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how to draw a dinosaur

How to draw a dinosaur - a free dinosaur drawing guide

Draw a friendly dinosaur step-by-step using simple shapes, pencils, shading, and color to learn proportion, texture, composition, and imaginative details.

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Photos of dinosaur drawing examples

Step-by-step guide to draw a friendly dinosaur

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How to Draw a Dinosaur for Kids! (Easy Step-by-Step Tutorial)

What you need

Paper, pencil, eraser, pencil sharpener, tissue or cotton swab, coloring materials (colored pencils crayons or markers), black pen or marker (optional)

Step 1

Find a flat surface and place your paper and pencil so you can draw comfortably.

Step 2

Lightly sketch a big oval for the dinosaur’s body and a smaller circle in front for the head.

Step 3

Draw a curved neck that connects the head circle to the body oval and a long curved tail from the back of the body.

Step 4

Draw two thick legs under the body and two small arms near the front using simple rounded shapes.

Step 5

Draw a round eye and a friendly curved smile on the head.

Step 6

Add a row of triangular spikes along the back and tail.

Step 7

Trace a smooth outer outline around your shapes to make one clear dinosaur form.

Step 8

Gently erase the extra guide lines so the dinosaur shape looks clean.

Step 9

Add texture by drawing short curved lines for scales and tiny lines for claws on the feet and hands.

Step 10

Shade under the belly and along one side with your pencil to show shadow and make the dinosaur look 3D.

Step 11

Lightly blend the shaded areas with a tissue or cotton swab to soften the shadows.

Step 12

Color your dinosaur using at least two colors and draw a simple ground line or a small background element.

Step 13

Share your finished friendly dinosaur on DIY.org

Help!?

What can we use instead of a tissue or cotton swab for blending the pencil shading in step 12?

If you don't have a tissue or cotton swab for step 12, lightly rub the shaded areas with a clean fingertip, a folded piece of paper towel, or the corner of a soft napkin to blend the pencil.

My drawing looks messy after erasing—how can I stop the guide lines from ruining the final dinosaur outline?

If heavy guide lines from steps 2–3 are making the final shape messy, redraw the smooth outer outline in step 7 with a darker pencil or pen first, then gently erase the lighter guide lines with a clean eraser and remember to sketch lightly at the start.

How can I change this activity for different ages so it's not too hard or too easy?

For ages 3–5 have kids use pre-drawn big ovals and chunky crayons and skip shading and spikes, for ages 6–9 follow all steps including simple spikes and light shading, and for ages 10+ add detailed scales, cross-hatching in step 11–12 and a more complex background in step 13.

What are some fun ways to enhance or personalize our finished dinosaur after step 13?

After coloring in step 13, personalize your dinosaur by adding patterns or stickers to its body, cutting and gluing a second colored outline for a 3D effect, drawing a more detailed background like trees or a volcano on the ground line, and then share your creation on DIY.org.

Watch videos on how to draw a friendly dinosaur

0:00/0:00

Here at SafeTube, we're on a mission to create a safer and more delightful internet. 😊

How to Draw Dinosaurs 🦖 | Easy Step-by-Step Drawing Tutorial for Beginners & Kids

4 Videos

Facts about drawing techniques for kids

🦕 Some dinosaurs were as small as chickens, while the largest sauropods grew over 30 meters long—perfect for imagining big or tiny friendly dinos!

✏️ Pencils don’t contain lead—the "lead" is actually graphite, and artists use different graphite grades for light or dark shading.

🎨 Artists use color theory—warm colors (reds, oranges) can make a dino feel closer and energetic, while cool colors (blues, greens) make it calm or distant.

🔷 Breaking a dino into simple shapes (circles for the body, ovals for legs) is a classic trick to get correct proportions quickly.

🌈 Many dinosaur looks (feathers, bright patterns) are creative choices—scientists often rely on clues, but artists add imaginative details to bring them to life.

How do I teach my child to draw a friendly dinosaur step by step?

Start by drawing simple shapes: an oval for the body, a smaller circle for the head, and a curved line for the tail. Sketch guideline lines to place legs and neck. Add rounded triangles for spikes, small circles for eyes, and a smiling mouth. Refine outlines with a darker pencil, erase guidelines, then add shading to suggest volume and texture. Finish with colored pencils or crayons, layering colors for depth and imaginative details.

What materials do we need to draw a dinosaur with pencils and color?

You’ll need plain paper or a sketchbook, HB and 2B pencils for sketching and shading, an eraser, pencil sharpener, colored pencils, crayons or washable markers, and a blending stump or finger for soft shading (optional). Extras: reference images, a ruler for initial guidelines, stickers for decoration, and a fixative spray for finished pencil work. Always choose non-toxic, child-safe art supplies.

What ages is drawing a dinosaur with simple shapes suitable for?

