In this free art lesson, you'll learn how to draw a Hercules (Rhinoceros) Beetle step-by-step.

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To draw this Hercules Beetle 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.

The Written 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: Draw a circle near the middle of the paper as a guide for the Hercules beetle's thorax. First make four marks to determine the circle's 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: Draw the guide for the abdomen by first making a mark on the far left side of the circle. Connect the mark to the top and bottom of the circle to create a big, sideways arc for the Hercules beetle's abdomen. Pay attention to the size of the arc. The length of the arc should be longer than the width of the circle.

Step 3: Draw a long, curved, horizontal line starting at the top of the circle as a guide for the first horn on this species of rhinoceros beetle. The line should curve down slightly on the right. Sketch lightly at first so that it's easy to erase if you make a mistake. Make the line longer than the thorax and abdomen combined. Hercules beetle horns vary in length, so you can draw yours shorter if you'd like.

Step 4: Starting on the bottom of the circle, draw another long line as a guide for the Hercules beetle's other horn. This line should be shorter than the top line, and the right tip should curve up a bit.

Step 5: On the bottom of the circle, draw an angled line that slopes to the lower, left as a guide for the middle leg. Directly under the circle, draw a line that slopes down and then angles to the right as a guide for the front leg. On the far left side, under the body, draw another line that angles to the left as a guide for the Hercules beetle's back leg.

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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: Use the long, curved line at the top as a guide to draw the Hercules beetle's first horn. Make the line darker. The left side of the line should be flush with the top side of the circle. Lightly sketch another curved line underneath to make the shape thicker. Make the base wide and the tip narrow. Close to the left side, draw a small, V-shaped line for a small bump on the bottom of this rhinoceros beetle's horn. When you get the shape of the horn right, darken the lines. Make the tip on the right pointy. The horn should be pretty thin except for the wide base on the left.

Step 7: Use the initial circle to draw the rest of the horn's base located on the thorax. Draw an angled shape within the initial circle for the base of the Hercules beetle's horn in the thorax. Leave a space between the bottom of the base and the bottom of the initial circle.

Step 8: Use the long, horizontal line at the bottom as a guide to draw the bottom horn in a similar way. Darken the line but curve the left side up a bit to form the Hercules beetle's head. Lightly sketch a line above to make the shape thicker. Make the base on the right wider than the tip on the left. Draw a couple of bumps along the top edge. Draw two bumps on the left and two on the right. When you get the shape right, darken the lines.

Step 9: Inside the beetle's head, draw a small circle for the eye. The base of the top horn should cover the eye slightly. Below the head, draw a small, thin shape that angles to the right for the first part of the antennae. To the right draw a smaller, thin shape for the antenna on the other side of the Hercules beetle's head.

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Step 10: Use the arc on the left side as a guide to draw the elytron (the wing cover) over the Hercules beetle's abdomen. Darken the top part and extend the left side a little. Lightly sketch a line in the middle for the bottom of the elytron. Make the line a bit wavy. The line should be close to the bottom of the arc. The right tip should curve up a bit. Draw a couple of lines at the top of the elytron for a bit of the visible pattern. Sketch lightly at first to get the pattern on this rhinoceros beetle right. Only a small amount of the pattern will be visible from this angle.

Step 11: Draw a sloping line near the middle leg to create a thicker cylindrical shape for the leg. Inside the shape, draw a few short, curved lines to separate the Hercules beetle's leg's segments. On the tip of the leg, on the left side, draw two tiny, angled lines for the claws at the end of the beetle's leg. Using short, curved lines, draw a thinner row of segments between the claw and the top of the leg. Draw a curved line at the top for the wide base of the leg that connects to the thorax.

Step 12: Use the angled line on the right as a guide to draw the front leg in a similar way. Make the top part of the leg thicker. Use shorter lines along the bottom half to create separate segments. At the end of the leg, draw a couple of tiny angled lines for the Hercules beetle's claws. At the top of the leg, draw a couple of curved lines for the segments that connect to the thorax.

Step 13: Use the line on the left as a guide to draw the back leg the same way. Make the top of the leg thicker and add the segments along the lower half of the leg. Don't forget the claw! At the top, draw a series of short, curved lines for the base of the Hercules beetle's leg.

Step 14: Darken the lower part of the initial arc to create the rest of the abdomen. Draw a few lines on the right for the bottom of the Hercules beetle's thorax too. Don't overlap the legs as you draw these lines.

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Step 15: On the lower, left side of the abdomen, draw the other back leg peeking from behind. Below the head, draw the other front leg peeking from behind too. The Hercules beetle's other middle leg isn't visible from this angle.

Step 16: 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: Add some shading to your Hercules beetle drawing for extra detail. Use a dark value for the pattern on the elytron. Use a light value for the main part of the elytron but leave a section near the middle blank for highlight. Vary the pressure on your pencil to get different degrees of tonal value. Use a dark value along the bottom edge. Shade lightly at first, and gradually build up to a darker value. The edges should be darker than the middle. Using a dark value, draw a series of irregular shapes for the markings on this rhinoceros beetle's elytron. For a more detailed guide on how to shade, check out this tutorial: How to shade.

Draw a few thin, long shapes inside the top horn for the highlight that will be left blank. Shade the Hercules beetle's top horn using a dark value but leave the highlight shapes blank. Build up the dark value gradually. If you push down too hard on your pencil, the graphite may get shiny.

Use a dark value for the underside of the Hercules beetle's body and for the legs too. Shade the bottom part using a dark value too. Leave a section in the eye and bottom horn blank for highlight. Shading can be time-consuming, so be patient and take breaks. Use a dark value for the underside of the body and for the beetle's legs too.

It's a good idea to use reference as you draw for an accurate depiction of a Hercules beetle. As you shade the beetle's legs, leave a section along the top edges blank for highlights. Don't forget to pause the video after each step to draw at your own pace. Add a cast shadow underneath. This helps to ground the beetle so it doesn't appear to be floating.

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