In this free art lesson, you'll learn how to draw an Ichthyosaurus step-by-step.

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All of the tutorials on How2DrawAnimals.com are good drawing tutorials for beginners and experienced artists alike. The online tutorials are easy to follow; they teach you the how to draw basics while showing you how to draw animals step by step. Each animal has a video drawing tutorial option, as well as step-by-step photos and written text to follow.

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To draw this Ichthyosaurus step by step, follow along with the video tutorial below and pause the video after each step to draw at your own pace. You may find it easier to follow the step-by-step drawings below the video. The new lines in each step are shown in red, so you'll know exactly what to draw next. You may want to open the video in a new tab and use both drawing methods. Take your time and draw at your own pace.

Below you can watch a Narrated step-by-step video tutorial:

For the first few steps, don't press down too hard with your pencil. Use light, smooth strokes to begin.

Step 1: Start by drawing a circle near the left side of the paper as a guide for the front part of the Ichthyosaurus' body. To draw the circle, first make four marks to determine its height and width. Then connect the marks using curved lines. If you're struggling to draw the circle, just trace the outer rim of a circular object like a coin or a lid. For a more detailed guide on the different ways to draw a circle check out this tutorial: Four simple ways to draw a circle.

Step 2: To the right, draw another circle the same way as a guide for the back portion of the Ichthyosaurus' body. This circle should be about half the size of the first circle. Don't place the circles too close together or the body will be too short. To the left of the first circle, draw yet another circle as a guide for the head. This circle should be about one-third the size of the first circle. The edges of the two circles on the left should touch.

Step 3: To the left of the head, draw two thin, long triangles as guides for the Ichthyosaurus' jaws. The shapes are made up of a few sloping lines. Pay attention to the size of theses shapes in relation to the head.

Step 4: Draw a couple of short lines to connect the head to the body and form the guide for Ichthyosaurus' neck. Use two longer lines to connect the first two circles to finish the guide for the torso. On the right side, draw two very long lines that form a big triangle as a guide for the tail. The lines for the tail should end in a pointy tip on the right side.

Step 5: On top of the body, draw a triangular shape as a guide for the Ichthyosaurus' dorsal fin. This shape is made up of a vertical line on the right and a curved line on the left. Below each body, circle, draw a small V-shaped line as guides for the pectoral and hind fin. On the very tip of the tail, draw two long triangles as guides for the caudal fin. The shapes on the tail should be the biggest fins.

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That's it for the guides! From this point on, press harder with your pencil for a more defined drawing.

Step 6: Inside the head, on the top, left side, near the top jaw, lightly sketch a small circle for the Ichthyosaurus' eye. When you get the size and position of the eye right, darken the shape but make the sides a bit pointier. Inside the eye, off to the side, draw a tiny circle for a highlight. In the middle of the eye, draw a bigger circle and shade it in for the pupil. Shade the top of the eye lightly to make it rounder. Above and below the eye, draw a curved lines for the brow and some wrinkles.

Step 7: Darken the thin, triangular shape on the top, left side to create the Ichthyosaurus' top jaw. Make the shape a bit thinner than the initial guide and curve tip more. Continue to draw the line at the top, along the initial circle to create the head. Along the bottom edge of the jaw, draw a series of tiny, V-shaped lines for the teeth. At the top, near the eye, draw a small oval for the nostril.

Step 8: Darken the thin, triangular shape at the bottom, for the Ichthyosaurus' lower jaw. Make the shape of the jaw a bit thinner than the initial guide. At the top, draw a series of tiny triangular shapes for the teeth. On the top edge of the lower jaw, draw a curved line for the tongue. On the right side, draw a couple of short lines to emphasize the jaw.

Step 9: Darken the triangular shape on top of the body for the Ichthyosaurus' dorsal fin. Curve the lines a bit more as you darken the shape. Darken the shapes under the body for the pectoral and hind fins too. Make the top lines longer so that the bases of the fins are inside the body. Curve the lines or the tops of the fins so that the bases are thin.

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Step 10: Use the remaining lines as guides to draw the rest of the Ichthyosaurus' body. Simple darken the outer edges of the initial guides to create the shape of the body. Don't overlap the fins as you draw the body.

Step 11: Darken the triangular guides on the far right side to create the Ichthyosaurus' tail fins. Use one continuous line to draw the tail so that the shape become a single shape instead of two triangles. The the left of the pectoral fin, draw a short, angled line for the pectoral fin that's on the other side of the body. To the left of the hind fin, draw a small, V-shaped line for the other hind fin too.

Step 12: For a cleaner look, erase as much as you can of the initial guide lines. Don't worry about erasing all of the guides. It's okay to leave some behind. Re-draw any final sketch lines you may have accidentally erased.

Final Step: Shade your drawing for extra detail. Nobody is exactly sure what Ichthyosaurus looked like, so you can shade your drawing however you'd like! For this look use the pattern that you find on sharks or dolphins. First draw a line across the head and body to separate the shading pattern, and then shade the top part using a medium value. Shade lightly at first and gradually build up to darker values. For a light value, push lightly on your pencil. For a dark value push harder on your pencil. The right sides of the fins should be blank for the shading pattern. Use a light value on the top part of the body and on the left side of the dorsal fin and tail for shine. Shading can be time-consuming, so be patient and take breaks. Draw a few shadow using a light value. Pick a light source so that your shadows are consistent throughout the body. Here the light source is coming from the top, so the shadows will mainly be on the under side of the body. For a more detailed guide on how to shade, check out this tutorial: How to shade.

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