This activity suits children roughly ages 4–12. Preschoolers (4–6) enjoy tracing simple shapes and coloring with adult help; elementary kids (7–9) can follow step-by-step drawing and practice basic shading; older children (10–12+) can refine proportions, textures, and composition. Adjust complexity to age and skill, and supervise younger children when using sharp tools or small items.

What are the benefits and safe variations of a dinosaur drawing activity?

Drawing dinosaurs improves fine motor skills, visual-spatial reasoning, creativity, and understanding of proportion and texture. It also builds patience and storytelling. For safety, use non-toxic, washable materials and supervise scissors or sharp tools. Variations include different dinosaur species, textured collages, watercolor washes, background scenes, or a flipbook animation. Encourage imaginative details and celebrate each child’s unique design.

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2025, URSOR LIMITED. All rights reserved. DIY is in no way affiliated with Minecraft™, Mojang, Microsoft, Roblox™ or YouTube. LEGO® is a trademark of the LEGO® Group which does not sponsor, endorse or authorize this website or event. Made with love in San Francisco.

All Activities

how to draw a dinosaur

How to draw a dinosaur - a free dinosaur drawing guide

Draw a friendly dinosaur step-by-step using simple shapes, pencils, shading, and color to learn proportion, texture, composition, and imaginative details.

Table of contents

Drawing Apps

Photos of dinosaur drawing examples

Step-by-step guide to draw a friendly dinosaur

0:00/0:00

Here at SafeTube, we're on a mission to create a safer and more delightful internet. 😊

How to Draw a Dinosaur for Kids! (Easy Step-by-Step Tutorial)

What you need

Paper, pencil, eraser, pencil sharpener, tissue or cotton swab, coloring materials (colored pencils crayons or markers), black pen or marker (optional)

Step 1

Find a flat surface and place your paper and pencil so you can draw comfortably.

Step 2

Lightly sketch a big oval for the dinosaur’s body and a smaller circle in front for the head.

Step 3

Draw a curved neck that connects the head circle to the body oval and a long curved tail from the back of the body.

Step 4

Draw two thick legs under the body and two small arms near the front using simple rounded shapes.

Step 5

Draw a round eye and a friendly curved smile on the head.

Step 6

Add a row of triangular spikes along the back and tail.

Step 7

Trace a smooth outer outline around your shapes to make one clear dinosaur form.

Step 8

Gently erase the extra guide lines so the dinosaur shape looks clean.

Step 9

Add texture by drawing short curved lines for scales and tiny lines for claws on the feet and hands.

Step 10

Shade under the belly and along one side with your pencil to show shadow and make the dinosaur look 3D.

Step 11

Lightly blend the shaded areas with a tissue or cotton swab to soften the shadows.

Step 12

Color your dinosaur using at least two colors and draw a simple ground line or a small background element.

Step 13

Share your finished friendly dinosaur on DIY.org

Help!?

What can we use instead of a tissue or cotton swab for blending the pencil shading in step 12?

If you don't have a tissue or cotton swab for step 12, lightly rub the shaded areas with a clean fingertip, a folded piece of paper towel, or the corner of a soft napkin to blend the pencil.

My drawing looks messy after erasing—how can I stop the guide lines from ruining the final dinosaur outline?

How can I change this activity for different ages so it's not too hard or too easy?

What are some fun ways to enhance or personalize our finished dinosaur after step 13?

Watch videos on how to draw a friendly dinosaur

0:00/0:00

Here at SafeTube, we're on a mission to create a safer and more delightful internet. 😊

How to Draw Dinosaurs 🦖 | Easy Step-by-Step Drawing Tutorial for Beginners & Kids

4 Videos

Facts about drawing techniques for kids

🦕 Some dinosaurs were as small as chickens, while the largest sauropods grew over 30 meters long—perfect for imagining big or tiny friendly dinos!

✏️ Pencils don’t contain lead—the "lead" is actually graphite, and artists use different graphite grades for light or dark shading.

🎨 Artists use color theory—warm colors (reds, oranges) can make a dino feel closer and energetic, while cool colors (blues, greens) make it calm or distant.

🔷 Breaking a dino into simple shapes (circles for the body, ovals for legs) is a classic trick to get correct proportions quickly.

🌈 Many dinosaur looks (feathers, bright patterns) are creative choices—scientists often rely on clues, but artists add imaginative details to bring them to life.

How do I teach my child to draw a friendly dinosaur step by step?

What materials do we need to draw a dinosaur with pencils and color?

What ages is drawing a dinosaur with simple shapes suitable for?

What are the benefits and safe variations of a dinosaur drawing activity?

Ready to create?

To create a safe space for kid creators worldwide!

Create

Vibe Coding

Kids GPT

All Tools

Kibu

Learn

Worksheets

Courses

Skills

Resources

SafeTube

Blog

FAQ

Pricing

Account

Log-in

Sign-up

Data Deletion

Company

About

Community Guidelines