed as a mighty villainous beast. Whatever kind of dragon you prefer, you can draw simply with a little help from real world animals.
You can refer to the simple step-by-step drawing guide below
What you’ll need:
- HB (#2) Pencil, 4B pencil
- Eraser
- Drawing paper
- Drawing surface
Step 1 Neck, Torso and Tail
As with most drawings, the first step is to divide your drawing into smaller, more manageable parts. To start, draw your dragon’s body, followed by the head/neck and then the tail.
The body is basically a square that is slightly larger where it attaches to the neck and smaller at the beginning of the tail. Your dragon’s neck is somewhat of a curved tube with just a simple circle at the end to use as a placemark for the head.
If you’re having trouble visualizing what you want your dragon to look like, search online for images of horses, komodo dragons, and crocodiles. These animals are where our version of dragons take some of their physical traits.
Step 2 Legs and Wings
Now that you have drawn the body of the dragon, you can add the legs and wings. It’s a bit easier to start by drawing the body, then add the legs as this will help you keep the proportions right.
To mark the feet, draw two ovals to form an inverted “L” for the front leg. The hind legs have an extra articulation, so imagine what a cat’s hind legs look like. The top oval of the hind foot should face the opposite direction of the top oval of the front foot. However, the bottom oval should be parallel to the bottom oval of the front leg.
For your dragon’s wing, draw a large triangle slightly bent towards near the head/neck.
Step 3 Add details
Now that you have drawn all the basic shapes that make up your dragon, you can refine them and add details. This step is where taking cues from real-life animals definitely comes into play.
Usually, dragon heads are very reptilian (i.e. komodo dragons, salamanders, etc.). Looking up pictures of these animals will give you a great idea of the shape of the skull and eyes.
As I said earlier, the body of a western dragon is usually very horse-like, with a large girth.
The wings of most dragons are very bat-like, with a thin membrane covering the long bones, somewhat like an outstretched hand.
Feel free and add as much detail, or a wild design as you want. Since dragons are fantasy creatures, there are no set rules for how they should look, so get crazy!
