How to Draw a Dinosaur

Welcome! If you want to learn how to draw a dinosaur, you are in the perfect place. This step-by-step guide is made specially for beginners and kids who want a fun, simple art activity. Just follow along with our easy shapes, and you will have your very own friendly giant on paper in no time!

Easy
15 Minutes
Ages 5+
animals
kids
prehistoric
beginner

Start drawing

Step 1Step 2

Easy for beginners

What You Will Learn

This lesson breaks down the drawing process into simple shapes like ovals and curved lines. By taking it one small piece at a time, anyone can learn how to draw a dinosaur without feeling overwhelmed. You will practice connecting lines and adding fun details like tiny arms and back spikes.

Pencil — For sketching your basic shapes lightly.

Eraser — To easily fix any mistakes as you learn.

Black Marker — For outlining your finished lines.

Crayons or Colored Pencils — To bring your drawing to life with bright colors.

Jump to the steps

Drawing supplies: pencil, paper, eraser and crayons

How to Draw a Dinosaur Step by Step

1
Step 1 of 9
Draw the head shape
Let's start learning how to draw a dinosaur by making a simple oval shape near the top left of your paper. This oval will become the head. Make it a little bit wider on one side, almost like a big jellybean! Leaving plenty of space underneath is important for the body.
Tip: Keep your pencil lines light so you can erase easily later.
2
Step 2 of 9
Draw the neck and back
From the back of the head, draw a long curved line sweeping down towards the right side of your page. This long line creates the strong neck and back of your prehistoric friend. Make the curve nice and gentle so your animal looks friendly and relaxed.
Tip: Take your time drawing this sweeping curve to make it nice and smooth.
3
Step 3 of 9
Draw the belly and tail
Now, start at the bottom of the head and draw a large curved line for the tummy. Bring this big belly line all the way to the right side so it meets your back line. Where these two lines touch, they create a nice, pointy tail!
Tip: Imagine the shape of a big raindrop sideways for the body!
4
Step 4 of 9
Add the front leg
Near the bottom of the tummy, draw two straight vertical lines going down. Connect them with a flat horizontal line at the very bottom. This makes a strong, chunky front leg to help your drawing stand up tall on the ground. Add three tiny bumps right on the bottom line for toes.
Tip: Make the leg nice and thick so it can support a heavy body.
5
Step 5 of 9
Draw the back leg
Right next to the first leg, draw another similar leg shape, but make it slightly smaller and higher up on the page. This simple trick shows that the second leg is resting on the other side of the body, giving your picture a cool sense of depth.
Tip: Drawing things slightly smaller and higher makes them look further away.
6
Step 6 of 9
Add the little arms
In the middle of the chest area, draw two tiny arms reaching out forward. Make them very short and cute, with two little fingers on the end of each hand. Having tiny arms on a big body is a classic look for a friendly giant!
Tip: You can curve the arms up slightly so it looks like it is waving happily.
7
Step 7 of 9
Draw a happy face
Give your friendly creature some personality by drawing a big round dot for an eye near the top of the head. Below the eye, add a curved upward line for a big happy smile, and place a tiny dot near the front for a small nose.
Tip: Leave a tiny white speck inside the dark eye to make it sparkle.
8
Step 8 of 9
Add the back spikes
Starting right at the top of the head, draw a row of small triangles all the way down the neck, back, and tail. These simple spikes make your picture look absolutely amazing! Make the triangles a bit smaller as they get closer to the tip of the tail.
Tip: Do not worry if the triangles are not perfectly even; nature is perfectly imperfect!
9
Finished drawing
Add simple color
You have finally learned how to draw a dinosaur, and now it is time to add simple color! Pick a fun, bright color like green, blue, or purple for the body. Fill in all the back spikes with a different matching color to make them really stand out.
Tip: Color smoothly in one direction so your finished picture looks incredibly neat.

Draw Dinosaur in 9 Easy Steps

Anyone can learn how to draw a dinosaur — no drawing experience needed.

Simple steps

15 Minutes

Start to finish

Ages 5+

Great for

Fun Ways to Change Your Dinosaur

Once you know how to draw a dinosaur, it is very easy to make it completely unique. Try these simple ideas to give your new friend a different look.

Sleeping Time

Draw the eye as a curved downward line with little lashes, and make the body lying flat on its tummy instead of standing.

Adding Fun Patterns

Instead of coloring with a solid color, draw big polka dots, tiger stripes, or little stars all over the back and legs.

Holding a Snack

Draw a little green leaf or a small tree branch in one of the tiny hands for a fun and silly detail.

how to draw a dinosaur — colorful finished example

Common Mistakes When Drawing

Making the arms too long

It is very tempting to draw regular-sized arms, but this specific creature looks best with very short, tiny arms. Keep them close to the chest!

Drawing the tail too thin

A common challenge when learning how to draw a dinosaur is making the tail look like a skinny stick. Make sure the base of the tail is nice and thick where it meets the main body.