Please PAUSE the "How to Draw an Iguana" 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 two circles as guides for the iguana's body. They don't have to be perfect. They're just guides. The second should be smaller and placed lower than the first. The wider the gap between circles, the longer your iguana will be.
Step 2: Draw a third circle on the upper left side of the first as a guide for the iguana's head. Their edges should touch.
Step 3: Draw two intersecting lines inside the head to help you place the iguana's facial features later on.
Step 4: Draw a short arc on the left side of the iguana's head as a guide for the muzzle.
Step 5: Draw a few lines that connect the major shapes to form the iguana's body.
Step 6: Draw three lines under the iguana's body as guides for the legs and feet. Bend the lines to indicate where the joints will go. The line on the right is similar to the letter Z.
Step 7: Draw a long line that curves in front of the body as a guide for the iguana's tail. The longer this line is, the longer the tail will be.
That's it for the initial sketch! From this point on, press harder with your pencil to get a more defined sketch.
Step 8: Draw the eye inside the reptile's head using the lines as guides for its placement. The shape of the eye is similar to a football. Add two lines inside the shape to form the eyeball. Draw a tiny circle inside that to represent glare. Draw a vertical line near the middle for the slit-like pupil. Shade the inside of the eye using a value that's lighter than the pupil, but don't shade the tiny circle. It should be blank to look like glare. Add a few lines around the eye for extra detail. Draw multiple lines to indicate the wrinkles and scales around the iguana's eye.
Step 9: Use the initial lines as guides to draw the iguana's mouth and nose. The mouth consists of a wavy line that goes from the small arc to the middle of the head. The nose is a dot with a circle around it above the iguana's mouth.
Step 10: Use the arc as a guide to draw the rest of the iguana's muzzle. Follow the basic path of the guide and add a couple of triangle-like shapes at the top. Make the bottom jaw thinner than the arc.
Step 11: Use the remaining lines and shapes as guides to draw the rest of the iguana's head. Follow the path of the guides as you darken the lines that make up the head. Add a few small triangle-like shapes along the edges of the lines for the spiky texture.
Step 12: Draw a few curved lines throughout the iguana's head as extra detail for the scales. Add them sparsely on the head and lining the top of the mouth. Don't add every individual scale. Draw just a few to indicate the scaly texture. Draw the scales bigger along the reptile's neck. Gradually increase the size, ending at a big one near the bottom.
Step 13: Using the middle leg guide, draw the iguana's front leg. Lightly sketch the shape of the leg as you follow the path of the line. When you get the structure of the leg right, darken the lines. Add some small curved lines near the joints for the folds of skin. On the tip of the foot, draw a few long shapes for the reptile's toes. On the tip of the foot, draw a few long shapes for the toes. Make the toes more pointy at the tip for the claws.
Step 14: Use the Z-shaped line on the right as a guide to draw the iguana's hind leg. Follow the basic path of the line as you lightly sketch the shape of the leg. When you get the structure of the leg right, darken the lines. Draw the five individual toes at the end of the foot. The toes on the hind foot should be longer than the toes on the front foot. Make them pointy at the end for the claws.
Step 15: Use the remaining lines as guides to draw the rest of the iguana's body. Draw a few lines for detail over the arm and add the piece of loose skin under the head called the dewlap. Draw a series of vertical lines to indicate the waves along the skin. This skin helps regulate their temperature.
Step 16: Draw the visible toes of the front leg on the other side by using the small line as a guide.
Step 17: Use the long, curved line as a guide to draw the iguana's tail. Follow the path of the guide as you lightly sketch the shape of the tail. The tail should be thick near the body at the base and gradually get thinner until it comes to a point at the end. When you get the structure of the tail right, go ahead and darken the lines.
Step 18: Draw a series of small triangle-like shapes lining the top of the iguana's body and tail for the defensive spines. Some iguanas have bigger and longer spines than others, so draw yours whatever size you'd like. Don't worry about the spines being perfect. Some can be bent or folded. This gives the drawing a more organic look. Adding all the spines can be a bit time-consuming, so be patient and take breaks. Notice how the row of spines cuts across the shape and continues to the top of the iguana's tail.
Step 19 (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 iguana 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. The shading doesn't have to be too smooth. Iguanas are scaly, so it's okay to have a rough, bumpy texture. Shading takes time, so be patient as you add value. Split up the pieces of the body so you won't be overwhelmed. Shading individual sections splits up the process. You can then focus on, say, getting the front leg right, then the hind leg and so on.
Add a cast shadow underneath. This helps ground the iguana so it doesn't appear to be floating. The iguana is close to the ground, so the shadow shouldn't be too big. It should be darker close to the body and lighter farther away.
You can add more value throughout your iguana drawing for extra detail. Add the value using a single tone throughout the entire body. Don't add the value smoothly. You want to create a rough, scaly texture. You're basically scribbling randomly all over the body rather than adding smooth, even shading. Some iguanas have a striped pattern on their body. To add this, use a darker value and section off some rectangular shapes on the body. It's always a good idea to use reference for a more accurate drawing. If you have an iguana, try to duplicate its pattern on your drawing. Don't forget to pause the video after each step to draw at your own pace.
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