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How to Draw a Tortoise

14 steps · Medium · about 11 min

Draw a tortoise in 14 easy steps, about 11 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: egg head.

Step 1: Egg head
On the left, near the middle, draw a big egg lying down for the head. Leave room for the shell.
Step 2: Eye, nose and smile
Draw a big eye and a nostril near the front. Draw a smile from the front, ending under the eye.
Step 3: High shell
Behind the head, draw a high round dome, wider than it is tall, with a flat bottom.
Tip A tortoise shell is a high dome like an upside-down bowl.
Step 4: Shell rim
Start at the shell's front corner. Draw a curly band under it, ending at the back.
Step 5: Neck
From under the back of the head, draw a short neck curve to the rim.
Step 6: Front leg
Start on the front of the rim. Draw a stumpy leg down with 3 toe bumps, back to the rim.
Tip Tortoise legs are thick and stumpy, like an elephant's.
Step 7: Back leg
Start on the back of the rim. Draw the same stumpy leg, leaning back a little, up to the rim.
Step 8: Far legs
In the gap between the near legs, draw 2 stumpy far legs from the rim down to the ground.
Step 9: Stub tail
Start under the rim behind the back leg. Draw a short stubby tail to a point, back to the rim.
Step 10: Honeycomb
In the middle of the shell, draw a big hexagon. From each corner, draw a line out to the edge.
Tip Tortoise shells have big plates. Make the cells bigger than you think.
Step 11: The ground
Draw 1 long straight ground line under all the feet, from the head to behind the tail.
Step 12: Tan skin
Colour the head, neck, near legs and tail tan. Add a pink cheek. Leave the eye white.
Step 13: Middle cell and rim
Colour the middle cell tan and the rim wood brown.
Step 14: Brown shell, dark legs
Go over all your lines. Colour the shell brown around the middle cell, and the far legs dark brown.