How to Draw Dragon Pictures
Dragons have captured mankind's imagination for ages, amazing us and terrifying us at the same time. They appear in many forms of art, including most recently in novels like "The Hobbit" and "Harry Potter," as well as in video games, television shows and movies. Drawing a picture of a dragon starts with its basic serpentine shape and then adding other animal elements (horns, wings, etc.).
Instructions
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Start the head by drawing a small oval. Then draw a single line from that to form the outline of your dragon: Start at the top of the head and create the neck with an upside down "U"-shaped curve. Continue the line down diagonally and then slowly curve the line back up to create the tail. Add the mouth by drawing a triangle at the bottom left side of the oval.
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Draw the rest of the body outline by starting a line at the bottom of the head and curving down to the torso section. Extend the torso line out to show the belly of the dragon and then back in. Follow the curve of the tail and pull the line in close to form its tip. Add the shoulder with a large circle at the top of the torso. Add the upper arm guideline with a vertical line extending down from the bottom of the shoulder. Add the elbow guideline with a smaller circle and the bottom of the arm. Draw a diagonal line from the left side of the elbow to create the forearm. Add an elongated oval to the end of this for the claw guideline.
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Draw the upper leg guideline with a diagonal line coming from the lower middle of the dragon's belly. Add the large knee with an oval the same size as the shoulder. Add the lower leg with a diagonal line that points down and to the right. Create the heel with a small circle. Add the foot with a diagonal triangle shape. Repeat this for the left side leg as well. Draw the base of the wings with a small circle on the upper back. Add a short diagonal line that goes up and to the right and then attach a smaller circle to the end of the line. Attach a very large triangle to the back of the dragon. The top of the triangle should point to the upper left corner. Add the other wing with a smaller triangle that extends diagonally from the chest.
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Add details of the dragon to the frame you have created. Add the spikes and frills to the back of the dragon's head and neck with a row of curved triangles. Add the crooked smile with a curved diagonal line running through the middle of the face. Create jagged and gnarly teeth with curved triangles of varying sizes poking up and down from the smile line. Draw parallel lines around the arms and legs to thicken the form. Add three claws to each foot with three curved cone shapes. Add a curved claw to the tip of the wing with a curved cone shape as well. Show the folds of the wing by drawing five diagonal lines extending from the top of the wing and down.
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Draw the finger claws with a curved cone extending from the bottom of the hand. Create the sinister eyes with a small triangle in the upper middle of the face. Add a curved line to the left end of the triangle to create the pupil. Ink the lines that you want to keep. Let the ink dry and carefully erase the pencil lines with a kneaded eraser.
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Tips & Warnings
Each dragon should have his or her own distinct personality. You can do this with his face: anything from an evil grin to a dopey stare.
Be sure to let the ink dry completely before erasing the pencil lines or you could smear the picture.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Illustrations by Andrew DeWitt
