How to draw a reptile. How to draw lizards: two options

In this material, we have collected for you the best video and photo tutorials on how to replicate the effect of reptile skin on your nails using gel polishes. This is a very spectacular and unusual nail design.

Below you will find 6 photo lessons from Yulia Deryabina with beautiful reptiles based on cat eye gel polishes, with a gradient and a three-dimensional pattern. And you already choose which one you like best. Look for other interesting color combinations and ideas on Julia’s page.

1. The pattern of the skin is on the entire surface of the nail, the iridescent stripe of a cat's eye runs vertically.

2. Reptile pattern on the entire surface of the nail, an iridescent strip of magnetic varnish runs diagonally.

3. In this version, the reptile drawing is placed only in the center, diagonally.

4. Volumetric reptile design with a gradient transition.

5. In this version, the reptile is presented in the form of a gradient with gel paint.

6. The following design resembles the scales of a fairytale dragon.

7. A more natural snake skin effect, an effect that imitates leather accessories, can be achieved using reptile sliders, and the volume is already drawn with droplets of thick gel on top. Those. we buy a slider design and fill the existing cells on the slider with a transparent top, that’s it! Very fast and beautiful.

8. If you prefer a matte texture rather than a glossy one, try velvet patterns with acrylic powder. Lesson from Aigulichka Istomina.

Many reptiles, such as lizards and snakes, are covered in scales, sometimes in very bright colors. It is very difficult to draw such a surface, since the scales, like mirrors, reflect the colors surrounding the reptile. At the end of this section you will find an exercise that uses the example of a chameleon to describe in detail how to draw scales.
The bodies of other reptiles, such as turtles, are covered with a hard shell. It's quite easy to draw. The most important thing to understand is how light reflects off a solid surface. If you evaluate the tones correctly, you will be able to correctly draw the change of planes. To convey the form, you need to use several different tones - as areas of the surface move away from the light. The carapace may have ridges and dents, which you will also need different shades of paint to convey.
When drawing with a graphite pencil, you can create different tones by varying the amount of pressure. Start with light pressure. When you are satisfied with the form, you can increase its strength. When painting with oil or acrylic paints, you can cover the entire shell with a medium tone, and then add lighter and darker tones when the paint dries. Before applying a dark tone over the base, test it on a piece of paper to make sure it's the right choice.
The shells of turtles are covered with an interesting pattern. Whatever material you are working with, sketch out the pattern first. Start with light pencil strokes as corrections will likely be needed. There is no point in carefully drawing the pattern of the shell only to later discover an error in scale. Carefully consider how the individual parts of the pattern flow into one another and form something whole. This is the secret of the correct image of the shell.
Once you have decided on the pattern, you can move on to color. When working with oils, acrylics or pastels, start with basic mid-tone colors. Once dry, you can apply light and dark colors according to the direction of the design. With watercolors you need to paint “wet on wet” so that the colors blend into one another, creating a variegated effect.
In general, we can say that the surface of a turtle shell is rough, not shiny. The height of these roughnesses is small, but it should not be forgotten. To convey the texture of the shell, pay attention to the highlights. Although the projections of the shell are small, they still have a shaded and illuminated side. To correctly depict the texture, use the dry brush technique (when working with watercolor or acrylic) or sgraffito. You can draw details with ink or oil pastels over dried watercolors.

Turtle in mixed media

First, the main colors of the shell and fins were applied with acrylic paint, and then the artist painted the shell with oil pastels. The oil pastel strokes are applied quite freely. Then the colors were shaded with a soft cloth in those places where it was necessary.

Multicolor lizard

This tree agama is a very interesting subject for an artist, as its head is a different color from its body. It is not necessary to draw every scale, but you should try to create an overall impression of scaliness.

Drawing on the shell

Reptiles like this Galapagos tortoise have very complex shell shapes. Please read it carefully before starting work. Be sure to make sketches.
If you are the author of the photo used in the article, write to us, we will definitely indicate the authorship!

Drawing reptiles is very easy. The main thing is to choose the appropriate color and pay attention to the presence of all the characteristic features of the animal in the picture. This article describes it step by step. Want to get a classic look? Then take the first instructions as a basis for work. Are you planning to teach your child the basics of drawing, while trying to convey your ability to implement unusual and new ideas? Choose the second option. In both cases, the addition of each new element in the image is shown in a different color. Therefore, using these step-by-step guides on how to draw lizards, you can greatly simplify the entire creative process.

