In this free art lesson, you'll learn how to draw a Crab step-by-step.

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All of the tutorials on How2DrawAnimals.com are good drawing tutorials for beginners and experienced artists alike. The online tutorials are easy to follow; they teach you the how to draw basics while showing you how to draw animals step by step. Each animal has a video drawing tutorial option, as well as step-by-step photos and written text to follow.

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To draw and color this Crab step by step, follow along with the video tutorial below and pause the video after each step to draw at your own pace. You may find it easier to follow the step-by-step drawings below the video. The new lines in each step are shown in red, so you'll know exactly what to draw next. You may want to open the video in a new tab and use both drawing methods. Take your time and draw at your own pace.

The Written step-by-step video tutorial:

For the first few steps, don't press down too hard with your pencil. Use light, smooth strokes to begin.

Step 1: Draw a circle in the middle of the paper as a guide for the brown crab's body. First make four marks to determine the circle's height and width. Then connect the marks using curved lines. Sketch lightly at first so that it's easy to erase if you make a mistake. If you're struggling to draw the circle, just trace the outer rim of a circular object like a coin or a lid. For a more detailed guide on the different ways to draw a circle check out this tutorial: Four simple ways to draw a circle.

Step 2: Draw the guides for the sides of the body by first making a small mark on the left side. Now connect the circle to the mark using curved lines. The shape should be wider at the top than at the bottom. Draw the guide on the right side the same way. Start with a small mark and then add the curved lines. Try to keep both sides the same. The overall shape should be similar to a wide heart with a curved bottom.

Step 3: On top of the body, on the sides, draw two short, curved lines as guides for the base of the crab's claws. On the tip of the short line on the left, draw a big U-shaped line as a guide for the first claw. The U shape should tilt to the right. Draw another big, U-shaped line on the right as a guide for the other claw. The bigger these U shapes are, the bigger the edible crab's claws will be. Draw a line at the top of each shape to close them off.

Step 4: On either side of the brown crab's body, draw a long line as a guide for the first pair of legs. Bend the lines twice to indicate where the joints on the legs will be.

Step 5: Below that, draw two more long lines as guides for the next pair of legs. These lines should be slightly longer than the first pair. Make them angular in the middle to indicate the crab's joints.

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Step 6: Below the crab's middle legs, draw two more lines as guides for the next pair of legs. These lines should be a bit shorter, and they should bend downward. Keep the sides symmetrical.

Step 7: At the very bottom, draw two more lines that bend downward as guides for the edible crab's last pair of legs.

That's it for the guides! From this point on, press harder with your pencil for a more defined drawing.

Step 8: Use the big shapes in the middle as guides to the draw the brown crab's body. Darken the outer edges of the initial guides to create the shape of the body. As you darken the lines, use a series of short, curved lines so that the edge of the body looks similar to a pie crust. Make the line for the top edge waiver for the indented grooves found there. At the top, draw four short, spike-like shapes for the sets of antennae on the brown crab's head. On the sides of the head, draw two very small, hill-like, curved lines for the eyes.

Step 9: At the bottom of the line on the top, left side, draw two curved lines for the base of the first brown crab's claw. Draw a thick, curved shape around the initial guide line for the bottom section of the claw. Darken the initial U-shaped line for the claw. Don't darken the top line that closes off the shape. At the top, lightly sketch the top of the claw as a thin, curved, spike-like shape. The shape should be thick at the bottom and thin at the top. When you get the shape right, darken the lines. At the bottom, draw another thin, spike-like shape to finish the claw. Make the inner edge jagged for the serrated claw.

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Step 10: Use the lines and shapes on the top, right side as guides to draw the crab's other claw the same way. Follow the path of the short line and draw a thick, curved shape around it for the bottom section of the claw. Darken the U-shaped guide for the base of the claw. Don't darken the top line. At the top, lightly sketch the first part of the claw as a thin, curved, spike-like shape. Make the bottom thick and the top part thin. When you get the shape right, darken the lines. Draw a thin, spike-like shape for the bottom of the edible crab's claw too. Make the inner line jagged for the serrated edge.

Step 11: Use the top-most lines on the sides of the body as guides to draw the first set of legs. Draw the thick shapes of the brown crab's legs along the edges of the initial guides. Draw a thick, short segment of the leg wherever the guideline bends for a total of three segments per leg. Make the top segment thick at the bottom and thin and pointy at the top. Use the angled line on the right side as a guide to draw the other leg the same way. Draw two thick, short segments at the bottom and one pointy segment at the top.

Step 12: Use the long lines under the first set of legs as guides to draw the second set the same way. Follow the path of the guide on the left and draw the segments where the line bends. These legs are a bit longer, so use four segments instead of three. Make the top segments pointy. Draw the segments along the line on the right to create the crab's other leg the same way. Sketch lightly at first so you can easily erase if you make a mistake. When you get the shapes right, darken the lines.

Step 13: Use the lines below the previous legs as guides to draw the next set of legs. Draw the small segments along the edge of the guide on the left. Use five segments this time. The pointy tips of these legs should point down. Draw the edible crab's leg on the right along the path of the guide too. The two sides don't have to be perfectly symmetrical, but make them as similar as you can.

Step 14: Use the last lines under the body as guides to draw the brown crab's last set of legs the same way. Draw the segments along the edges of the guides. Use four segments per leg and make the bottoms pointy. The lines bend a lot more than the previous ones, so curve the segments accordingly. The bottom segments should point inward. Add an extra line at the bottom of the crab's body for the shell underneath.

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Step 15: Go over the final sketch lines with a pen, marker or any other type of permanent ink. Take your time and be careful when you ink to avoid any accidents. After inking, get rid of every pencil mark with an eraser for a cleaner drawing.

Final Step: Color your brown crab drawing! Use brown lightly for shadows to give the figure more dimension and volume. Inside the body, leave a thin strip blank for highlight on the shell. Color lightly at first and slowly build up to the level of darkness that you like. Lightly use dark red directly on top of the brown and blend the two colors together.

Lightly use different shades of red directly on top of each other, slowly blending them. Use red, dark red, red-orange, browns, oranges and even some yellows to cover the edible crab's whole body. Use lighter colors like orange and yellow for the highlights on the shiny sections of the shell. Use black for the tips of the crab's claws but leave a thin strip blank to represent the shiny highlights. Use black to emphasize the shadows and the groves along the outer edges of the body.

Coloring can be time-consuming, so be patient and take breaks. For an easier drawing, just color everything red. Continue to color using different shades of red and brown and slowly blend the colors together. Use more black to emphasize the shadows and for the joints on the legs. It's a good idea to use reference as you draw and color for a more accurate depiction of a brown crab.

Using a bit of gray and purple, add a cast shadow underneath so that the crab doesn't appear to be floating. Don't forget to pause the video after each step to draw at your own pace.

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