How to Draw an Allosaurus Dinosaur
Please PAUSE the "How to Draw an Allosaurus Dinosaur" video after each step to draw at your own pace.
Time-Lapse (Speed Drawing) video:
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 middle of the page as a guide for the first part of the allosaurus' body. First draw four small marks to indicate the height and width of the circle, then connect the marks using curved lines. Sketch lightly at first so that it's easy to erase if you make a mistake. But the circle doesn't have to be perfect. It's just a guide. If you're struggling drawing the circle, trace the outer rim of a coin, a lid or any other object with a circular edge.
Step 2: Draw another circle on the left the same way. Start by making four small marks. Then connect the marks using curved lines. This circle should be a bit bigger than the first one. Don't place the circles too far apart, otherwise your allosaurus will be too long.
Step 3: Draw yet another circle on the right side as a guide for the first part of the dinosaur's head. This circle should be about half the size of the first one. Their edges should also touch.
Step 4: Draw the guide for the top part of the allosaurus' mouth by first drawing a long sloping line to the right of the small circle. Now add a long line above it that curves downward where both lines meet.
Step 5: Draw a similar shape at the bottom as the guide for the allosaurus' lower jaw. The basic shape consists of two sloping lines. This shape should also be thinner than the one above it.
Step 6: Under the circle on the right, draw an angled line similar to the less -than sign (<) as a guide for the allosaurus' first arm. Add a short, diagonal line on the right as a guide for the other arm.
Step 7: Under the circle on the left, draw an angled line similar to a warped letter Z as a guide for the dinosaur's first hind leg. To the left, draw another line for the other hind leg. This line should bend slightly a few times to indicate the joints.
Step 8: Draw two short lines that connect the head to the body to create the neck. Draw two longer lines that connect the circles in the middle to finish the guide for the allosaurus' torso.
Step 9: Draw the first part of the allosaurus' tail by attaching a long sloping line to the top, left side of the body. Now add a long line that slopes even more and attach it to the lower, left side of the body. Curve both lines so that they meet at the top and come to a point. You can also just draw the tip pointing straight back for an easier drawing.
That's it for the initial sketch! From this point on, press harder with your pencil to get a more defined sketch.
Step 10: Draw a small circle for the eye on the top, right side of the initial circle, on the outside. Sketch it lightly at first. When you get the placement and size right, darken the lines. Inside the allosaurus' eye, draw a tiny dot for the pupil. Add a few curved lines around the eye to emphasize the structure and the skin.
Step 11: Draw the allosaurus' horn in front of the eye as an arc that's wavy and pointy. Sketch lightly at first to get the shape right, then darken the lines. This dinosaur's horns were small, so don't draw them to big. Add a similar shape to the left for the horn that's on the other side. Add a series of short lines within the shape to represent the bony texture.
Step 12: Use the initial lines as guides to draw the top part of the open mouth. Follow the basic path of the guide, but make the lines wavier as you darken them for a more organic look. The line for the mouth at the bottom should be even wavier, and it should stretch to the left inside the circle. On the top, right side, add a few lines for extra detail on the dinosaur's skin and a small slit for the nostril.
Step 13: Now use the shape at the bottom as a guide to draw the allosaurus' lower jaw. Follow the path of the guide but make the line a lot wavier as you darken the line. Add a curved line on the left for the powerful jaw and a line in the corner of the mouth for the attaching skin.
Step 14: Draw a series of V-shaped lines along the top of the mouth for the dinosaur's teeth. Vary the size of the teeth a bit so that they don't all look exactly the same size. Now add the bottom row of teeth using more triangle-like, pointy shapes.
Step 15: Draw the allosaurus' tongue in between the jaws, at the bottom, using a long wavy line. Add a couple of lines above and below the tongue for the other side of the jaw.
Step 16: Use the remaining shapes and lines as guides to draw the rest of the head. Add a series of curved lines around the eye for the allosaurus' bony brow and darken the line on the left to create the back of the head. Darken the bottom edge of the guides to create the neck. Add a few triangle- like shapes along the head for spikes. Draw a few curved lines to the left of the eye to emphasize the cranial structure. Add a few more detail lines on the front part of the head. You can also omit these lines for a simpler drawing.
Step 17: Use the second line from the right under the body as a guide to draw the first arm. Follow the path of the guide as you draw the shape of the arm around it. Use curved lines as you create the shape of the arm to give the muscles more definition. At the end of the arm, draw three short digits using thin, curved arcs. At the end of each digit, draw a short, curved, triangle-like shape for the dinosaur's claws.
Step 18: Use the short line on the right as a guide to draw the other arm the same way. Draw the shape of the arm around the guide using curved lines. The top part of the arm will be hidden behind the body. At the end of the arm, draw the three digits using curved arcs and the allosaurus' claws using triangle-like shapes.
Step 19: Use the long, angled line in the middle as a guide to draw the allosaurus' first hind leg. Follow the basic path of the guide line as you draw the shape of the leg around it. Sketch the shape of the leg lightly at first. When you get all the curves and joints right, darken the lines.
Add an extra curved line on the left of the leg near the middle for the pronounced muscle. The dinosaur's leg should be thick at the top. Draw the shape of the foot using the final segment of the angled line. Add the three long toes at the tip. The toes should overlap each other because of the perspective. Make the tips of the toes pointy for the claws.
Step 20: Use the leftmost line as a guide to draw the other hind leg. Follow the path of the guide and use a series of curved lines to represent the muscle structure along the leg. Add the pointy toes at the bottom. Notice that these toes look shorter than the ones on the other leg because they're bent. Follow the guide to draw the right edge of the leg. The shape of the allosaurus' leg should gradually get thicker near the top.
Step 21: Use the initial lines and shapes as guides to draw the torso. Simply darken the outer edges of the initial guide line to create the shape of the body. Draw a series of small triangle-like shapes along the allosaurus' back for extra detail. Make the spikes different sizes for more variety. You can also omit them if you'd like.
Step 22: Darken the guides on the left for the allosaurus' tail. Add a few short spikes along the top edge of the tail too.
Step 23: 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 allosaurus 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.
Add a cast shadow underneath your allosaurus. This helps ground the dino so it doesn't appear to be floating.
You can add even more value throughout your allosaurus drawing for extra detail. No one is exactly sure what this dinosaur looked like, so you can shade yours however you'd like. You can even color it! First use a medium value all over the body. Then add stripes or other patterns on top with a darker value. Don't worry about shading too smoothly. The rough value will give the dinosaur's skin a rough, bumpy texture. Shading can be time-consuming, so be patient and take breaks. Don't forget to pause the video to draw at your own pace.
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