Stage one - sketches of the main contours

1. Mark two ovals on the sheet - the body and the head. Place them at some distance from each other and with a slight slope.
2. Draw lines for the neck, connecting the head and torso.
3. Draw the forelimb, consisting of three parts - a small oval (located almost horizontally in the upper part of the body), a rectangular-shaped elbow area (perpendicular to the shoulder) and small tentacle legs.
4. Almost similar to the front, draw one of the hind limbs. The difference will be in the execution of the middle part of the leg. It should be depicted in the shape of a small oval and positioned almost vertically. And the tentacles should be directed in one direction - forward.

After receiving the approximate contours of the lizard, proceed to the next stage - the final one.

How to draw a lizard on a stone? Full picture design

Having decided on the size of the body and its proportions, complete the work. The final stage will be drawing the tail, as well as the area where the lizard is located (the stone). The length of the “fifth” limb will be approximately equal to the total length of the body and head. The main thing is not to make the tail short; it is better if it turns out even slightly longer than normal. Make it in the form of a smooth continuation of the body, gradually narrowing towards the end. Also note the curvature and “liveness” of this animal’s anchor point. Draw a second hind limb protruding slightly from behind the body. Decorate the face by drawing the eyes and mouth. After following all the steps of the instructions on how to draw lizards, finally decorate the area of ​​​​the ground with a stone. Since the animal was initially drawn with a slight upward tilt, it will be clear from the finished drawing that it appears to be crawling uphill. Therefore, having outlined the edges of the stone, also mark the irregularities for which the lizard clings with its paws and tail. And after changing the color scheme, the drawing will undoubtedly be even more believable.

How to draw “cartoon” lizards?

Drawings in children's cartoons have always been distinguished by originality and some modification of the original image. Lizards are no exception. Even a child can easily complete the proposed drawing, following the steps of the picture. In this case, maintaining proportions is not so important; the main thing is to show the presence of distinctive details (long tail, tentacles, appropriate coloring). At the same time, you can make your own fantasy changes, for example, slightly enlarging the face or making it rounded rather than elongated. Therefore, there are many options on how to draw lizards that look like cartoon characters. Let's look at the simplest one.

Step-by-step execution of work

1. Mark the face of the lizard on the sheet in the form of an oval pointed on one side. Do not bring the lines on the other side to the point of closure, but direct them in different directions, drawing the forelimbs of the animal.
2. Continue the drawing by depicting an oval body, similar in size and shape to the head. Perform the hind limbs in the same way as the front limbs.
3. Make all the lizard's legs in the form of tentacles of the same size and shape.
4. Draw a long, spiral-shaped tail that gradually tapers towards the end.
5. “Refresh” the lizard with a pattern in the form of circles and zigzags. Draw big eyes.
6. Give the layout yellow-greenish shades.

Agree that the proposed instructions on how to draw a lizard with a pencil step by step are quite simple to follow. Having mastered the basics using these options, you can then proceed to more complex work.

What You'll Be Creating

Serpent Often draw. They are considered very simple, with no legs or special muscles to define. There is only a head (no ears!) and a long tail - what could be simpler?

So, welcome to the perfect start to the world of animal drawing: Snake Drawing Tutorial! I'll show you how to draw poisonous and harmless snakes, and how to draw their hesha and patterns realistically. We won't focus on just one type, but rather look at the techniques needed to draw any part of any type of snake. After completing this tutorial, you will be able to draw most types of snakes with almost no effort.

1. Body of snakes

Basic anatomy

Let's start with some basic snake anatomy. We tend to think that snakes are mostly made up of a long tail, but in fact most of a snake's body is its long chest.

The seemingly innocuous belief that a snake's body consists mainly of its tail leads to completely incorrect drawings of snakes. Even being one of the simplest animals, snake designs still suffer from too little knowledge of their structure. Instead of thinking of them as an ever-tapering tail, it's better to think of them as a chain of beads, which is closer to the curved rib shape that actually makes up the snake's body. The neck beads are a little narrower than the chest beads, and then they get smaller and smaller, but not very quickly. Conversely, if you think of a snake as having a long tail, you are likely to narrow it dramatically.

The length and width of the neck and chest segments depend on the species. Some will have no neck at all, while others are so thin that the breasts will not be noticeable. If you're drawing a snake without focusing on the species, this is where you can experiment. Remember: snakes don't always have to be slender, sometimes they look fat and clumsy!

The string of beads method is very useful for creating 3D poses. If you have trouble imagining the sides, you can use cubes instead of balls.

