Please PAUSE the video after each step to draw at your own pace.

 

 

For the few steps, don't press down too hard with your pencil. Use light, smooth strokes to begin.

 

Step 1: Draw a small circle on the right side as a guide for the frilled-neck lizard's head. The circle doesn't have to be perfect. It's just a guide. Leave enough room on the left side for the rest of the lizard's body.

 

Step 2: Inside the circle, draw a line as a guide to help you place the facial features later. The line should split the circle in half and have a slight diagonal orientation. The size of this circle will determine the size of the fanned frill, so you can make yours bigger or smaller if you'd like.

 

Step 3: Inside the top half of the circle, draw two diagonal lines as a guide for the top part of the frilled-neck lizard's jaw. The resulting shape should be similar to a triangle.

 

Step 4: Draw a similar shape on the bottom half as a guide for the lower jaw using two more diagonal lines to create the frilled-neck lizard's open mouth.

 

Step 5: Draw a bigger circle that encompasses the head as a guide for the fanned frill. This circle should be a little over four times the size of the first one, and the top right edges of both circles should meet.

---

 

Step 6: Draw an arc on the lower left side of the frill as a guide for the bottom half of the frilled-neck lizard's body.

 

Step 7: Draw three angled lines under the body as guides for the legs. The bends in the lines will determine where the joints will be. The hind foot on the other side will be hidden by the body, so don't draw a guide for it.

 

Step 8: Draw a long curved line on the left side of the body as a guide for the frilled-neck lizard's tail. You can make this line longer for a tail or draw it straight behind the body if you have room.

 

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 the eye as a circle inside the frilled-neck lizard's head on the upper left side. Add a dot in the middle for the pupil and shade the rest of the eye. Use a value that's lighter than the pupil as you shade. Leave a tiny circle blank to represent glare. Draw the folds and wrinkles around the eye. Simply add a few small curved lines above and below the frilled-neck lizard's eye.

---

 

Step 10: Draw the frilled-neck lizard's open mouth using the initial lines as guides. Draw the top jaw by following the basic path of the guides but make the lines rounder as you darken them. Draw the lower jaw the same way. Make the sides of the mouth wavier for a more organic feel. Add a small curved line under the jaw line for the chin.

 

Step 11: Draw a few triangle-like shapes lining the edge of the mouth for the teeth. Add the teeth on the bottom too and a few lines on the sides of the frilled-neck lizard's mouth for extra detail.

 

Step 12: Draw the rest of the head using the initial shapes and lines as guides. Make the top of the head shorter and add a few lines at the bottom for the loose skin.

 

Step 13: Use the big circle as a guide to draw the fanned neck frill. Follow the basic path of the circle but make the line wavier as you darken it for a more organic feel. The bottom part of the frill curves up toward the head. The top right side of the frill should extend above the head a bit.

 

Step 14: Use the lines on the right as guides to draw the front legs. Sketch the shape lightly as you follow the path of the guide. Darken the lines when you get the structure right. Add the toes at the bottom by using a few curved lines. Draw the front leg on the other side using the other line as a guide. Add the long toes at the bottom using a series of curved lines.

---

 

Step 15: Use the line on the left side as a guide to draw the hind leg. Follow the path of the guide as you create the shape of the frilled-neck lizard's leg and make it thicker. The toes on the hind feet are a little longer, so use longer lines when creating them. Use a few lines to indicate the toes of the hind leg on the other side peeking through.

 

Step 16: Use the initial arc shape as a guide to draw the frilled-neck lizard's body. Simply darken the top and bottom parts of the arc to create the shape of the body.

 

Step 17: Use the curved line on the left side as a guide to draw the frilled-neck lizard's long tail. Follow the basic path of the line as you draw the tail but make the shape thicker at the base. You can also draw the tail straight behind the body to make it easier. The tail should get progressively thinner and end at a point.

 

Step 18 (optional): 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 that you may have accidentally erased.

 

Final Step: Add some shading to your frilled-neck lizard 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. Leave a few lines blank along the frill to indicate the cartilage spines that make the frill open up.Add the value lightly at first, then gradually build up to the level of darkness that you want. Vary the pressure on your pencil to get different degrees of tonal value. Use a darker value near the middle of the shadow and a lighter value along the edge for the shadow's diffusion.

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

You can add more value throughout your frilled-neck lizard drawing for more detail. Frilled-neck lizards have very rough and bumpy skin, so use random scribbles instead of smooth shading. Don't overthink it when adding the rough texture on the skin. It seems more difficult than it is. Just add random scribbles everywhere. Remember to leave a few lines along the frill relatively blank to represent the spines that open it up. Add a few tiny triangle shapes along the edge of the frill for the spikes found there. Adding the skin texture can be quite time-consuming, so be patient and take breaks. It's always a good idea to use reference for a more accurate drawing. Don't forget to pause the video after each step to draw at your own pace.

Thanks for watching! Subscribe to the How2DrawAnimals YouTube Channel for a new tutorial every Tuesday.

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