In this free art lesson, you'll learn how to draw a Dimetrodon step-by-step. Did you know Dimetrodons aren't dinosaurs? They belong to a group called synapsids that are more closely related to mammals. Dimetrodons became extinct 40 million years before the first appearance of dinosaurs!

 

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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.

 

The Time-Lapse (Speed Drawing) video:

 

To draw a Dimetrodon 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 at the bottom of the page as a guide for the front part of the dimetrodon's body. First make four small marks to indicate the circle's height and width. Then connect the marks using curved lines. If you're struggling to draw the circle, trace the outer rim of a bottle cap, a coin or any other object with a circular edge. 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: To the right, draw a smaller circle as a guide for the back portion of the body. Leave a big space between the circles to make the body long. Leave room at the top for the dimetrodon's sail too.

 

 

Step 3: Directly to the left of the first circle, draw another small circle as a guide for the dimetrodon's head. This circle should be about one- fourth the size of the first circle.

 

Step 4: To the left of the head, draw a big arc as a guide for the upper jaw. Below that, draw a smaller, thinner arc as a guide for the dimetrodon's lower jaw.

 

 

Step 5: Draw two curved lines that connect the circles on the left to create the guide for the neck. Connect the other two circles using curved lines as well to finish the guide for the body. On the lower, right side, draw a long, curved line for the first part of the tail. Above that, draw another curved line that joins the first line on the right to complete the guide for the dimetrodon's tail.

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Step 6: Under the big circle, draw a couple of short, angled lines as guides for the dimetrodon's front legs. Pay attention to how the lines bend, as this will indicate where the joints will be later on.

 

Step 7: Draw two more angled lines under the circle on the right as guides for the hind legs. Again, notice how and where the lines bend so that you know where the dimetrodon's joints will be later.

 

 

Step 8: Add the guide for the dimetrodon's sail by first making a mark high above the body. Now draw a long, curved line from the neck to the mark. Sketch lightly so that it's easy to erase if you make a mistake. Now add another long, curved line on the right to complete the arc and guide for the sail.

 

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

 

 

Step 9: Inside the head, near the top, lightly sketch a small circle for the dimetrodon's eye. When you get the size and position right, darken the lines but make the sides pointier and darker. Draw a couple of curved lines above and below the dimetrodon's eye for eyelids.

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Step 10: Inside the eye, off to the side, draw a tiny circle to represent glare. In the middle, add a dot for the pupil. Above the eye, draw a curved line for the dimetrodon's bony brow. Add more short, curved lines around the eye for wrinkles on the skin.

 

Step 11: Use the bottom part of the big arc on the left as a guide to draw the first part of the mouth. Darken the edge of the arc but make the line wavier and longer to create the mouth. Inside the initial arc, on the left side, draw a small slit with a line underneath for the dimetrodon's nostril.

 

 

Step 12: Use the small arc at the bottom as a guide to draw the lower jaw. Follow the path of the arc but make the front tip flatter. Extend the line on the right to meet the top part of the dimetrodon's mouth.

 

Step 13: Draw a series of small, triangular shapes that line the mouth for the teeth. Dimetrodons had teeth of varying sizes, so don't make all the shapes the same size. On the right side, draw a few curved lines for the tissue connecting the jaws.

 

 

Step 14: Use the remaining lines and shapes as guides to draw the rest of the head. Darken the outer edges of the initial shapes to create the shape of the head. Add a few lines inside the head for extra detail and darken the line for the neck at the bottom too.

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Step 15: Use the second line from the left as a guide to draw the first front leg. Follow the guide and lightly sketch the shape of the short leg around it. When you get the shape of the leg right, darken the lines. The leg should be short and thick. Curve the lines where the guide bends for the joints. At the bottom, draw the dimetrodon's toes using thin shapes. At the tips, draw triangular shapes for the claws.

 

Step 16: Use the line on the far left as a guide to draw the dimetrodon's other front leg the same way. Follow the basic path of the guide and draw the shape of the leg around it. At the bottom, draw a few toes using thin shapes. At the tips of the toes, draw triangular shapes for the claws.

 

 

Step 17: Use the angled line to the right as a guide to draw the first hind leg. Lightly sketch the leg around the guide. Only darken the lines when you get the shape right. Follow the angles of the guide to create the joints on the leg stepping forward. The top of this leg should stretch far inside the body. Make sure that the bottom of this foot lines up with the bottom of the dimetrodon's first front foot.

 

Step 18: Use the short, angled line on the far right side as a guide to draw the final leg the same way. The top part of this leg is hiding behind the dimetrodon's body, so don't worry about drawing it.

 

 

Step 19: Use the big arc on top of the body as a guide to draw the dimetrodon's spiny sail. Draw a series of pointy, angled lines along the path of the arc for the spikes on the sail. Don't draw the spikes too long. Draw them fairly close to the initial arc shape. Place the spikes close to each other. The gaps between them shouldn't be too big. On either end, extend the spikes farther out to the sides to make the sail wider.

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Step 20: Darken a few sections at the top of the body to create the base for the sail. Draw a series of lines inside the sail for the neural spines that are holding it up. Follow the shape of the dimetrodon's sail as you draw the lines. They should fan outward from the bottom. The lines should be disconnected. The path of the lines should be long in the middle and shorter on the sides.

 

 

Step 21: Darken the outer edges of the remaining guides to finish the shape of the dimetrodon's body and tail. As you darken the lines for the body, don't overlap the legs that are on this side.

 

Step 22: For a cleaner look, erase as much as you can of the initial guide lines. Don't worry about erasing all of the guides. It's okay to leave some behind. Re-draw any final sketch lines you may have accidentally erased.

 

 

Final Step: Add some shading to your dimetrodon drawing to give it more dimension and volume. Pick the direction of the light source when shading so that the shadows are consistent with it. Vary the pressure on your pencil to get different degrees of tonal value. For a more detailed guide on how to shade, check out this tutorial: How to shade.

Add a cast shadow underneath. This helps to ground the dimetrodon so it doesn't appear to be floating.

You can add even more value throughout the body for extra detail. No one is exactly sure what dimetrodon looked like, so you can give your drawing stripes, spots or whatever you'd like! For this look, just cover the entire body in medium value. Don't worry about shading too smoothly. The gritty value gives the skin a rough texture. If you make the value for the body darker than the shadows, make the shadows darker too.

If you'd like, you can add some splotches of dark value to the dimetrodon's sail and body for some spots. As you add the value to the sail, use strokes that go in the direction of the neural spines. Shading can be time-consuming, so be patient and take breaks. Don't forget to pause the video after each step to draw at your own pace.

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