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How to Draw a Galapagos Tortoise
Draw a Galapagos tortoise in 13 easy steps, about 10 minutes. Free, with a printable worksheet.
Each picture adds one red line. Draw that line, then scroll to the next picture. Rub out any dashed helper lines at the end. First up: the head.
Step 1: The head
High on the left, draw a big egg on its side for the head, rounder end at the front.
Tip A Galapagos tortoise holds its head up high.
Step 2: Eye, nose and smile
Draw a big round eye at the front of the head, with a shine. Add a nostril and a smile.
Step 3: The high shell
Lower down on the right, draw a big shell with a steep front, a round dome and a flat bottom.
Step 4: Rim and neck
Draw a rim band under the shell, front to back. Add 2 long neck lines from head down to shell.
Step 5: Front leg
Under the front of the shell, draw a thick stumpy leg like a tree trunk, with 3 round toes.
Step 6: Back leg
Under the back of the shell, draw the same thick stumpy leg leaning back, with 3 toes.
Step 7: Far legs
Behind each near leg, draw a thick far leg peeking out below the rim.
Step 8: The tail
Under the rim behind the back leg, draw a short stubby tail poking back to a little point.
Step 9: The honeycomb
In the middle of the shell, draw a big hexagon. From each corner, draw a line out to the edge.
Tip Make the plates bigger than you think.
Step 10: The ground
Draw one long straight ground line under all the feet, from the head to behind the tail.
Step 11: Tan skin and middle
Colour the head, neck, near legs, tail and the shell's middle tan, with a pink cheek. Leave the eye white.
Step 12: Brown shell, wood rim
Colour the rim wood brown, and the shell brown around the tan middle.
Step 13: Dark far legs
Go over your lines. Colour the 2 far legs darker brown, so they look further away.
Your finished drawing
Follow the steps above and this is where you end up: a Galapagos tortoise, drawn by you.
Every step in one picture
