Please PAUSE the "How to Draw a Parasaurolophus 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 parasaurolophus' 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 do want to draw a perfect circle, trace the outer rim of a cup, a lid or any other object with a circular edge.

 

Step 2: Draw a big arc for the second part of the dinosaur's body. Start by making a small arc on the top, left side of the circle. Then draw a couple of curved lines that connect the small mark to the circle to complete the arc. Pay attention to the size of the arc in relation to the circle. The arc should tilt upward slightly too.

 

Step 3: Draw another circle on the left side as a guide for the parasaurolophus' head. This circle should be very small compared to the first circle. Don't draw this circle too close to the body.

 

Step 4: Draw a very small arc to the right of the head as a guide for the parasaurolophus' muzzle. This arc should be narrow at the top.

 

Step 5: Draw two curved lines that connect the head to the body to form the guide for the dinosaur's neck. The neck should be wide on the left side next to the body and narrow on the right side, next to the head.

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Step 6: At the top of the head, draw a curved horizontal line as a guide for the parasaurolophus' cranial crest. The line should almost touch the body on the left.

 

Step 7: Under the body, on the right side, draw two angled lines as guides for the parasaurolophus' front legs. Bend the lines to indicate the joints. The line on the right should bend more, as the leg will be folded up.

 

Step 8: Starting inside the circle, near the left edge, draw a long angled line as a guide for the dinosaur's first hind leg. Parasaurolophus had longer hind limbs than forelimbs, so this line should be a lot longer than the lines on the right. Add the guide for the other hind leg on the left but make it shorter, as the top part will be hidden behind the body.

 

Step 9: Draw a couple of long curved lines on the left side of the body as a guide for the tail. The shape of the parasaurolophus' tail should be very wide on the right side, and it should come to a point on the left. The tail should be very long, almost as long as the body and neck combined.

 

That's it for the initial sketch! From this point on, press harder with your pencil to get a more defined sketch.

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Step 10: Inside the head, on the upper, right side, draw a small circle for the eye. Sketch lightly at first and only darken the shape when you get the size and placement right. Shade the inside. As you shade the inside of the parasaurolophus' eye, make the middle part darker for the pupil and leave a tiny portion blank to represent glare. Add a few lines around the eye for extra detail on the cranium. Add a few longer lines at the top for the base of the crest on the dinosaur's head. Add a few longer lines at the top for the base of the crest on the head.

 

Step 11: Use the small arc to the right of the head as a guide to draw the dinosaur's mouth and the top jaw. Starting at the tip of the arc, draw a wavy line that extends toward the inside of the head for the mouth. Now darken the top part of the arc and a portion of the initial circle to create the top jaw. Add a few lines above the mouth for extra detail and for the nostril that's on this side.

 

Step 12: Follow the basic path of the bottom section of the arc to create the shape of the parasaurolophus' lower jaw. The jaw should extend to the left and curve up a bit along the path of the initial circle.

 

Step 13: Use the curved line on the head as a guide to draw the parasaurolophus' crest. Follow the basic path of the guide as you draw the crest around it and make the overall shape wider. The top part of the crest should meet the forehead at the top. Add a series of lines right on top of the guide to give the crest a rougher, bony texture. Continue drawing the lines above the dinosaur's eyes all the way down to the nostril.

 

Step 14: Use the second line from the right under the dinosaur's body as a guide to draw the front leg that's on this side. Follow the path of the guide and lightly sketch the shape of the leg around it. When you get the shape of the leg right, darken the lines. Curve the shape of the leg where the guide line bends to indicate the joints. Use a couple of lines at the tip of the foot to separate the individual toes.

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Step 15: Use the line on the far right side as a guide to draw the front leg on the other side. Follow the basic path of the guide line as you draw the shape of the leg around it. Use curved lines to indicate the joints and emphasize the muscle structure. Add the parasaurolophus' toes at the tip of the foot.

 

Step 16: Use the long line in the middle as a guide to draw the dinosaur's 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 bends and curves right, darken the lines.

The overall shape of the leg should be wide at the top and gradually get narrower toward the bottom. Add a few extra short lines where the leg bends to emphasize the creases of the skin. Draw a short, curved line at the tip of the foot to separate the dinosaur's individual toes.

 

Step 17: Use the leftmost line as a guide to draw the parasaurolophus' other hind leg. Use a series of curved lines as you draw to represent the muscle structure along the leg. The wide portion at the top of the leg will be hidden behind the dinosaur's body, so don't worry about drawing it.

 

Step 18: Use the remaining lines as guides to draw the rest of the dinosaur's body. Simply darken the outer edges of the initial guide line to create the shape of the body. Add a few extra curves to the bottom part of the tail to make it less rigid and more organic.

 

Step 19: 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 (Optional): Add some shading to your parasaurolophus 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 parasaurolophus. This helps ground the dinosaur so it doesn't appear to be floating.

You can add even more value throughout your dinosaur drawing for extra detail. No one is exactly sure what parasaurolophus looked like, so you can shade your drawing however you'd like. You can even color it! For a simpler drawing, 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 parasaurolophus' skin a tough, bumpy texture. Continue to add the value until the entire body is shaded in the pattern you want. Don't forget to pause the video after each step to draw at your own pace.

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