How to Draw a Softshell Turtle

Step 1: Head with snorkel nose

On the left, draw a small egg head that narrows at the front into a short snorkel nose.

Tip The snorkel nose lets a softshell breathe while hiding under the sand.

Step 2: Eye, nostril, smile

Draw a big eye and a nostril dot at the tip. Add a smile from the nose past the eye.

Step 3: Flat pancake shell

Draw a flat pancake shell right of the head, with a soft band under it from corner round to corner.

Tip The shell is wide and flat with no hump, twice as wide as tall.

Step 4: Slim neck

Draw 2 neck lines from the back of the head to the front of the shell, wider at the shell.

Step 5: Front leg

Under the front of the shell, draw a stumpy leg leaning forward, with 3 round toe bumps on the foot.

Step 6: Back leg

Under the back of the shell, draw the same stumpy leg leaning back, with 3 toe bumps and a heel.

Step 7: Far legs

From the rim behind the front leg, draw a far leg down to the ground. Do another behind.

Step 8: Short tail

Behind the back leg, draw a short cone tail poking out from under the band, sweeping back to a point.

Step 9: Spots on the shell

Scatter 5 small oval spots over the flat shell, all different sizes, the biggest in the middle.

Tip No honeycomb: a softshell has smooth leathery skin with little spots.

Step 10: The ground

Draw a long straight ground line under all the feet, from in front of the head to behind the tail.

Step 11: Tan shell, sand edge

Go over all your lines. Colour the flat shell tan around the spots, and its soft edge sand.

Step 12: Leaf-green skin

Colour a pink cheek, then the head, neck, near legs and tail leaf green around it. Leave the eye white.

Step 13: Dark legs, brown spots

Colour the 2 far legs darker green, so they look further away, and the spots brown. All done!