Please PAUSE the "How to Draw a Chameleon" 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 chameleon's body. The circle doesn't have to be perfect. It's just a guide. Leave enough room on the sides for the head and tail.
Step 2: Draw a smaller circle on the right side as a guide for the chameleon's head. The circle should be about one-fourth the size of the first one and should be placed a bit lower.
Step 3: Inside the circle, draw two intersecting lines. These lines will help you when learning how to draw the chameleon's facial features later on.
Step 4: Draw an arc on the right side of the chameleon's head as a guide for the mouth.
Step 5: Draw another slightly bigger arc on top of the head as a guide for the bony crest.
Step 6: Draw the rest of the chameleon's body using a series of lines. Draw a couple of lines that connect the head to the original circle for the neck. Then add a huge arc on the left for the back part of the chameleon's body.
Step 7: Draw four angled lines under the body as guides for drawing the chameleon's legs later on. Bend the lines at the top to indicate the joints on the legs and at the bottom to indicate the feet. Pay attention to the placement of the lines along the body.
Step 8: Draw a spiral line on the left side of the chameleon's body as a guide for the tail. For a simpler drawing, you can draw a straight line for the chameleon's tail 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: Now draw the chameleon's facial features. First draw the eye inside the head using the lines as guides for placement. The eye is basically a circle with a line on top of it. Shade the inside of the eye except for a tiny circle that represents glare. Add a few lines under the eye as the detail of the scaly skin.
Step 10: Draw the outline of the actual eyeball around the eye. First draw a half-formed circle for the outline of the eyeball. Then add more half-formed circles within the eyeball shape for the folds of skin. Add a few small lines between the folds of skin as detail for the scales. Don't draw every individual scale — just a few lines to give the indication of the texture.
Step 11: Now draw the chameleon's mouth. Use the arc on the right side as a guide to draw it. Darken the front part of the arc, and then draw a long line that stretches under the eye for the mouth. Draw a small dot on top for the nostril.
Step 12: Draw the rest of the head by using the other lines as guides. Darken the front part of the arc to create the chameleon's face. Follow the basic path of the arc on top as you darken the line to create the crest. Add a few lines near the bottom of the chameleon's crest to the left of the mouth for extra details. Draw a few lines above the eye that stretch back toward the head to indicate the crest's bony structure. Some chameleons have horns, so feel free to draw some.
Step 13: Now learn how to draw the chameleon's legs. Use the lines on the right as guides to draw them. Lightly sketch the shape of the chameleon's first leg as you follow the path of the line. When you get the structure of the front leg right, darken the lines. Draw the digits in front of the foot. Chameleons have fused digits: two digits in the outer part of the foot and three in the inner part. The three aren't visible because of the perspective. Draw the leg on the other side by using the other line as a guide. Sketch the lines lightly, then darken them once you get the structure right. Add the digits at the end.
Step 14: Use the lines on the left as guides to draw the chameleon's hind feet using the same technique. Follow the path of the guide and darken the lines when you get the structure of the leg right. Add the digits at the end of the foot. The arrangement of the toes on the hind legs is opposite of the front. There are three fused outer toes and two inner toes. Finish up the last leg by using the final line as a guide.
Step 15: Use the initial lines and shapes as guides to draw the chameleon's body. Simply follow the path of the lines as you darken the shape of the body. Darken small triangle-like shapes under the head and on the back for the serrated spikes along the body.
Step 16: Now draw the chameleon's tail. Use the spiral line on the left as a guide to draw it. Make the tail thicker as you follow the path of the swirl. The two lines that make up the shape of the tail turn into one toward the end. Pay close attention to get the shape of the tail correct, as it can get tricky.
Step 17 (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. Also re-draw any final sketch lines that you may have accidentally erased.
Final Step (optional): Add some shading to your chameleon drawing to give it more dimension and volume. Pick the direction of the light source when shading so that the shadows are consistent with the light source. Vary the pressure on your pencil to get different degrees of tonal value. Don't worry about shading too smoothly. Chameleons have scaly skin, so it's okay to have a rough texture.
Draw a cast shadow underneath. This helps ground the chameleon so it doesn't appear to be floating.
You can add more value throughout your chameleon drawing for extra detail. Different types of chameleons have different pattens on their skin. Some can even change their skin color! You can add any pattern you'd like to your chameleon drawing from spots to patches. For a striped pattern like this one, alternate from a dark value to a lighter one. If you have a pet chameleon, try to duplicate its pattern on your drawing. It's a good idea to use reference too for a more accurate chameleon drawing. Chameleons have scaly skin, so you can add random dots and scribbles all over the body for a rougher, grittier texture. Don't forget to pause the "How to Draw a Chameleon" video 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.
