In this free art lesson, you'll learn how to draw a Turtle (Red-Eared Slider) 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 Turtle 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 NEW step-by-step video tutorial with NARRATED steps:

The following is a video tutorial where the steps are Written out within the video:

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

Step 1: Draw an oval on its side as a guide for the red-eared slider turtle's shell. It doesn't have to be perfect. It's just a guide.

Step 2: Draw a smaller oval on the top right side as a guide for the turtle's head.

Step 3: Draw two lines that connect the two ovals and form the red-eared slider turtle's neck.

Step 4: Under the big oval, draw two angled lines as guides for the turtle's feet.

Step 5: Draw a small line on the right side of the big oval for the turtle's tail.

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That's it for the initial sketch of a red-eared slider turtle! From this point on, press harder with your pencil to get a more defined sketch.

Step 6: Draw the turtle's mouth at the end of the head. The mouth is a curved line on the edge of the oval with another line underneath as the chin. A small circle makes up the nose.

Step 7: Next to the mouth, draw the eye as a circle. Draw another circle inside as the pupil and shade it in.

Step 8: Draw a series of lines around the turtle's eye for detail. The lines give the head a bumpier texture. Draw a bump on top of the turtle's head to indicate the eye on the other side.

Step 9: Use the initial lines as guides to draw the rest of the turtle's head and neck. Curve the lines to give the head and neck structure. Avoid using straight lines.

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Step 10: Draw a curvy shape next to the turtle's eye to represent the red portion of the head where the name red-eared slider comes from.

Step 11: Use the original oval as a guide to draw the top part of the red-eared slider turtle's shell. Dip the back portion of the shell more toward the tail. Draw the bottom portion of the top shell using jagged lines to indicate the rough texture of the shell.

Step 12: Draw the shapes within the shell. Basically draw a row of square-like shapes at the bottom of the shell. Then draw more pentagon-like shapes above the row. It's a good idea to use reference to be as accurate as possible. Otherwise, just have fun and design the turtle's shell yourself.

Step 13: Draw the turtle's feet using the initial lines as guides. Simply go around the guides, making the legs thicker and draw the toes at the end. At the end of each toe, draw a small triangle-like shape for the claws. Draw the front leg the same way. Go around the guide, then draw the turtle's toes at the end. Don't forget the claws!

Step 14: Use the original oval again to draw the bottom part of the shell. Darken the bottom part of the shell and add openings where the turtle's legs go through.

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Step 15: Use the small line on the left as a guide to draw the turtle's tail.

Step 16 (optional): For a cleaner look, erase as much as you can of the initial guide lines. Don't worry about erasing all the guides. It's okay to leave some behind.

Final Step (optional): Add some shading to give your red-eared slider turtle drawing 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. Add a cast shadow underneath. This helps ground the turtle so it doesn't appear to be floating.

You can add more value throughout your turtle drawing for extra detail. Again, if you want accuracy, it's a good idea to have reference as you draw.

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