How to Draw a Snake (Easy Step by Step)
This friendly snake is built from just a few easy shapes: a big oval head, a bendy neck, and two round coils stacked like sausages. A tiny forked tongue, a curly tail and a row of little diamonds finish it off. It is a great first drawing for kids who are ready to try curvy lines.
- Easy
- 12 minutes
- 9 steps
You need: paper, a pencil, an eraser, and crayons or markers for coloring.
Start drawingIn this article (7 sections)
How to draw a snake step by step
How to Draw a Snake · tinyhandscreate.com
Step 1: Guide shapes
Lightly sketch this oval. It only shows where the big parts go, so press softly. You will erase it at the end.
Step 2: The head
Draw a big oval for the snake's head near the top of your page. Make it a little wider than it is tall.
Step 3: Neck and coil sides
Start at the bottom left of the head and draw a wavy line going down. At the bottom, curve it out to the left. Do the same on the right side, curving out to the right.
Step 4: Top coil bottom
Join the two curved ends with a long, gently curved line along the bottom. Now the neck and top coil make a shape like a boot.
Step 5: The bottom coil
Under the top coil, draw a wide, rounded shape like a big sausage lying on its side. Start at the left end of the top coil, curve around the bottom, and finish at the right end.
Step 6: Face and tongue
Draw two small dots for eyes in the middle of the head. Add a little curved smile below them. Then draw a short line down from under the head and split it into a tiny V for a forked tongue.
Step 7: The curly tail
At the bottom right of the lower coil, draw a short line that swoops out and ends in a little curl, like a question mark.
Step 8: Top diamonds
Draw three small diamonds in a row on the top coil. Make each one by drawing a tilted square.
Step 9: Bottom diamonds
Draw four more diamonds in a row on the bottom coil. Try to keep them about the same size and evenly spaced.
All done!
Erase the guide shapes, go over your lines, then color it in.
Finished your snake? Keep the pencils out and learn how to draw a gecko or how to draw a crocodile next.
Tips for drawing a snake
- Draw the neck lines one at a time and let them wobble a little. The wavy shape is what makes it look like a snake instead of a tube.
- The coils are the trickiest part. Think of two flat sausages, one sitting on top of the other, and draw the top one first.
- For the diamonds, draw a tiny square first and then tilt your paper. It is easier to keep them the same size this way.
Free snake coloring page
Want to go straight to coloring? Open this snake coloring page at full size and print it. It is the same drawing you just learned, with clean lines ready for crayons or markers.
How to color your snake drawing
Try bright green with yellow diamonds, or go with orange and purple for a fantasy snake. For a creative twist, give each diamond a different color so the snake looks like a rainbow pattern.
Snake fun fact for kids
Snakes smell with their tongues. When a snake flicks its tongue in and out, it picks up tiny bits of scent from the air and the ground to find out what is nearby.
Questions about drawing a snake
What shapes do I need to draw a snake?
You need an oval for the head, two wavy lines for the neck, and two rounded sausage shapes for the coils. The diamonds are just tilted squares.
How do I make my snake look cuter?
Make the head big and round, and keep the eyes small and wide apart. A curvy smile and a little curly tail make it look extra friendly.
How do I draw a snake's coils?
Draw the top coil first, curving the ends of the neck lines outward and joining them along the bottom. Then add a second, longer rounded shape underneath it, starting and ending at the ends of the top coil.
