In this free art lesson, you'll learn how to draw a Dragon Sleeping 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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The Time-Lapse (Speed Drawing) video:

To draw this Sleeping Dragon 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 near the right side of the paper as a guide for the sleeping dragon's head. To draw the circle, first make four small marks to determine its height and width. Then connect the marks using curved lines. If you're struggling to draw the circle, just trace the outer rim of a small, 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 a big arc on the lower, left side of the head for the dragon's muzzle. First make a small mark on the left side. Then connect the mark to the head using curved lines.

Step 3: Draw another arc to the left of the head as a guide for the sleeping dragon's arm. Continue drawing the guide on the left side and then angle it to the right toward the mythical creature's head.

Step 4: To the left, draw a curved, horizontal line for the first part of the guide for the hind leg. On top of that line, draw another curved line for the top part of hind leg's guide. At the bottom, draw another horizontal line that curves up and to the left to finish the guide for the leg.

Step 5: Draw the guide for the body by first making a mark high above the legs. Connect the lower, right side of the head to the mark at the top using a long, curved line. Continue to draw the line to the left. Curve it down and back to the right to end on the guide for the dragon's leg.

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Step 6: On top of the body, draw a big, triangular shape as the guide for the sleeping dragon's wings. First draw two long, curved, sloping lines over this mythical creature's body and then close off the shape with a shorter line on the left. The bottom edge of this guide should overlap the shape of the body a little bit.

Step 7: Starting on the lower, left side of the body, draw a horizontal wavy line for the first part of the guide for the sleeping dragon's tail. Above that, draw another curved line for the top edge of the tail. The pointy tip of the tail should almost touch the dragon's head.

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

Step 8: Inside the head, near the left side, draw a small circle for the dragon's eye. Draw a line across the eye for the closed eyelid. Underneath draw a curved line for a wrinkle.

Step 9: Above the eye, draw three small, spiky shapes for the bony brow. The brow is made up of three small, triangular lines with curved lines underneath.

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Step 10: Darken the top part of the initial arc for the sleeping dragon's muzzle. Add a small bump along the way for the nostril. Before hitting the bottom of the arc, curve the line to the right to create the mouth. The mouth is made up of a wavy line that extends to the right past this mythical creature's eye.

Step 11: Draw a series of small, V-shaped lines along the bottom of the mouth for the sleeping dragon's teeth. Darken the bottom part of the initial arc and circle to create the lower jaw. Inside the muzzle, near the tip, draw a tiny, curved line with slit underneath for the other nostril.

Step 12: Lightly sketch a line above the brow that curves to the right for the top part of the neck. Draw a series of small, triangular shapes along the line for the spikes on the dragon's neck. Make the triangular shapes thinner the farther right they are to indicate the neck turning. To the left of these spikes, draw three more spikes for the other bony brow peeking from behind.

Step 13: To the right of the eye, draw a curved line for the first part of the dragon's main horn. Add another curved line underneath to make the horn thicker. The tip should be pointy. Add a similar shape above the head for the horn on the other side. Don't overlap the spikes.

Step 14: Draw two more horns on this mythical creature using curved lines between the first horn and the jaw. You can draw your horns bigger or smaller or you can skip this step entirely if you just want the horns on the dragon's head. Add a smaller spike at the top of the head for the visible portion of the horn on the other side.

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Step 15: Use the arc to the left of the head as a guide to draw the sleeping dragon's arm. Darken the sides of the arc but make the sides curvier to create the shoulder. Follow the path of the guide but curve the lines for muscle definition. Add a curved, pointy shape on the elbow for a spike. Don't darken the top part of the arc and don't overlap the shape for the dragon's head.

Step 16: On the lower, right side of the head, lightly sketch a small, curved line for the first hand. Draw the fingers as wavy shapes over the lightly sketched line. Add a small, triangular shape on the end for the claws. The fingers in the back are basically a short, curved line. Don't overlap the dragon's head as you draw the fingers and claws. On top of that, draw three more fingers with claws for the hand on the other side. The fingers in the back shouldn't overlap the ones in the front. The head should be resting on the hands.

Step 17: Use the lines on the left as a guide to draw the sleeping dragon's folded hind leg. Darken the path of the guide and on the right, draw the toes with a triangular claw at the tip. Don't overlap the shape of the arm on the right. Part of the claws will be hidden behind it. Darken the curved top part of the guide. Make the line a bit bumpier to give it some texture. Darken the left side of the guide. At the joint, draw a curved, pointy shape for another spike.

Step 18: Darken the lower edge of the huge triangle guide to create the bottom of the sleeping dragon's folded wing. On the right corner of the triangle, draw a small, curved, pointy shape for a spike on the joint. Add a few curved lines around the spike. Darken the top part of the triangular guide. Draw three long, triangular shapes across the left edge of the guide to create the bottom part of this mythical creature's wing.

Step 19: Under the wing, on the right side, draw a series of angled lines for the part of the wing that attaches to the dragon's body. The shape of this limb should slope to the left and then back to the right. Add a few curved lines for the base of the limb and then draw a sloping line back up to the left.

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Step 20: Darken the initial guide above the head to create the shape of the neck. Don't overlap the horns. Draw a series of small, triangular shapes along the top edge of the dragon's neck for spikes.

Step 21: Darken the left side of the sleeping dragon's body and the guide for the tail. Don't overlap the spike on the leg as you darken the shape of the tail. At the tip of the tail, draw a couple of angled lines to create an arrow-like shape. Draw a series of small, triangular shapes along the top of the tail for spikes. When you get to the curve of this mythical creature's tail, continue to draw the spikes across the shape instead of following the top line. Continue drawing the spikes along the left edge of the tail but make them thinner along the curve.

Step 22: Use the first wing as a template to draw the wing on the dragon's other side the same way. Draw the spike at the joint on the top, right side and the pointy lower edge on the left side.

Step 23: 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 the ink dries, get rid of every pencil mark with an eraser for a cleaner drawing.

Final Step: Color your dragon! Dragons are mythical creatures, so you can color yours any way you want. For this look, use red for the main part of the dragon's body. Draw a line that separates the underside, which will be yellow. Use dark brown throughout the body to create shadows to give your dragon dimension and volume. Continue to add red to the body. Use red directly on top of the brown shadows and blend the two colors together.

Add the colors lightly at first and gradually build up to the level of darkness that you like. Use dark brown for the dragon's spikes, horns, claws and the angled base of the wing. Color the underside of the dragon yellow. Don't smear the red into the yellow as you color. Use dark brown under the sleeping dragon's body for a cast shadow. Don't forget to pause the video to draw at your own pace.

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