A Chinese imperial dragon with five clawsUnder later dynasties the five-clawed dragon was kept for the emperor alone. Draw a long body in S-curves.
A dragon drawn as a knot patternPencil the body as a ribbon that passes over, then under, then over itself. Add a head at one end.
A dragon on a weathervane, seen against the skyA flat metal silhouette on a pole above the letters N, E, S and W. Fill it solid black.
A dragon-prowed longship on a calm seaA long low boat with a carved dragon head on a tall curved prow and a row of round shields.
A heraldic dragon on a shield, flat and stiffSide view, legs spread in a set pose, every scale a neat curve. No shading: heraldry is flat colour.
A Japanese dragon with three claws on each footLong and snake-like with small legs. Old Japanese art usually gives it three claws per foot.
A knucker rising from a pond in a Sussex fieldAn English water dragon said to live in deep ponds called knuckerholes. Draw the ripples first.
A lindworm coiled on a rock, two clawed forelegsA long serpent body, a dragon's head and only two front legs. In some Swedish tales it has none.
A many-headed hydra with two heads regrowingIn later versions of the myth two heads grew back for each one cut off. Draw two small heads on one neck.
A wyvern standing on its two legs, wings half openA wyvern has two legs and two wings, with the wings where a dragon's front legs would be. Pointed tail.
An amphiptere, a winged serpent with no legsA snake body with a pair of wings near the head. It comes from European heraldry.
An ouroboros, a serpent eating its own tailOne ring. The head at the top bites the tail tip. Keep the body the same width all round.
Ladon wrapped round a tree of golden applesThe dragon of Greek myth that guarded the golden apples. Spiral the body up the trunk.
The red Welsh dragon, standing on one hind legSide view, one foreleg raised, tail curling up behind. On the flag it sits on white over green.
The Tarasque with six legs and a turtle shellA dragon from southern France, drawn on old seals with six feet and a spiked shell on its back.
Poses and moments 15
A dragon asleep with one wing over it like a blanketOne big oval body, head tucked in, and a wing laid over the top with its edge scalloped.
A dragon basking on a warm rock, belly flatA long body pressed flat on a rock, legs splayed out sideways like a lizard, eyes closed.
A dragon breathing fire, seen side onNeck stretched forward, jaw open, the flame widening as it goes. Leave the brightest part white.
A dragon diving straight down, wings foldedA long arrow shape, head first, wings tight to the body, tail streaming behind.
A dragon gliding with its wings spread flatSeen from below: a cross shape of long body and wide wings, the wing bones showing like fingers.
A dragon landing, wings braking, feet reachingWings spread wide and tipped forward like a parachute, back legs stretched down to touch.
A dragon peering into a cave mouthA dark arched opening and one big eye and snout filling most of it from outside.
A dragon perched on a cliff edge, looking downClaws gripping the rock lip, wings folded, neck bent down over the drop. Draw the cliff first.
A dragon rearing up on its back legsThe weight sits on the back legs and tail like a tripod. Front claws up, wings raised.
A dragon shaking rain off its wingsWings half open and blurred with extra outlines, drops flying off in curved lines.
A dragon silhouette crossing the moonA big pale circle and a black dragon shape in front of it, wings at the top of a beat.
A dragon stretching like a waking catFront legs flat forward, back end in the air, wings stretched up and a long yawn.
A dragon swimming, only its back ridges above waterA flat water line with a row of spiky ridges breaking it and a trail of ripples behind.
A dragon walking away over a hill, seen from behindA tail, two back legs and the tops of folded wings disappearing over one curved line.
Two dragons circling each other in flightPencil a circle first and place both bodies along it, one flying towards you and one away.
Cute and small 15
A baby dragon failing to breathe fire, one puff of smokeA round baby dragon, cheeks puffed, a single small cloud coming out instead of flame.
A dragon asleep on a pile of books instead of goldA stack of books like a hill, a small dragon curled on top with one book open under its chin.
A dragon curled round a coffee mug to keep it warmA mug with steam, and a small dragon wrapped round it with its chin resting on the rim.
A dragon family lined up by sizeFour dragons side by side, biggest to smallest, all in the same pose with different spikes.
A dragon gardener watering flowers with steamA dragon bending over a flower bed, a soft cloud of steam coming from its nose.
