In this quick tutorial you'll learn how to draw a Turtle in 7 easy steps - great for kids and novice artists.
The images above represent how your finished drawing is going to look and the steps involved.
Below are the individual steps - you can click on each one for a High Resolution printable PDF version.
At the bottom you can read some interesting facts about the Turtle.
Make sure you also check out any of the hundreds of drawing tutorials grouped by category.
How to Draw a Turtle - Step-by-Step Tutorial
Step 1: Start the turtle by drawing a sideways "W" shaped head. Make the tips slightly pointy. The top side of the head is much wider than the bottom side. The bottom side is very thin. This makes the mouth.
Step 2: Right at the tip of the top part of the head draw a tiny dot for a nose. Add a round eye just behind it. Continue the top and bottom parts of the head lines back to make the neck.
Step 3: Continue the top of the neck line to draw the shell. It is balloon-shaped with the narrow end looping back behind the head. There is another curved line from the front neck line.
Step 4: Next draw the front leg. The top of the leg exits from a hole in the shell. The foot is very wide with webbed toes.
Step 5: Draw a line back from the top of the foot to the back of the shell to make the bottom of the shell. Where that line ends draw the hind foot. It is also wide with a squiggly line at the bottom. It loops back up to the shell line.
Step 6: Right under the jaw add another front foot. It is the same width as the other front leg.
Step 7: Finally, draw the square-shaped patterns on the shell.
Interesting Facts about Turtles
Before snakes, lizards and crocodiles, turtles are one of the oldest of reptiles, dating back 215 million years!
In the world of scientists, veterinarians, and those working to protect animals, turtles are called Chelonia. However, depending upon where you live, they may be called turtles, terrapins or tortoises.
Did you know?
- Turtles develop a hard, bone-like shell from their ribs, which acts like a protective shield.
- Although many types of turtles live near or in water, they breathe air and lay their eggs out of the water.
- The largest living turtle is the leatherback sea turtle with a shell that be as long as 6 ? feet long and that can weigh over 2,000 pounds.
- Turtle eyes have a large number of photoreceptors, which give them excellent night vision and they see color as reds, oranges and near ultraviolet.
- Tortoises that live on land have heavy shells, while turtles that live in water have lighter shells that keep them from sinking.
- Sea turtle have flippers, rather than feet, which allow them to fly through the water, but don’t allow them to move well on land.
Turtles have long been associated with being wise, patient and easy-going. They have been subjects in folklore and legends, books and movies, television, comic books and video games.
How to Draw A Turtle – Quick Step-by-Step Tutorial