Draw an alligator
and learn about this interesting reptile
What you need: Pencil, eraser, and watercolors.
| 1. Start with the oval that will become the alligator's belly. Add the circle and wishbone shapes for the head. The front legs need a wide stance to support the animal's large head. Its front feet are similar to hands and get round buds for guidelines. Another curved line will become the tail. Notice the back leg and foot. Like humans, the heel is on the ground. Many other animals have heels midway up the leg and knees up close to the body.  |
2. Flesh out the legs and tail. Notice how the top of the tail is flat, with two long, ridges. Place the eyes on top of the head and then very carefully observe the complex construction of the mouth. Strive to capture the overall shape of the mouth before you add all of the wavy curves along the gum line. Gently erase guidelines. |
3. Now is the time to refine the mouth. The tongue sits inside the lower jaw and the throat is visible behind the tongue. The nostrils face up to allow breathing while submerged. Horizontal bands wrap across the back and belly of the gator. Draw spikes between the bands and down the tail along the ridges. The animal's front feet have five toes, while the back feet have only four. |
| 4. Begin inking with your fine-point felt tip. You may want to beef up the lines on the gator's underside because these areas would fall in shadow. Add some reeds to the background and foreg round. After the ink has dried thoroughly, gently erase the pencil lines. |
5. Add color to your alligator with either watercolors, markers or colored pencils. This drawing was finished in watercolors in shades of dull green (green and brown), ochre (yellow and brown) and pink. The fishnet patterns simulate scales. |