How to Draw a Loggerhead Turtle

Step 1: Big boxy head

On the left, draw a big boxy head: flat top, round back, blunt square front. Leave room for the shell.

Tip Loggerheads have the biggest head of any sea turtle.

Step 2: Eye, nose, smile

Draw a huge eye near the front with a black dot and shine. Add a nostril dot and a smile.

Tip Start the smile a finger in from the front, under the eye.

Step 3: Dome shell

Behind the head, draw the shell: a hump at the front, a long slope to a pointy back, flat underneath.

Step 4: Rim and neck

Start at the shell's front corner. Draw a band under the shell, and stop at the back corner.

Tip Add a neck line dipping from the head to the shell, and a short one under the head.

Step 5: Front flipper

Start under the front of the rim. Draw a long curved flipper down to a soft point, and back.

Tip Make it wide at the rim and thin at the tip.

Step 6: Back flipper

Under the back of the rim, draw a small flipper, half the size, pointing back to a soft point.

Step 7: Far flipper

Start under the rim behind the front flipper. Draw a shorter flipper peeking out, and stop on the front flipper.

Step 8: The tail

Under the rim behind the back flipper, draw a short stubby tail poking back to a little point.

Step 9: Shell plates

On the shell, draw 3 curved lines from top to bottom. Add one long curve across, from front to back.

Step 10: Water and bubbles

Above the turtle, draw a wavy water line right across the paper. Add 3 bubbles above the nose.

Tip Bubbles get smaller as they float up.

Step 11: Tan skin

Dab a pink cheek. Colour the head, neck, tail, front flipper and back flipper tan, around the cheek.

Tip Leave the eye white.

Step 12: Ginger shell

Go over your lines. Colour the shell reddish ginger, and the rim and far flipper brown.

Step 13: Blue water

Colour the water blue down to the bottom of the paper, around the turtle and the bubbles.