How to Draw a Dragon: Cartoon Step by Step

Start in the middle of the page and leave a small gap in the center for the snout. Draw a curl on the left side that arcs up and around to make the top of the left eye, then bring it back down toward the cheek. Mirror that shape on the right.

Once the outer eye outlines are in, draw a smaller curve inside each one - that's the pupil border. Put a tiny circle on the top of each pupil for the highlight, then fill the rest of the pupil in solid black with the marker. Leaving the highlight unfilled is what makes the eyes look alive.

Right between the eyes drop two small black dots for the nostrils, then arc a soft curve above them to suggest the bridge of the snout.

Move underneath the eyes and draw the smile - a wide curve that dips down and comes back up. Extend the corners outward to hint at the cheeks. Tuck a small chin under the smile by curving down and back up between the two corners.

From the corners of the smile, add two short pointed fangs that taper down and turn slightly inward. The fangs sit just below the smile line.

Above the left eye draw a rounded bump that arcs up and comes back down past the outside of the eye - that's the brow. Mirror the shape on the right side at the same height.

From the top of each brow, bring a line up and inward. Leave a small gap right in the center, then close it with a soft dip that comes down and back up. The head should now be a rounded shape with two brow bumps and a slight valley between them.

In the center dip on top of the head, draw a small pointed horn - a narrow triangle that comes up and tucks back in.

On each side of the head, starting near the outside of the brow, draw a larger horn that curves up and outward. Round off the tip, then bring the back of the horn down and inward so it meets the side of the head.

The result is one little horn pointing straight up in the middle and two ear-shaped horns flaring out to the sides.

Below the head, draw the arms folded across the chest. Start on the left and curve a line out, down, and back toward the center. Mirror that arc on the right so the two arms meet near the middle.

Inside each hand, draw three small fingers that look like little circles tucked together. Pull a short line up from the top of each hand for the back of the forearm.

The dragon now has a head with horns sitting on top of two folded arms, like a tiny dragon waiting patiently.

Under the arms, draw a wide half-oval for the body that comes down, around, and back up. The bottom of the oval is roughly twice as wide as the arms.

From the bottom corners of the body, drop two short lines for the legs and bend them outward into feet. On the bottom of each foot, draw two small half circles side by side - those are the toe humps.

The whole dragon silhouette is in place now: head, horns, arms, body, and two stubby feet ready to walk off the page.

Swing a curve out from the lower-left side of the body for the tail. Pull it out, then back toward the body, tapering it slightly thicker in the middle. Along the top of the tail, add three small triangle spikes that get bigger toward the tip.

For the wings, start at the top of each arm. Arc a curve up and around the head, then back down to a point on the outside. Trace the inside of the wing back toward the arm, leaving a wider top and narrower bottom. Add one small bone-line coming down from the inside of each wing to suggest the wing's structure.

That's the dragon. Add a splash of color with markers if you want - orange body, yellow belly, green eyes - and you're done.