Please PAUSE the "How to Draw a Sea Turtle" 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 front part of the sea turtle's shell. The circle doesn't have to be perfect. It's just a guide.
Step 2: Draw a long arc on the left side of the circle to finish up the guide for the sea turtle's shell. The length of the arc should be a little bit more than the width of the circle.
Step 3: Draw a small oval on the right side of the shell as a guide for the sea turtle's head. The oval should be about one-third the size of the original circle. Don't place the oval too far to the right or the turtle's neck will end up too long.
Step 4: Inside the circle, draw two intersecting lines. These lines will help you place the sea turtle's facial features later.
Step 5: Draw two small curved lines that connect the head and shell to form the guide for the sea turtle's neck.
Step 6: Draw a couple of arcs under the sea turtle's body as guides for the flipper-like feet. The shape of the flippers should resemble the letter U with a diagonal orientation. Place the front one under the neck and the hind one near the tip of the shell.
That's it for the initial sketch! From this point on, press harder with your pencil to get a more defined sketch.
Step 7: Draw the sea turtle's eye as a small oval on the upper right side of the head using the lines as guides for placement. Inside the eye draw a tiny circle to represent glare. Draw another circle for the pupil and shade it in. Shade in the rest of the sea turtle's eye using a value that's lighter than the pupil. Draw a couple of lines that surround the eye for extra detail.
Step 8: Draw the mouth by using the front part of the oval as a guide. Draw a curved line under the eye that extends toward the inside of the oval for the mouth. Follow the path of the original oval to create the top part of the sea turtle's mouth. Draw another curved line under the mouth for the chin.
Step 9: Use the original oval as a guide to draw the rest of the sea turtle's head. Follow the path of the oval as you darken the line that makes up the top and bottom of the head.
Step 10: Use the arc on the right as a guide to draw the sea turtle's front flipper. Lightly sketch out the shape of the flipper as you follow the basic path of the arc. When you get the structure right, darken the lines. The right side arcs more and connects to the shell at the top. The left side is made up of a wavy line.
Step 11: Draw the top half of the sea turtle's shell by using the initial shapes as guides. Follow the path of the line created by the original circle and the arc to create the top of the shell. Draw the bottom portion by lightly drawing a long line across both shapes. The top and bottom shell don't meet in the middle of the initial shapes. The line is closer to the bottom. Draw using small, slightly arched lines as you darken the bottom instead of a single long, curved line.
Step 12: Draw the pentagon-like shapes on the top part of the sea turtle's shell. First lightly draw a long curved line near the bottom and a few pointed lines at the top for structure. Once you have the basic pattern lightly sketched, darken the lines. The bottom of the shapes are formed by lines similar to wide letter V's. Now draw vertical lines to create the pentagon-like shapes in the middle. The lines start at the tips of the top shapes and end at the lightly sketched line at the bottom. Now draw a series of short lines along the bottom to create the small shapes along the edge of the top shell. Drawing the shapes on the shell can be a little tricky, so remember to pause the video as you follow along.
Step 13: Use the lines between the shell and the head as a guide to draw the neck. Draw a series of short lines that are close together on the top bottom and middle of the neck for the wrinkly skin. Use the arc on the left side as a guide to draw the sea turtle's hind flipper. Make the left side of the flipper wavy as you follow the basic path of the arc.
Step 14: Darken the bottom line to create the lower half of the sea turtle's shell.
Step 15: Draw a couple of lines behind the front and hind flippers for the visible portion of the flippers on the other side.
Step 16 (optional): For a cleaner look, erase as much of you can of the initial guide lines. Don't worry about erasing all of the guides. It's okay to leave some behind. Also re-draw any final sketch lines that you may have accidentally erased.
Final Step (optional): Add some shading to your sea turtle drawing to give it more dimension and volume. Pick the direction of the light source when shading so that the shadows are consistent with it. Vary the pressure on your pencil to get different degrees of tonal value.
You can add more detail to your sea turtle for a more completed drawing. Green sea turtles have big, dark scales on their body, so draw shapes of different sizes throughout its skin and shade them in. Drawing the sea turtle's scaly skin can be very time-consuming, so you can just add a solid value throughout the body if you don't want to add the scales. The scales on the edges of the flippers are bigger, and they get smaller closer to the center. It's a good idea to use reference if you want more accuracy when adding the scales. Add more value onto the entire sea turtle drawing. The value should be lighter than the spots. Add an even value to the shell for a smooth finish or an uneven value for a worn-down look. Don't forget to pause the "How to Draw a Sea Turtle" video so you can follow at your own pace.
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