Please PAUSE the "How to Draw a Toad" 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 big circle as a guide for the toad's body. The circle doesn't have to be perfect. It's just a guide. Leave enough room on the left side for the head.
Step 2: Add a smaller circle on the top left side as a guide for the toad's head. Don't place the circles too far apart, or the toad might end up too long.
Step 3: Inside the circle, draw two intersecting lines. These lines will help you place the toad's facial features later.
Step 4: Draw two curved lines that connect the two circles to complete the guide for the toad's body.
Step 5: Draw a couple of lines under the front part of the body as guides for the toad's front legs. Bend the line on the right near the middle to indicate where the joint will be. Add smaller lines at the ends of the lines for the toad's toes.
Step 6: Add another angled line on the right side of the toad's body for the hind leg. This guide line is similar to the letter V with an extra line on the right. Add the three small lines at the end 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 7: Draw the eye as a circle inside the top right section of the toad's head. Toads have big eyes, so don't draw the eye too small. In the middle of the eye, draw the pupil. The shape of the pupil is similar to a football. Shade the pupil except for a tiny circle to represent glare. Add a few lines around the pupil for extra detail. Add a few lines around the circle for the skin that surrounds the eye.
Step 8: Draw the structure of the head that's on top of the eye by using a few curved lines. Draw a curved line to the left of the eye for the eye on the other side of the head.
Step 9: Use the initial lines as guides to draw the big mouth inside the head. The line for the mouth starts on the left side of the head and cuts diagonally across the circle. Add another long line underneath for the bottom section of the toad's mouth.
Step 10: Use the original circle as a guide to draw the rest of the head. Draw the bottom part of the toad's head closer to the mouth. The line for the head on the right side stretches outside of the initial circle. Add a circle to the right of the eye for the tympanic membrane or ear.
Step 11: Use the angled line in the middle as a guide to draw the toad's front leg on this side of the body. Follow the basic path of the guide line and sketch the light lightly at first to get the shape right. When you get the structure of the leg right, darken the lines. Use the small lines as guides to draw the short, thin individual toes. Unlike frogs, toads usually have only slightly webbed toes, so don't make their toes fully webbed.
Step 12: Now use the line on the left side as a guide to draw the front leg on the other side of the toad's body. Start by using the small lines to draw the toes at the bottom. Make the toes thin and add the partial webbing in between them. Continue to follow the path of the guide line and draw the top part of the leg.
Step 13: Use the line on the right side as a guide to draw the hind leg. Sketch the shape of the leg lightly as you follow the basic path of the guide line. Darken the lines only when you have the structure of the leg right. The top folded part of the leg should be big and overlap a portion of the toad's foot. Draw the toes at the bottom. The leg on the other side will be blocked by the body and will not be visible.
Step 14: Use the remaining lines and shapes as guides to draw the rest of the toad's body. Follow the basic path of the guides but make the bottom part bigger and the top part bumpier.
Step 15 (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 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. Don't worry too much about the shading if you plan to add more value to your drawing later on in the final step.
Add a cast shadow underneath. This helps ground the toad 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 toad drawing for extra detail. Add some value inside the eye, around the pupil, to give the iris extra detail. Vary the pressure on your pencil to get different degrees of tonal value. Toads have a variety of patterns on their skins like stripes and patches, so shade yours however you'd like. For a spotted pattern like this, simply add circles of different sizes all over the body and shade them in darker. Don't worry about shading too smoothly. The rough value duplicates the toad's famous bumpy texture. It's always a good idea to use reference when drawing for a more accurate drawing. If you have a pet toad or frog, try to duplicate its pattern on your drawing. Shading can be time-consuming, so be patient and take breaks. Remember to pause the "How to Draw a Toad" video after each step to draw at your own pace.
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