How to Draw a Velociraptor VIDEO & Step-by-Step Pictures
Please PAUSE the "How to Draw a Velociraptor" 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 velociraptor's body. The circles don't have to be perfect. They're just guides. The circle on the right should be bigger and should be placed a bit higher. The two circles should be close together. Leave enough room on the right to draw the velociraptor's long tail.
Step 2: Draw another circle on the upper left side as a guide for the velociraptor's head. This circle should be about the same size as the first circle and should be close to it too.
Step 3: Draw two intersecting lines inside the head as guide lines to help place the velociraptor's facial features later on.
Step 4: Draw two arcs on the left side of the head as guides for the velociraptor's open mouth. The top arc should be thick and wide, and the bottom arc should be thinner and pointier.
Step 5: Draw a couple of lines that connect the major shapes to complete the dinosaur's body. The first two lines create the neck, and the second two close the guide for the body.
Step 6: Draw two lines under the velociraptor's body (below the circle on the right) as guides for the legs. Notice where the line begins and how it zigzags its way down. The second line bends differently, as the raptor is stepping forward.
Step 7: Draw another line under the velociraptor's body (below the circle on the left) as a guide for the arm. The bending of the line indicates where the joints will be. Draw a few lines at the end for the dinosaur's individual digits.
Step 8: Draw a couple of lines on the right side as a guide for the velociraptor's tail. Curve the lines a bit and have them come to a point on the right side. The longer they are, 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 9: Draw the velociraptor's eye inside the head as a football-like shape. Use the lines as guides for placement. Draw a couple of lines inside the eye for the actual eyeball. Add a dot in the middle for the pupil. Shade in the rest of the eye. When shading the eye, use a value that's lighter than the pupil. Leave a portion blank to represent glare. Add a couple of lines above the eye for the bony structure. Make the dinosaur's bony brow thick and bumpy and use the initial lines as guides for placement. Add a few more lines around the eyes to indicate the wrinkles and skin texture.
Step 10: Use the initial arcs as a guide to draw the velociraptor's open mouth. Follow the basic path of the guide and make the line bumpier as you darken it. Notice how far the mouth goes into the head. Use the lines as guides to help you determine the length. Draw the lower jaw by following the path of the initial arc. The right side of the dinosaur's lower jaw should be thick and powerful.
Step 11: Draw the details to complete the dinosaur's mouth. Draw small triangle-like shapes that line the top and bottom of the mouth for the velociraptor's sharp teeth. Add a line inside the mouth for the tongue. Draw a small slit on the top part of the velociraptor's mouth for the nostril.
Step 12: Use the original circle as a guide to draw the rest of the head.
Step 13: Use the line on the left side as a guide to draw the dinosaur's arm. Lightly sketch the shape of the arm as you follow the basic path of the guide line. Use a series of curved lines to indicate the arm's muscles. When you get the structure of the velociraptor's arm right, darken the lines on your drawing. Draw the individual digits at the end of the arm by using the short lines as guides. Make the digits thin and add a point at the end of each one for the sharp claws.
Step 14: Draw the velociraptor's arm on the other side by using the first one as a template. Most of this arm is hidden behind the first arm, so only draw the visible portion peeking through.
Step 15: Use the line next to the arm as a guide to draw the dinosaur's first leg. Start sketching lightly as you follow the path of the guide. Use curved lines to indicate the leg muscles. When you get the structure of the leg right, darken the lines. The leg should be thickest at the top and thinner near the bottom. At the end of the foot, draw the big toes and the sharp claws at the tips. Draw the velociraptor's famous retracted claw on the other side of the foot by curving the toe upward.
Step 16: Use the line on the right as a guide to draw the leg on the other side. Remember to sketch lightly at first as you follow the guide line to get the shape of the leg right. When you get the structure right, darken the line. The leg should be thinner near the joints or where the line bends. Draw the retracted claw at the end of the foot by curving the toe upward and adding the sharp claw at the tip. Add the other toes flat on the ground and give them claws too.
Step 17: Draw the rest of the body and tail by using the remaining lines as guides. Add a few lines at the base of the neck to indicate the folds of skin, as the dinosaur's head tilts up. Simply follow the path of the guides and darken the lines to make up the body. The tail should be long and thick to help counterbalance the weight of the front part of the velociraptor's body.
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 velociraptor 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. Shade the individual shapes of the body (the forearm, the thigh, the shoulder, etc.) to emphasize the velociraptor's muscle structure. Don't worry about shading too smoothly. You can shade roughly for bumpy and scaly texture. Alternate between light and dark values by adjusting the pressure on your pencil to achieve a rounder, more three-dimensional look.
Draw a cast shadow underneath. This helps ground the dinosaur so it doesn't appear to be floating.
You can also add more value throughout your velociraptor drawing for extra detail. Velociraptors, like many other dinosaurs, are thought to have had feathers, but this is a drawing of the more familiar version seen in Jurassic Park, so add a scaly texture instead. For a rough, scaly texture, draw random tiny, squiggly lines throughout the dinosaur's body. This process may seem more intricate than it actually is. Don't overthink it. Just add the squiggly lines randomly all over the body. You can also add a pattern to the skin, like stripes. Simply draw pointy, triangle-like shapes along the body. Don't forget to pause the "How to Draw a Velociraptor" video after each step to draw at your own pace.
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