A dragon hatchling tangled in its eggshellHalf a shell stuck on its head like a helmet and the other half on its tail.
A dragon hiding badly behind a thin treeA thin trunk, and a big dragon behind it with its body sticking out on both sides.
A dragon in a raincoat splashing in a puddleA round dragon in a hooded coat, wings poking through slits, and a splash round its feet.
A dragon knitting its own wing coversSitting upright with needles in its claws, one finished wing sock hanging from a wing tip.
A dragon playing fetch with a stickA dragon bounding like a dog, a stick in its jaws, wings flapping for balance.
A dragon toasting marshmallows on its own breathA small dragon holding a stick with a marshmallow in a thin line of flame.
A dragon too big for its cave, tail sticking outA cave mouth, and a long tail and one back foot poking out of it along the ground.
A dragon wearing a knitted scarfA round-bodied dragon sitting up, a striped scarf wound round its long neck twice.
A pocket dragon peeking out of a shirt pocketA square pocket, and a small dragon head and two claws hooked over its edge.
A tiny dragon sitting in a teacupA cup and saucer, the dragon's head and front claws over the rim, wings sticking out.
Heads, wings and details 15
A dragon claw gripping the edge of a rockThree front toes and one back, each ending in a hooked talon that curls over the edge.
A dragon egg with scales and a crackAn oval covered in overlapping scale arcs, one zigzag crack across the middle.
A dragon foot print in the snowThree long toe marks and one short behind, each tipped with a deep claw point.
A dragon head from the front, symmetricalPencil a centre line and draw one side, then mirror it: nostrils, eyes, horns, jaw.
A dragon head in profile with swept-back hornsA long wedge of a snout, a heavy brow and two horns curving back from above the eye.
A dragon jaw open, showing rows of teethDraw the jaw hinge first, then the teeth getting smaller towards the back of the mouth.
A dragon nostril breathing out a curl of smokeA close-up snout, a ridged nostril and one lazy spiral of smoke rising from it.
A dragon skull seen side onA long snout, a big eye hole and horn bases. Draw the holes dark and keep the bone pale.
A dragon tail ending in a spade tipA long tapering curve, spikes along the top, and a flat heart-like shape at the very end.
A dragon's back ridge from neck to tailOne long wavy spine line, with spikes along it that are tallest at the shoulders.
A dragon's folded wing, seen from aboveThe long bones folded together like a closed umbrella, the skin in narrow pleats between them.
A patch of dragon scales, overlapping like roof tilesStart at the bottom row and work up, each row half covering the one below it.
A study sheet of six dragon hornsStraight, curled, branching, ridged, twisted and swept-back, each drawn alone in a box.
A turnaround sheet: one dragon from four sidesRule four boxes. Draw the dragon front, side, back and three-quarter, lining up the tops of the heads.
One dragon wing open, bones like a handAn arm, then long finger bones fanning out, with thin skin stretched between them in curves.
How it works
Sixty dragons to draw in four kinds: dragons from legend, poses and moments, cute and small, and heads, wings and details.
Read the full guide
Dragons from legend, not from films
Dragons from legend holds 15 old shapes worth knowing. A wyvern has two legs and two wings, a lindworm only front legs, an amphiptere none. The Tarasque has six legs and a turtle shell. A real type beats one invented from memory.
Build a dragon from its parts
Heads, wings and details breaks the hard parts down. One dragon wing open, bones like a hand, shows how a wing folds: long fingers with skin between. Draw a study sheet of six dragon horns before a whole dragon.
Sketch the pose as a stick figure with one long curved spine line. Wings and scales come last.
Keep scales to one area, such as the back ridge. Scales everywhere flatten the shape.
Questions and answers
What are some easy dragon drawing ideas?
An ouroboros, a serpent eating its own tail, is one ring. A dragon silhouette crossing the moon is one black shape. A tiny dragon sitting in a teacup is mostly cup. Easy holds 23.
How do I draw dragon wings?
Treat each wing as an arm with very long fingers and stretch skin between them in shallow curves. Seen from below, as in a dragon gliding with its wings spread flat, the bones show clearly.
Are there cute dragons to draw?
Cute and small holds 15, such as a baby dragon failing to breathe fire, one puff of smoke, and a dragon asleep on a pile of books instead of gold.