Sea Turtle Drawing
Ready to create a stunning sea turtle drawing? This lesson is perfect for beginners because I am going to guide you every step of the way. Locate your pencil, drawing paper, crayons or colored pencils, and maybe a thin black marker (for outlining) if you have one.
We'll start with simple shapes to outline our sea turtle. Don't worry about perfection; it's all about having fun and learning. By the end of this 50-minute-ish session, you'll have a beautiful sea turtle swimming though an underwater world!
Adding colors will make your sea turtle drawing look even better! I'll show you how I blend my colors and shade to bring the drawing to life. Remember, each stroke is a step closer to your own unique creation. So let's get started and unleash that inner artist!
Estimated Time: 50 minutes
Level: Intermediate
Materials
- Pencil
- Drawing Paper
- Crayons or Colored Pencils
- Black Marker (optional)
Lesson: Sea Turtle Drawing
About ready to start? I'll break it down, starting with the basic shapes and then adding details to bring our sea turtle into form. Pay close attention to each step so your turtle doesn't end up looking all wonky. Grab your pencils, and let's get this sea creature on your paper! You got this!
Form the Head
First, form the outline of the sea turtle’s head.
Add the Neck and Mouth
Add the turtle’s mouth by drawing a curving line at the base of its head. Then, draw its neck connected to the end of its mouth.
Draw the Eye and Nostril
Draw the sea turtle’s oval-shaped eye. Then, add a small dot for its nostril.
Outline the Carapace
Create a large oval outline of the turtle’s carapace shell.
Add the Shell’s Scutes
Add wavy curved lines along the carapace shell to start drawing its scutes.
Form the Scutes
Draw diagonal lines as shown to complete forming the scutes.
Outline the Base of the Shell
Form the curved shape of the shell’s base.
Draw the Flippers
Attach the sea turtle’s long front flippers and short rear flippers to its body. Make sure to erase overlapping lines.
Add the Scales
Add the scales on its head and along its flippers as shown.
Create Water Bubbles
Create rounded water bubbles around the sea turtle.
Outline the Coral
Outline the branch-like coral on the bottom of the drawing.
Shade the Head and Flippers
Add shading to the head, front flippers, and rear flippers using a green color. Next, use darker shades of green to fill in the scales on its skin. Then, use black to color its eye, and add a white circular shimmer.
Color the Shell
Use shades of brown to color the carapace. Then, fill in the base of the shell with orange.
Fill in the Coral
Fill in the coral with red, pink, and purple.
Add Shading to the Water
Use light blue to fill in the water bubbles. Now, use a darker and more vibrant shade of blue to color the ocean.
Artist & Educator