Dragon wings spread wide behind a row of rooftopsOrange, red, black. Paint the roofline as a black zigzag and the wings rising above it.
Fire in flat shapes: yellow inside orange inside redRed, orange, yellow, black. Paint a large red teardrop and nest an orange and a yellow one inside it.
Pair of yellow eyes glowing in a dark cave mouthBlack, yellow, orange. Paint the cave black and add two yellow almonds with dark slits.
Black dragon gliding across yellow, orange and magentaYellow, orange, magenta, black. Blend the three bands wet, let them dry and add the dragon in flat black.
Dawn sky behind a dragon hunched on a rock spirePeach, lilac, black. Blend peach up into lilac and paint spire and dragon as one black shape.
Dragon curled asleep on a hilltop under swab-dot starsNavy, white, black. Paint the hill and the sleeping dragon as one black hump and dot stars with a cotton swab.
Dragon rising out of storm clouds beside a fork of lightningCharcoal, gray, white, black. Sponge the clouds, pull one white fork down and set the dark dragon beside it.
Dragon slipping through a gap in rosy dusk cloudPink, peach, gray, black. Sponge a ring of cloud and paint the dragon passing through its middle.
Dragon wings spread wide behind a row of rooftopsOrange, red, black. Paint the roofline as a black zigzag and the wings rising above it.
Far-off dragon the size of a bird above purple hillsPurple, pink, black. Paint the hills in two purples and the dragon as a tiny black M with a tail.
Green aurora rippling behind a dragon on a snow ridgeBlack, green, white, teal. Pull the aurora upward with a dry brush, then add the ridge and dragon in black.
Just a wing and a tail leaving the corner of a red skyRed, orange, black. Crop the dragon so only one wing and its tail remain in the corner.
Low-flying dragon doubled in a lake at duskViolet, pink, black. Repeat the flying shape upside down in the water and break it with level dashes.
Mother dragon and hatchling in flight, one large, one smallTeal, yellow, black. Paint the small one tucked just under the big one's wing line.
Winged shadow passing in front of a plate-size moonNavy, pale yellow, black. Trace a plate for the moon and spread the dragon's wings across it.
Heads and eyes close up 12
Crest of spines running back from the browPurple, lilac, black. Paint the spines as a row of triangles that shrink toward the neck.
Dragon face in two halves: ice blue left, ember red rightBlue, white, red, orange. Paint the left half in blues and the right half in reds along one center line.
Front-on face from simple shapes: diamond head, two hornsGreen, yellow, black. Paint a diamond, add two horn triangles and two round yellow eyes.
Gold eye with a black slit, ringed by green scalesGold, black, green, white. Paint the gold oval, the slit down its middle and one white glint.
Head resting on crossed claws, eyes rolled upwardBlue, pale blue, black, white. Paint the chin flat on the paws and lift only the eyes.
Head seen from above: a wedge, two horns, two nostrilsOlive, tan, black. Paint a long wedge and mark the nostrils and eyes as four dots.
Old dragon with long whiskers and a white beardJade, white, gold, black. Pull the whiskers out in long curved lines with a liner brush.
Open jaws with a glow at the back of the throatBlack, orange, yellow, cream. Sponge yellow deep in the mouth and keep the teeth as simple cream triangles.
Pair of yellow eyes glowing in a dark cave mouthBlack, yellow, orange. Paint the cave black and add two yellow almonds with dark slits.
Side view of a snout, steam rising from one nostrilRed, crimson, white, black. Scrub watery white upward from the nostril with a dry brush.
Sleepy amber eye, a scaly lid drooping across itAmber, brown, black, cream. Curve the lid low over the eye so only a crescent of amber shows.
Yellow eye peeking through a crack in a stone wallGray, charcoal, yellow, black. Paint the wall gray, leave a jagged gap and fill it with one yellow eye.
Scales, wings and fire 12
Embers rising as orange and yellow dots through the darkBlack, orange, yellow. Dot sparks with a cotton swab, large and bright low down, small and dim higher up.
Fire in flat shapes: yellow inside orange inside redRed, orange, yellow, black. Paint a large red teardrop and nest an orange and a yellow one inside it.
Five giant scales filling the canvas, lightest at each rimGreen, teal, white. Paint five big overlapping U shapes and blend each one paler toward its rim.
Folded wing as a fan of ribs laid along the backViolet, plum, black. Paint the ribs as curved lines meeting at the shoulder like a closed fan.
Ice breath in white and pale blue on a navy groundWhite, pale blue, navy. Drag white and pale blue outward with a dry brush on a navy ground.
Navy scales, one in every row left bright goldNavy, gold, blue. Paint rows of navy scales and fill a single scale in each row gold instead.
Plume of fire dry-brushed from one corner to the otherBlack, red, orange, yellow. Drag red, then orange, then yellow outward from the corner with a nearly dry brush.
Purple wing as one triangle, its lower side cut in scallopsPurple, black, pink. Paint a triangle, scallop its lower edge and add three lines for ribs.
Scales from single presses of a flat brush, three greensGreen, lime, emerald. Press a flat brush down once for each scale, row by row, changing green as you go.
Tail study: a red ribbon crossing itself, leaf-tippedRed, black, gold. Paint the tail as one long ribbon crossing itself and finish it with a leaf-shaped tip.