To make the 3D scene easier to draw, you can add more circles between the ones that create the pose. This way you will get a sense of volume and it will be easier to define the sides.

What about the famous snake hoods that are often found on cobras? They are actually the body of a snake, flattened by straightened ribs. This means that the width of the hood depends on the normal width of the body, and it may not be as wide as you might think.

Types of movement

To create a believable pose, we need to know how snakes move.

1. Snake movement- classic snake movement. The animal uses its strong body to push against the terrain (or simply use the terrain as a whole if it is rough enough to provide resistance).

2. Accordion movement- a movement in which the snake regularly folds and expands, like an accordion. Snakes use this method when passing through narrow tunnels.

3. Caterpillar movement- This movement works similar to the vertical movement of an accordion. A small horizontal accordion may also occur during this movement.

4. Lateral movement- this method is very effective on slippery or hot surfaces (for example, in the desert). The snake pushes itself with the swinging motion of the raised coils, which causes it to move somewhat to the side.

2. How to draw a snake's head

Form

Step 1

I will show you three types of snake head: side view (1), front(2) and above(3). This way you can easily compare them to understand the shape in 3D.

Start with a flattened ball. In addition to the center line, there should also be a line located at one third of the diameter.

Step 2

Step 3

Add another, larger ball behind the main one. This way we will properly lengthen the skull.

How much larger should this second ball be? Typically, venomous snakes have more triangular heads, with a distinct neck end, so you'll need a much larger second ball. Non-venomous snakes tend to have narrower heads, so the second ball should be slightly wider.

Step 4

Now you can easily outline the contours.

Step 5

The eyes are placed close to the narrow end of the skull.

Step 6.

Now smile! The snake's smile - or rather mouth - should be wide and well defined. Also add small holes for the nose.

Step 7

With all the guide lines, you can easily draw the rest of the outlines. Don't forget about the small hole between your lips that allows your tongue to slip out without opening your mouth!

Step 9

If you're adding a bottom view to your snake, use the top view circles to create the bottom and just forget about the eyes and nose.

Scales

If you're not comfortable drawing scales just at random and want to remember the rules about their placement, here are some tips. Keep in mind that not all snakes are the same, and their scales may also vary. What I am showing you is a general pattern, especially common in non-venomous species.

Step 1

Let's start with mostly vertical lines. Right under the eye, two on the sides and three more near the nose. (Watch all the views to see exactly what you are drawing, so you can remember it easily).

Step 2

Now, let's move horizontally. Draw a line from the nose to the eye, then divide it into four new ones. The front of the head needs some little tweaks.

Step 3

Now, the back of the head. Immediately behind it, rows of normal scales begin.

Step 4

The bottom view of the head needs a different approach:

Step 5

If you don't want to learn all these arrows by heart, here's a colorful diagram for you. Once again, keep in mind that each snake is different and you can modify these shapes accordingly.

Step 6.

Venomous snakes (and some non-venomous snakes - pythons, in particular, are very clearly visible) may have heat-sensitive pits on their heads. You can think of them as large nose holes made from scales. You can find them anywhere near your nose, and in a line on your upper or lower lip (not necessarily everywhere at the same time, as shown below). They allow the snake to sense temperature (infrared light) to determine its body heat.

Venomous snakes also have smaller, denser scales on their heads, similar to those on the rest of their body. They are easier to draw as they are often quite chaotic. You can make the head less "slick", with high nostrils and strong eyebrows to give a more aggressive appearance to the snake.

Eyes

It's time for some details. Typically, venomous snakes have slit pupils, while non-venomous snakes have round pupils. Their eyes themselves are round, but can appear sharper due to the "brow" scales. Use it for an evil look!

Snake eyes come in an incredibly large array of colors. Basically anything you can imagine will look good on your modified looks as long as you stick to the round shape and the right pupil.

Jaws

Snakes have the most interesting jaw design of any animal (with the possible exception of the moray eel). Let's start gradually. First, the fangs (if any) must be curved inward so that the snake does not bite itself (snakes are not immune to their own venom!).

Secondly, there is a bone between the upper and lower jaws that is loosely connected to them. This gives the jaw a huge range of motion. Snakes with long and strongly curved fangs (such as vipers) can "retract" them - bend the tip of the mouth to highlight them more clearly.

But that's not all: each jaw is divided into two (connected by an elastic ligament), and each can move independently. Now it's obvious how snakes can swallow prey much larger than their head!

