How to Draw a Plesiosaur (Easy Step by Step)
A plesiosaur was a long-necked sea reptile with a round body and flippers. This drawing is built from a circle, a big oval and a few leaf shapes, so it is easy to put together one piece at a time. Add some wavy water at the end and it looks like it is swimming.
- Easy
- 10 minutes
- 7 steps
You need: paper, a pencil, an eraser, and crayons or markers for coloring.
Start drawingIn this article (7 sections)
How to draw a plesiosaur step by step
How to Draw a Plesiosaur · tinyhandscreate.com
Step 1: Head and neck
Draw a circle for the head near the top left. Then draw a long, wiggly neck that hangs down from under the head, with two wavy lines going down and a curved line across the neck right under the head.
Step 2: The big body
Draw a wide, flat oval for the body below the neck. Start at the bottom of the neck on the left and curve across the top to the right, then stop with a small gap on the right side.
Step 3: The long tail
Finish the bottom of the body oval by curving around underneath it. Then, at the right end of the body, draw a curved line that sweeps up to a point. Add a second curve underneath it to close the tail.
Step 4: First front flipper
Under the left side of the body, draw two small, rounded flipper shapes side by side, like skinny leaves. Let them touch each other a little.
Step 5: Second front flipper
Under the left-middle part of the body, add one more rounded flipper next to the first ones, so the flippers look like a little cluster.
Step 6: Eye and smile
Add a small dot for the eye inside the head. Then draw a little curved smile near the bottom left of the head.
Step 7: Wavy water
Under your plesiosaur, draw two wavy lines that go up and down like a snake. Make the lower one start a little to the right of the top one.
All done!
Go over your lines with a marker, then color it in.
Finished your plesiosaur? Keep the pencils out and learn how to draw a paleontologist or how to draw a fossil next.
Tips for drawing a plesiosaur
- Draw the neck slowly with wiggly lines. Try to keep the two sides about the same distance apart.
- Make the body oval wide and flat before you add the tail, so the tail has a clear spot to start from.
- Draw the flippers as small rounded leaf shapes that hang down from the bottom of the body, and keep them close to the same size.
Free plesiosaur coloring page
Want to go straight to coloring? Open this plesiosaur 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 plesiosaur drawing
Try green or teal for the body and neck, with a lighter color for the flippers and tail. For a creative twist, color the water in stripes of blue and purple.
Plesiosaur fun fact for kids
Plesiosaurs were not dinosaurs. They were reptiles that lived in the ocean long ago, and they paddled through the water with four strong flippers.
Questions about drawing a plesiosaur
What shapes do I need to draw a plesiosaur?
You need a circle for the head, a big oval for the body, a wiggly tube for the neck, and curved leaf shapes for the tail and flippers.
How do I draw the long neck of a plesiosaur?
Start two wiggly lines under the head and let them wave gently down to the body. Keep the lines about the same distance apart so the neck stays the same width.
How do I make my plesiosaur look cuter?
Draw a big round head, a small dot eye and a curved smile. A short, chubby body and rounded flippers also make it look friendly.
