How to Draw a Tortoise
Please PAUSE the "How to Draw a Tortoise" video after each step to draw at your own pace.
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 as a guide for the first part of the tortoise's body. The circle doesn't have to be perfect. It's just a guide. Leave enough room on the sides for the rest of the body.
Step 2: Draw a curved line on either side of the circle to complete the guide for the tortoise's body. The size of these cured lines will represent the length of the shell, so don't draw them too long.
Step 3: Draw a small circle on the upper left side of the body as a guide for the tortoise's head. Tortoises have pretty long necks, and the higher you place this circle, the longer the neck will be.
Step 4: Draw an arc on the left side of the circle for the rest of the tortoise's head and mouth.
Step 5: Draw two lines that connect the head to the body to form the guide for the tortoise's neck.
Step 6: Draw four lines under the tortoise's body as guides for the legs. Tortoises' legs are quite short, so don't draw the guides too long.
That's it for the initial sketch! From this point on, press harder with your pencil to get a more defined sketch.
Step 7: Draw a circle for the eyeball inside the arc near the top. Add a dot in the middle for the pupil and shade the eyeball except for a tiny circle to represent glare. Draw a couple of dark shapes on the sides of the circle to create the shape of the eye. Draw a few lines around the tortoise's eye for the wrinkled skin.
Step 8: Use the initial arc as a guide to draw the tortoise's mouth. Follow the path of the arc to draw the top part. Add a wavy line that stretches to the right toward the initial circle for the mouth itself. Draw the bottom part using the arc as a guide and add a couple of dots at the top for the tortoise's nostrils.
Step 9: Use the remaining shapes as guides to draw the rest of the tortoise's head. Follow the basic path of the guides as you darken the lines and add the circle in the head for the ear.
Step 10: Use the initial shapes as guides to draw the outline of the top part of the tortoise's shell. Draw the top part by following the path of the shapes as you darken the line. Give the line a few angles as you draw it to make the shell bulkier. Now draw the bottom line of the top shelf the same way but a little less angular.
Step 11: Draw the top shell's pattern on the bottom edge using a series of lines. Draw a line near the bottom that's almost parallel to the bottom edge. Add a few shorter lines with a vertical orientation in the gap between the two lines.
Step 12: Draw the pattern on the top part of the tortoise's shell using a series of lines. The shapes along the bottom are similar to pentagons. Pause the video after each stroke if you need help creating the pattern. The shapes at the very top are created by joining the pattern with the top edge using a few lines.
Step 13: Draw the tortoise's bottom shell using the initial shapes as guides. Darken the bottom edge of the shell, then add a couple of lines near the initial circle for the shell's opening for the legs.
Step 14: Use the lines under the shell as guides to draw the legs that are on this side of the body. Lightly sketch the shape of the leg as you follow the basic path of the line. When you get the structure of the tortoise's leg right, darken the lines and add a few wrinkles along the way. The leg and foot should be thick, similar to a short column. Add a few curved lines at the bottom for the claws. Draw the hind leg on this side of the body the same way. The leg should be thick, bulky and wrinkly. Add the claws on the tips of the feet using curved lines.
Step 15: Darken the guides on the left side to create the tortoise's neck. Add a few extra lines along the way for the loose skin.
Step 16: Using a series of short, curved lines, draw the thick tail on the right side.
Step 17: Draw the tortoise's legs on the other side of the body by using the remaining lines as guides. Lightly sketch the shape of the leg as you follow the guide, then darken the line when you get the structure right. Don't forget the claws! The other hind leg is hiding behind the leg on this side, so only draw a small portion of it.
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 (optional): Add some shading to your tortoise 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. 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.
Add a cast shadow underneath. This helps ground the tortoise so it doesn't appear to be floating. Use a darker value near the middle of the shadow and a lighter value along the edge for the shadow's diffusion.
You can add more value throughout your tortoise drawing for more detail. Tortoises are brownish-gray all over, so use a single value to cover the shell and body. Don't worry about shading too smoothly. The rough value creates a wrinkly texture. Shading can be time-consuming, so be patient and take breaks. You can split up the body and shade a section at a time to divide the time adding the value. It's always a good idea to use reference for a more accurate drawing. Remember to pause the "How to Draw a Tortoise" video after each step to draw at your own pace.
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