Details

Let's take a good close-up of the head:

1. Fangs- sharp, like needles, often covered with thick resin. Only poisonous snakes have it!
2. Poison duct- the poison passes from his gland directly through the hollow fang. It can then be transferred into the victim's body during the bite. Some species are capable of spitting venom through their fangs.
3. Glottis- an opening that is part of the respiratory system. It allows the snake to continue breathing as it swallows and can also create a hissing sound.
4. Language- long, thin (but not flat) and shiny. The snake uses it to "lick" the air, so it is used as an additional sense organ. To process "taste", the tongue must touch a special organ inside the mouth, so it slides in and out. The tip is bifurcated to create two independent tips, each receiving a slightly different signal from its side (just like two eyes work). The pose shown below is impossible because the tongue slips out of its sheath only when the mouth is closed.
5. Cheeks- these strong muscles control the movement of the jaws. Paint them the way they deserve to be, thick and strong.

3. Scales and patterns

The scales are where the serpent's simplicity ends. Now the brave artist must be patient and draw out each scale one by one and then shade them equally. No, I'm not going to show you some magic method to avoid this work, instead I'll show you how to avoid wasting time by finishing with a flat pattern.

Scale structure

We have already described and sketched out the structure around the head. In addition, quite regular and already familiar scales are found in neat, ordered rows. Dorsal scales cover the entire back and sides, while the rest of the space is occupied ventral wide oblong plates, covering the entire abdomen, parallel throughout the body. They can be as wide as the body (covering the entire width of the abdomen) or narrower. If they are narrower, they may not be visible from the side.

Of course, there is a place where the belly ends and the tail begins. This place is determined anal plate(colloquially, the butt of a snake). Here there are already differences between the poisonous (left) and non-poisonous (right) species:

• Venomous snakes have one anal plate, and the scales under the tail are located immediately behind it
• In non-venomous snakes, the anal plate slipped off, and then the other scales also separated.

The scales themselves aren't very difficult to draw, and you've probably seen the mini-tutorial in the image below. Cross a few lines and they will draw scales in between - we've all done it. The problem is that this trick gives us very flat scales, so we need to change it.

Here are the steps to follow to create an outline for the scales that will look real to the snake's body.

Step 1

The trick is to bend the original line slightly, both ways, in the opposite direction. So instead of drawing a slanted line, you just need to draw an elongated S (or integral symbol) and intersect it with the mirror image.

Step 2

The other lines should copy the bend. Simply repeat this shallow, curved line pattern along the snake's body.

Step 3

If you now draw the scales on the grid, you will see that they become smaller towards the edge, giving them the receding appearance that a 3D snake's body should have. This is all!

However, this method becomes quite problematic when it comes to curves on the snake's body. Here is a workaround for this problem. It may seem strange at first, but try it and you will see how it works:

1. Draw guides in the usual way on straight sections
2. Draw a set of parallel lines between the pink line from A and the blue line from B
3. Do the same between the blue line from A and the pink line from B
4. If you did everything correctly, the scales should now follow a curve. The stretching of the lines inside the curve should now look natural.

Textures

Generally, there are two different types of scales - smooth(1) and kilva(bordered, 2). Smooth scales are shiny (but not wet) and are usually rounder than keel scales, which are rougher and sharper looking.

There is a special type of keeled scales raised in such a way that they appear pointed.

The scales are connected only to the skin, but not to each other. Therefore, when the skin is stretched (3 - when swallowing a large victim or even when moving), the scales move away from each other. Some less slender snakes may have close-fitting scales on their head and neck (1), with little space between them along their body (2).

Patterns

Once you have a problem sorting the scales, you can add color to your snake. The pattern options are endless! Although most animals are dullly colored for camouflage, snakes proudly show their bodies to the world, announcing how dangerous they are and that they are not worth messing with. Finally, you can use rich, vibrant colors without straying from realism.

Here are color patterns that work well.

Plain

This could be the basis for a template or just a template. Use any color you want for the entire body.

Changing this pattern should softly blend it with other colors. You can make the head darker or the belly lighter as you wish.

Rings

Rings go around the body. They can be single-color or multi-color (stripes with borders).

Cross bands are variations of rings. They also go around the body, but do not cross the stomach.

Stains

These are small spots of color on individual scales.

Stripes

They run the length of the body, straight and regular.

Blots

They can be very irregular, of varying sizes, and placed randomly throughout the body.

Almost every template allows you to change the contrast borders.