Zen Vibes

How to Draw a Turtle

  • 8 steps
  • Ages 5 and up
  • About 15 minutes
  • easy

This turtle is a nice easy drawing for children who are learning to follow simple shapes. You start with a big shell, then add the round head, the legs, and the little tail. The pale dotted lines are light guides to help with size and placement. The black lines show what to draw in each step. At the end, go over the lines you want to keep and rub out the dotted guides. A pencil and eraser are all you need.

What you need: a pencil, an eraser, black crayons or pens, paper.

Print this guide as a PDF, 277 KB
  1. A large black oval shell is drawn in the middle. Pale dotted guide shapes show a round head on the left, four legs below, and a small tail on the right.

    Step 1

    Draw the shell

    Draw a big wide oval for the turtle's shell. It sits in the middle and is a little flatter along the bottom.

  2. A black circle head is added to the left of the grey shell. Dotted guides for the legs and tail are still visible.

    Step 2

    Add the head

    Draw a round head on the left side of the shell. Let the circle touch and slightly overlap the shell.

  3. A black front left leg is drawn hanging down from the shell near the head. The head and shell are grey from earlier steps.

    Step 3

    Draw the front leg

    Draw the front leg under the left side of the shell. Make it long and rounded, with a wider foot at the bottom.

  4. A black back right leg is added under the shell on the right. The other parts are grey, and the middle legs and tail are still dotted guides.

    Step 4

    Draw the back leg

    Draw the back leg under the right side of the shell. Shape it like a rounded flap with a soft curved foot.

  5. A black small leg is drawn under the shell between the front and back legs, closer to the front. One dotted guide remains for the other middle leg.

    Step 5

    Add the middle leg

    Draw the small middle leg under the shell near the front. Use a short line down, a curved foot, and a line back up.

  6. The turtle now has a black eye and a curved smile on its head. A black inner leg is added under the shell near the back right side.

    Step 6

    Draw the face and leg

    Add a dot for the eye and a small curved smile on the head. Then draw the inner right leg under the shell with a short slant, a rounded foot, and a line up.

  7. A black tail is added on the right side of the shell, pointing back. All four legs, the head, and the face are visible.

    Step 7

    Add the tail

    Draw a small pointed tail sticking out from the right side of the shell. Use two curved lines that meet in a soft point.

  8. The finished turtle has a bold outline around the head, shell, legs, and tail. The dotted guide lines are gone.

    Finished

    Finish the turtle

    Go over the turtle's outline with darker lines you want to keep. Rub out the pale dotted guides to leave a clean finished turtle.

Tips for this one

  • Keep the shell nice and big so the legs fit underneath.
  • Draw the dotted guide shapes lightly so they are easy to rub out.
  • Round feet make the turtle look soft and friendly.

Now try this

  • Draw a pattern on the shell.
  • Add water, sand, or grass around the turtle.
  • Turn the turtle's head to look up or down.

Questions

My shell came out too small. What should I do?
That is fine. You can still add smaller legs and a smaller head to match it. Or start again and draw the shell first, a little bigger and wider.
Do all the legs need to be the same size?
No. In this picture, the two middle legs are smaller because they sit more underneath the shell. The front and back legs look bigger on the outside.
Can I color the turtle when I finish?
Yes. Green is a lovely easy choice for the turtle. You can also make the shell brown, olive, or add bright patterns if you want.

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