Draw step-by-step.
Drawing can be a rewarding hobby. Learning the basics of line, perspective, and shape can get you started on your drawing abilities, but when you are ready to draw more complex objects, it is often useful to have a step-by-step guide. Drawing a dragon is one such project. If you have never attempted drawing a dragon before, the task can be made easier by having someone walk you through the steps of creating your own fantastical beast.
Instructions
1. Draw two ovals using the lighter-shaded HB pencil. Draw one in the position where the dragon's shoulders will be located and the other where the hindquarters will be placed. The oval for the hindquarters should be turned on its side so it is lying horizontally, and it should be almost circular. The oval for the shoulders should be drawn vertically but tilted at an angle in the same direction of where the head will be located.
2. Connect the two ovals with two lines. One will curve from the top of the shoulder to the top of the hindquarter, and the other from the bottom of the shoulder oval swooping to connect on the bottom side of the hindquarter oval nearest to the first oval.
3. Draw a smaller, more pyramidal oval in the position of the dragon's head. It should be wide at the top of the head and thinner at the bottom, with a blunt or slightly bulbous end. Connect this shape to the body with two lines, one coming from the top and one from the bottom of the top portion of the head, down to the shoulder oval.
4. Extend lines from the sides of the shoulder and hindquarter ovals downward to create the front set of legs. The legs should be full at the top and tapered at the bottom. At the bottom of the legs, extend the lines horizontally to draw the feet, adding crescent-shaped claws if you prefer.
5. Begin drawing the back set of legs, which will be only partially seen, by drawing the same shapes described in step 4, but drawing them slightly shorter than the front set of legs and erasing any lines that cross the front legs.
6. Draw two lines for the tail, beginning at the top and bottom of the hindquarter oval and extending them as far as you prefer, tapering to a point at the end of the tail.
7. Trace over the lines with a darker B or 2B pencil, outlining the shape of the dragon. Do not trace the whole ovals. On the head, do not trace the section of the oval that crosses the neck, though you may extend a little way into the neck to make the jaw visible. On the shoulders and hindquarters, only trace the portion of the oval that shows the tops of the legs as they connect to the body, not where the oval crosses the leg.
8. Erase any lines not traced over, using a rubber or kneaded eraser.
9. Fill in details on the dragon such as nostrils (a C-shaped mark on the end of the nose), eyes, spikes or horns, and cuticles around the claws on the feet. The eyes should resemble cat eyes, with a slitted pupil and large iris.
10. Add the last detail of scales, a scalloped pattern of connected U's, over the majority of the dragon's body. The scales should follow the lines of the body, not travel perpendicular. Fade the scales away as you get near the head by switching from a B or 2B pencil back to the lighter HB pencil.