Underside study: cream plates between dark green flanksCream, tan, dark green. Band the middle in cream plates and stipple dark green on either side.
Wing spread like a bat's, light glowing through the skinRed, orange, brown, black. Paint the wing fingers dark and glaze watery orange between them.
Long wingless dragons 12
Blue dragon coiled in a spiral, its head at the centerBlue, white, black. Wind the body inward in a spiral and finish with the head in the middle.
Brush-and-ink dragon in black, one red dot beside itBlack, gray, red. Paint the body in one loaded stroke that runs dry toward the tail.
Dragon hidden in cloud: five white puffs, a head and a tailSky blue, white, red. Sponge five puffs in a row and add a red head and tail at the two ends.
Dragon rising from a river while rain falls around itTeal, gray, white, green. Paint the body rising in a curve and pull slanted rain lines over the dry sky.
Dragon the length of a mountain range, asleep along itSlate, green, white, gold. Paint the ridge, then give it scales, a head at one end and a tail at the other.
Long dragon as one green zigzag with four sharp bendsGreen, gold, black. Paint one wide zigzag across the canvas, then add a head, a tail tip and gold dots.
Long dragon tangled in its own loops, head peering outOrange, yellow, black. Paint three overlapping loops and bring the head out of the top one.
One long ribbon of a dragon in red, dotted goldRed, gold, black. Pull one wavy red stroke across the canvas and dot gold along it with a cotton swab.
Paper parade dragon on poles, carried by five walkersRed, yellow, green, black. Paint the body as a row of arches with a pole and a small figure under each.
Twin long dragons facing each other, one red, one blueRed, blue, gold. Paint one in red on the left and its mirror image in blue on the right.
Wingless dragon in an S curve, whiskers trailingRed, gold, black, cream. Paint the body as one long S and add four short legs along it.
Wingless dragon weaving in and out of three wavesNavy, teal, white. Show the body in arcs above the water and hide the rest behind each wave.
Small and friendly dragons 12
Bashful dragon hiding behind a lilac wing, one eye outLilac, purple, pink, black. Sweep the wing across the face and leave one eye above it.
Chubby hatchling sitting up, wings too small to flyMint, yellow, black, white. Paint a pear-shaped body and two tiny wings high on the back.
Dragon and kitten touching nosesOrange, gray, pink, white. Paint both heads low and level so the noses just touch.
Dragon on a hill holding the string of a diamond kiteGreen, red, yellow, sky blue. Run a fine line from the paw up to a diamond kite.
Friendly dragon holding a balloon string in its tailBlue, red, yellow, white. Wrap the tail tip around the string and float the balloon above the head.
Simple dragon: an oval, a triangle tail and a zigzag backGreen, yellow, black. Paint an oval body, a triangle tail and a zigzag of spikes along the top.
Sleepy dragon nested on a heap of striped cushionsPink, teal, mustard, cream. Stack the cushions as rounded blocks and curl the dragon on top.
Small dragon asleep in a flowerpot, tail over the rimRust, green, pink, cream. Paint the pot first and drape the tail down its side.
Small dragon blowing bubbles instead of fireTeal, pink, white, pale blue. Outline each bubble in white and add one small glint on its upper side.
Small dragon warming a kettle with one careful breathGreen, orange, gray, yellow. Paint a small orange flame between the snout and the kettle.
Three hatchlings in three colors on one branchRed, blue, yellow, brown. Paint three small pear shapes in a row and add wings and tails.
Tiny dragon curled into a comma inside a slipperPurple, tan, pink. Curl the dragon into a comma shape inside the slipper's opening.
How it works
Dragons come in two old shapes. Europe's is a scaly, horned lizard with bat-like wings and fire. China's is most often snake-like, with four legs and no wings, and it belongs to water and rain.
Read the full guide
Dragon canvas painting ideas in one flat color
A dragon is hard to draw and easy to recognize, so paint only its outline. Blend a sky, let it dry, and add the dragon in flat black: wings, a long neck and a tail are enough. Black dragon gliding across yellow, orange and magenta is that picture.
Scales without drawing every one
Paint rows of U shapes from the bottom up, each row overlapping the last, or press a flat brush down once for every scale. Scales from single presses of a flat brush, three greens fills a whole canvas that way. On a body, scale only the back and leave the rest flat.
The easiest sit under More filters, Level: 22 dragons in flat shapes, silhouettes and dots.
Questions and answers
Which are easy dragon painting ideas for kids on canvas?
Simple dragon: an oval, a triangle tail and a zigzag back is three shapes in flat color, and Three hatchlings in three colors on one branch repeats one pear shape. Neither needs shading.
How do you paint dragon fire?
Work from dark to light on a dark ground: red first, then orange, then yellow in the middle. Fire in flat shapes: yellow inside orange inside red does it with three teardrops, and a nearly dry brush dragged outward makes a plume.
Do all dragons have wings?
No. The European dragon of the Middle Ages has leathery wings like a bat, but the Chinese dragon is usually shown snake-like, with four legs and none. Long wingless dragons is its own group here.
What colors do I need to paint a dragon?
The first silhouette takes black and three sunset colors. For a dragon in color, choose one main color, a paler mix of it for the belly and gold or yellow for the eye. Each idea lists its own colors.