Please PAUSE the "How to Draw a Dragon (Cartoon)" video after each step to draw at your own pace.

 

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 two short, diagonal lines for the dragon's eyebrows. Sketch lightly at first. When you get the angles right, darken the lines. Bend the tips and add a small line in the middle to emphasize the furrowed brow. Under each eyebrow, draw a diamond-like shape for the eyes. The eye on the right should be a bit bigger because of how the head is turned.

 

Step 2: Under the eye on the left, draw a curved, vertical line for the dragon's muzzle. Add an extra bump near the bottom of the line to indicate the first nostril. Curve the line to the right then upward so that it ends near the eye on the right. The overall shape of the muzzle under the eyes should be similar to the letter U.

 

Step 3: Under the muzzle, draw another curved line for the lower jaw. Follow the curvature of the muzzle so that the lower jaw is somewhat parallel to it. Inside the jaw, draw a shorter, curved line for the dragon's open mouth.

 

Step 4: Within the muzzle, draw a couple of short lines for the other nostril. Inside the mouth, along the edges, draw a series of triangle-like shapes for the dragon's teeth.

 

Step 5: On either side of the dragon's eyes, draw a series of short, curved lines that end in points for the first set of horns. On the left side, draw a curved line for the head too. The horn on the right should be right above the jaw.

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Step 6: On the top, left side, draw two longer, curved lines that end at a point for a bigger horn. Draw another set of curved lines on the right for the other big horn. You can make the horns smaller or larger if you'd like. You can also add more horns!

 

Step 7: Add the dragon's long neck by first drawing a short, curved line between the horns. Continue the shape of the neck by drawing a longer sloping line on the right side. Under the head , draw another curved line for the right edge of the neck. Curve the bottom part of the line toward the right to create the dragon's chest.

 

Step 8: To the right of the chest, draw a couple of short lines that slope to the right for the front leg. Angle the lines to the left to create a joint and the bottom of the leg. At the bottom, add a few angled lines similar in shape to a less- than sign (<) for the dragon's claws.

 

Step 9: Add the other front leg by first drawing a sloping line to the left of the chest. This leg is raised, so at the bottom, draw a series of V-shaped lines for the claws. Draw a V-shaped line farther right for a thumb- like digit and complete the shape of the leg. Draw a line to the right of the other front leg for the underside of the dragon's body.

 

Step 10: To the right of the body, draw two lines that slope to the right for the top part of the dragon's hind leg. Then curve the lines downward to create the bottom half of the hind leg. At the bottom, add three angled lines similar in shape to a less than sign (<) for the claws.

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Step 11: Draw the hind leg on the other side of the body the same way. Use long angled lines for the leg and shorter lines that resemble less-than (<) signs for the dragon's claws.

 

Step 12: To the right of the neck, add the wing by first drawing a long, curved vertical line. Then curve the line so that the wing bends to the right. If you'd like, you can make this line longer or shorter depending on how big you want your dragon's wings to be. Add another somewhat parallel line to the right to make the wing base thicker. Make the end pointy.

 

Step 13: Starting at the corner of the dragon's wing, draw two long, curved lines for the inside part. You can draw more of these lines if you'd like but don't draw too many or it will start to look crowded. Connect these lines using shorter, curved lines. The line at the bottom will be the longest.

 

Step 14: To the left, draw a long, curved line for the wing on the other side.

 

Step 15: To the right of the wing , draw a very long, curved line for the top edge of the dragon's tail. Use another curved line for the bottom edge of the tail. The base should be thick and the tip pointy.

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Step 16: Draw a series of curved lines along the bottom edge of the body for the dragon's scales. These lines should follow the basic shape of the underside of the body. Now draw a series of shorter lines within the shape to divide the scales.

 

Step 17: Draw a series of small triangle-like shapes along the back of the dragon's body for spikes. You can make the spikes bigger if you'd like or just skip them entirely. As you draw the spikes, make sure you don't overlap the shape of the wing. At the tip of the dragon's tail, draw a longer spikes on either side to create an arrow-like shape.

 

Step 18: Using a pen or marker, carefully go over the lines to make your dragon drawing permanent. After inking, get rid of every pencil mark with an eraser.

 

Final Step: Color your drawing using color pencils, markers or even crayons! You can color your dragon however you'd like! For this color scheme, use dark red on the main part of the body. Color lightly first, and then gradually push harder to get a darker color. You can also mix colors! Use yellow for the remaining sections of the dragon's body, including the eyes. Don't forget to pause the video to draw at your own pace.

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To learn how to draw popular cartoon characters, visit EasyDrawingTutorials.com.

 

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