Please PAUSE the "How to Draw a Frog (Red-Eyed Tree Frog)" 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 red-eyed tree frog's 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: On the left side of the circle, near the top, draw an oval as a guide for the tree frog's head. First draw two small marks to indicate the width of the oval. It should be wider than the circle. Then draw two more marks to indicate the height of the oval. These marks should be close to each other to create an oval.

Now use short, curved lines that connect the small marks to finish up the shape of the oval. The overall shape of the oval should be slightly tilted. The right side should be lower than the left side a bit. This shape can be a bit tricky, so be sure to pause the video to draw at your own pace.

 

Step 3: Draw two intersecting lines inside the head to help you place the red-eyed tree frog's facial features later. Curve the lines so that they contour to the shape of the oval. Pay attention to the placement of the lines inside the head.

 

Step 4: Draw two lines at the top and bottom that connect the head to the body to form the shape of the tree frog's neck.

 

Step 5: Draw a big arc on the right side of the circle as a guide for the lower half of the red-eyed tree frog's body. First make a small mark on the right to indicate the height of the arc, then connect the body to the mark using curved lines. This arc should be similar to a greater-than sign (>).

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Step 6: Draw the guide for the first front foot as a line that's similar to the number 7. Extend the line at the bottom toward the left to create the guide for the red-eyed tree frog's foot and toe. Add two more small lines on the sides as guides for the other toes.

 

Step 7: Under the head, draw a vertical line as a guide for the other front foot. Add a smaller line on either side as guides for the other toes. Add an extra line on the left for the tree frog's fourth toe. The fourth toe on the other foot will be hardly visible.

 

Step 8: Draw a line that stretches from the lower, right side of the circle to the tip of the arc as a guide for the frog's hind leg. Continue drawing the line toward the left for the second half of the folded leg. The bottom should be longer than the top. Near the top of the line, draw two shorter lines as guides for the toes.

 

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

 

Step 9: Draw a circle on the top, right side of the head for the red-eyed tree frog's first eye. Use the construction lines as guides for the placement. Pay attention to the size of the eye in relation to the head. On the left side of the head, draw a half-circle for the other eye. Use a wavy line to draw the right edge of the eye. Inside each eye, draw the pupils as thin, long slits. The pupil on the left should be thinner than the one on the right because of perspective. The shape of the pupils should be thin and pointy at the top, and bottom and wide in the middle.

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Step 10: Draw the base of the eyes using a series of curved lines. Draw a wavy line from the top of the eye to the construction line and another line on the left side. Add a few strokes on the right side to emphasize the shape of the head. For the right eye, draw a curved line that's parallel to the circle for the base. Add a couple more curved lines on the bottom of the red-eyed tree frog's eye for more detail on the base.

 

Step 11: Between the eyes, near the left, draw a small circle on the right and a small curved line on the left for the nostrils. Add a series of short strokes above the nostrils to emphasize the shape of the tree frog's head around them.

 

Step 12: Draw a long wavy line under the horizontal construction line for the red-eyed tree frog's mouth. The line should be almost parallel to the construction line. On the left side, it should end before reaching the oval's edge.

 

Step 13: Add a short curved line on the top, left side of the mouth to connect to the head. Then draw another long, horizontal line under the red-eyed tree frog's mouth for the lower jaw.

 

Step 14: Draw a long, curved line from the left eye to the right, just above the eye on the right, for the top of the frog's head. Add a diagonal line below the jaw for the bottom part of the head and throat.

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Step 15: Use the set of lines in the middle as guides to draw the first front leg. Lightly sketch the shape of the folded front leg as you follow the basic path of the guide line. Use curved lines as you draw the shape of the leg around the guide to emphasize the muscle structure. The top part of the leg should be overlapped at the bend a bit. When you get the shape of the frog's leg right, darken the lines.

The top part of the leg after the bend should be thick and the bottom thin to create a wrist-like segment. Use the shorter lines at the tip as guides to create the red-eyed tree frog's foot and digits. As you follow the path of the guides, draw the digits thin near the middle but wide and round at the tips. At the top of the foot, draw the tip of the fourth finger peeking from behind.

 

Step 16: Use the set of lines on the left side as guides to draw the other front leg the same way. Use a couple of curved vertical lines to create the shape of the leg. The top should be thicker than the bottom. Use the shorter lines at the end as guides to draw the foot and digits. Lightly sketch the shape of each individual digit around the guide. When you get the shapes right, darken the lines. The tree frog's digits should be thin around the middle, and the tips should be wide and round.

 

Step 17: Use the lines on the right side of the body as guides to draw the frog's folded hind leg. First draw the middle section of the leg by drawing a curved horizontal line above the guide. Add another curved horizontal line at the bottom that curves up on the left side to complete the middle section of the leg. Draw the bottom portion of the folded leg by continuing to draw the top line and curving it down and to the left.

Continue drawing the line on the left and curving it to the top and right. The end result of the whole folded leg should be similar to a squished letter S. Now use the shorter lines at the tip as guides to draw the red-eyed tree frog's thin, long toes. Remember to make each toe wide and round. Add the fourth toe peeking from behind at the top.

 

Step 18: On the left side of the first front leg, draw the toes form the other hind leg using a couple of curved lines. Darken the top portion of the initial guides to create the top part of the body. Darken the bottom part of the guides to finish up the body but don't overlap the lines for the tree frog's first leg.

 

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. You can also LIGHTLY erase some of the final lines so that the colors don't get too muddled with the graphite in the next step.

 

Final Step: Red-eyed tree frogs are colorful, so instead of the usual shading, try coloring your drawing. Using gray, add some shading to give your tree frog drawing more dimension and volume. Use a bit of blue or purple too.

Add a cast shadow underneath. This helps ground the red-eyed tree frog so it doesn't appear to be floating. The middle of the shadow should be darker, and the edges should be lighter for the shadow's diffusion.

Start adding dark green to the head and the top part of the body. Start adding the color lightly at first. You can draw a line across the body to indicate how far down the green should go. Add some green to the frog's legs as well.

Use different shades of green (yellow- green, blue-green etc.) lightly right on top of each other to give the drawing more variety. Red-eyed tree frogs are mainly yellow- green, so as you use the different shades of green, you'll decide which works best. As you layer the different shades of green on top of each other, push a little harder after each coat to blend the colors together.

Use dark shades of green for the shadows (mainly at the bottom) and light shades of green for the highlights (mainly at the top). Pay attention to where you add the green. Not all of it is green. Even the legs are only partly green. Adding different shades of green to the tree frog's body can be time-consuming, so be patient and take breaks. Add some yellow to the highlights too. Use black for the pupils but leave a portion at the tops blank to represent glare. Use red for the main part of the eyes. Just like with the green on the body, use different shades of red for the eyes. Make a portion at the top of each eye lighter for the glare and add yellow for the highlights too.

Use yellow to create a series of stripes along the side of the frog's body. Use blue for the legs and the sections between the yellow stripes. Remember to add the color lightly at first. Use multiple shades of blue and blend the colors together. You can also use a single shade of blue for an easier drawing.

Use shades of yellow and orange for the stripes along the red-eyed tree frog's body and for the feet. Color the tip of each toe lighter to represent the highlights of the shiny skin. You can add a bit more dark green along the body to emphasize the shadows. Use a bit of dark blue to outline the eyes and add a bit of yellow too. Don't forget to pause the video to draw at you own pace.

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