Please PAUSE the "How to Draw a Snail" video after each step to draw at your own pace.
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 as a guide for the first part of the snail's shell. The circle doesn't have to be perfect. It's just a guide. Leave enough room on the left side for the rest of the body.
Step 2: Draw a curved line on the left side of the circle as a guide for the second part of the shell. The line should curve at the top, then become flatter at the bottom.
Step 3: Draw a smaller circle to the left of the shell as a guide for the snail's head. This circle should be about one-fifth the size of the first one and should be placed on the lower left side of the shell.
Step 4: Draw four lines on top of the snail's head for the feelers or tentacles. The top two should be long, while the other two, more to the side, should be shorter.
Step 5: Draw a line under the shell as a guide for the soft part of the snail's body. Sketch lightly at first to get the line right. It stretches to the right and comes to a point.
That's it for the initial sketch! From this point on, press harder with your pencil to get a more defined sketch.
Step 6: Use the lines on top of the snail's head as guides to draw the first set of tentacles. Follow the basic path of the line as you make the tentacles thicker. The base should be thicker than the tip. Draw a small circle-like shape at the tip of the tentacles for the snail's eye-like sensors.
Step 7: Use the lines on the left side of the snail's head as guides to draw the other pair of tentacles. These smaller tentacles are for the snail's sense of smell.
Step 8: Use the initial circle as a guide to draw the snail's head. Follow the basic path of the circle as you darken the lines and make the head a bit smaller.
Step 9: Draw a spiral-like shape inside the first circle for the first part of the snail's shell. The spiral is similar to a backward number 6 and should be placed near the right edge of the circle.
Step 10: Continue drawing the detail on the snail's shell by making the spiral longer. Sketch lightly at first to get the shape of the spiral right. The space between the curved lines should gradually get bigger. The right edge of the spiral extends outside of the original circle for a bigger, rounder shell. Once you get the shape of the spiral right, darken the lines. Drawing the spiral can be tricky, so take your time when you draw it.
Step 11: Use the curved line on the left as a guide to draw the rest of the snail's shell. Follow the path of the guide as you darken the line and make the left side of the shell a bit thinner.
Step 12: Use the line at the bottom as a guide to draw the rest of the soft part of the snail's body. Make the line at the bottom a bit more wavy to give the body a more organic and less static feel.
Step 13 (optional): 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 of the final sketch lines that you may have accidentally erased.
Final Step (optional): You can add more value throughout your snail drawing for extra detail. When you add value to the snail's shell, use a series of lines that go in between the spaces of the spiral. Alternate between a dark and light value as you shade the entire shell. Continue adding lines in the gaps of the spiral to get the pattern on the shell. Use a darker value at the bottom to give the drawing more dimension and volume. Vary the pressure on your pencil to get different degrees of tonal value along the shell to make it shiny. Add the value on the left side of the shell by alternating between dark and light sections to give the shell its pattern. As you draw the light and dark stripes, leave a lighter section near the middle to represent the shell's shine. Adding the value to the snail's shell can be very time-consuming, so be patient and take breaks. For a simpler drawing, you can add a solid value throughout the snail's shell and not worry about the stripy pattern. For an even simpler drawing, skip the shell steps and just draw a slug!
Continue alternating between dark and light values for the stripy pattern. Make sure to have a lighter spot on the shell to represent shine. It's always a good idea to use reference for a more accurate drawing. Snails may be invasive in your garden, but if you have them, study them as you draw. They're slow, so they're good posers! Add more value to the soft part of the snail's body as well. Use a lighter value than what you used for the shell when shading the body. Snails' bodies have a bumpy texture, so don't worry about adding the value too smoothly. Snails are slimy because they're covered in mucus. Make a section on the body lighter to represent the body's slimy shine. Add a darker value near the bottom of the snail's body and under the shell for a more three-dimensional look. Don't forget to pause the "How to Draw a Snail" video to draw at your own pace.
And finally, add a cast shadow underneath. This helps ground the snail so it doesn't appear to be floating.
Thanks for watching! Subscribe to the
How2DrawAnimals YouTube Channel for a new tutorial every Tuesday.
To learn how to draw popular cartoon characters, visit
EasyDrawingTutorials.com.
