How to Draw an Iguanodon
Fossils of the second dinosaur ever discovered were teeth that resembled those of an iguana. For this reason, the dinosaur was given the name "iguana tooth," or iguanodon. It had a horned, toothless beak with teeth tightly arranged in its cheeks. It had three-toed hoof-like claws on its hind feet and four toes on each front leg. it also had a perpendicular thumb spike that was possibly used for self defense. It measured up to 30 feet long and about 9 feet tall at the hips with a long, stiff tail used for balance.
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Instructions
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Find a number of good images of the iguanodon, as well as of iguanas, which will help you create a detailed drawing. Remember that no one is certain what color patterns they may have had on their skin. Create your own ideas by looking at the skin patterns of large lizards such as iguanas.
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Draw a line to indicate the ground. Mark the position of the feet of the dinosaur along that line, including its overall length. Measure and mark the height along the back starting at the tail all the way to the beak. Plot the height along the underside including the legs,
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Draw a line from point to point until you have completed the entire outline of the dinosaur. Mark the outline of the legs as they come up and meet the body. Draw the hoofed claws on the hind legs and the toes on the front, including the thumb spike.
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Detail the head by drawing the eyes, the outline of the beak, and the bone structure on the skull behind the eyes. Draw the large bony eyebrow, the nostril and the line to indicate the mouth. Draw the cheek bone as it curves back to the neck and some lines to indicate the neck muscle running along the neck itself. Draw lines to mark the shoulder blades and the large hips. Create a number of vertical lines to indicate folds in the skin along the belly and neck area.
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Shade in the dinosaur to give it a realistic three-dimensional appearance. Shape the leg, muscle and bone contours by gradually blending dark and light areas. Use a cloth to make this transition as smooth as possible.
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Detail the dinosaur skin to make it look like iguana skin. Refer to your reference images to tweak the details of the skin texture. Draw the pattern you think it may have had on it's back and use lines, dots and more shading to detail it.
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Continue to detail until you feel the drawing is complete.
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References
- Photo Credit Photodisc/Photodisc/Getty Images
