
Watch it draw itself · tap to replay
How to Draw a Mudpuppy
Draw a mudpuppy in 12 easy steps, about 9 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
Low on the left, draw a flat square head with a blunt snout, a flat top and a round back.
Tip A mudpuppy's head is flat and square, like a little shovel.
Step 2: Eye, grin and nostril
Draw a big eye near the snout and a nostril dot. Add a grin from the snout back under it.
Step 3: Long low body
From the head, draw a long low back to the right, round a soft bottom, and back along the tummy.
Step 4: Two near legs
Draw a short wedge leg under the chest, down to a plump foot. Draw another under the bottom. Add toes.
Tip Legs are wide at the body, narrow at the ankle, with 3 toe bumps.
Step 5: Two far legs
Behind each near leg, draw the far leg peeking out as a thin strip, down to its foot.
Step 6: The riverbed
Draw a long riverbed line under all the toes, across the paper. Add 2 flat pebbles lying on it.
Step 7: Deep fin tail
From the back, draw a deep flat tail straight out to a round tip, then back under to the belly.
Tip The tail is flat like a paddle, with a round tip.
Step 8: Pointed red gills
Behind the eye, draw 3 pointed gills fanning back from one spot on the neck: up, back and down.
Tip Gills are how a mudpuppy breathes under water.
Step 9: Spots
Scatter 6 small oval spots over the body, big and small, high and low, never in a neat row.
Step 10: Red gills, grey pebbles
Go over your lines, then colour the 3 gills red and the 2 pebbles grey.
Step 11: Dark grey spots
Colour the 6 spots dark grey.
Step 12: Brown mudpuppy
Colour the whole mudpuppy brown, around the gills and spots. Leave the eye white. Your mudpuppy is done!

Your finished drawing
Follow the steps above and this is where you end up: a mudpuppy, drawn by you.
Every step in one picture
