Turtles may not be cuddly but they sure are cute. This, coupled with the fact that they aren’t likely to disappear in a hurry, makes them the perfect subject to add to the list of animals you can draw.
Drawing a turtle might sound tricky but with the help of our turtle drawing guide, you’ll have this beloved critter nailed in no time. We’ll show you what you’ll need and how to draw a turtle step-by-step, before providing a few fascinating facts about our resident turtles you may not know.
What will I need?
Before we delve into our turtle drawing guide, let’s take a look at the materials you’ll need to hand. Of course, this might differ depending on how you like to draw and the tools you like to work with, so feel free to swap in any pens, pencils, paints, and crayons that you like.
- Pencil
- Sheet of paper
- Colouring pencils/pens
- Eraser
Planning on drawing a turtle during your visit to our Ocean Tunnel exhibit? Bring along a clipboard or other hard surface so you can settle into your preferred drawing position.
How to draw a turtle in 6 easy steps
While there are over 350 species of turtles in the wild, our turtle drawing guide will show you how to draw one of the most famous of the lot: the loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta).
Depicted by Crush and Squirt in Disney’s Finding Nemo, loggerhead turtles are perhaps one of the most recognisable turtles in our oceans. The species has a large head and powerful jaws, with a brown, heart-shaped top shell (known as the carapace) that is reddish-brown in colour. Of course, if you need any more inspiration on how these incredible creatures look, you’ll find them at our Ocean Tunnel exhibit.
In the meantime, follow our interactive guide below to learn how to draw a turtle step-by-step.
- Step 1: Start by drawing an oval shape for the body with a flatter edge on the left and a smaller oval for the head on the right with an additional curve under for connecting the fin later. On the right-hand side of the head, draw two lines curving inwards for the beak.
- Step 2: Next draw the front flippers by adding curved lines under the head and at the front of the body which connect at a point as shown.
- Step 3: Add the two rear limbs by drawing a jagged curved line from the left side and connecting this to the underside of the body. Repeat the process to the right for the second rear limb.
- Step 4: Now it’s time to add the top shell detailing! Loggerhead turtles have five costal scutes and five vertebral scutes on the carapace, so make sure there are five lines curving toward the left and another five curving to the right. Line the shell with curves and then add smaller curves close to the head.
- Step 5: Once you have the outline of your loggerhead turtle, it’s time to add the brown spots and markings. These should be on all four fins and the head. You can also add a small black circle with a smaller white circle inside for the eye.
- Step 6: Finally, colour in your loggerhead sea turtle to bring it to life! They usually have pale yellow bodies, a reddish-brown carapace and deep brown markings.
All done? Don’t forget to share your drawing with us on Facebook, Instagram and X.
5 facts about sea turtles you may not know
To give your creation some context, here are some of our favourite facts about sea turtles.
- The loggerhead sea turtle migrates for up to 8,000 miles across the open ocean, from Japan to Australia to Peru and onwards to Mexico and California. These animals spend the first 7-15 years of their lives migrating, covering thousands of miles in a single season.
- Biologists believe that green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas) are green thanks to their vegetarian diet, with a diet of seagrass and algae turning their cartilage green.
- Sea turtles come ashore to lay their eggs, burying their “clutch” in deep holes in the sand. The temperature of the sand determines the sex of a baby turtle, with cooler incubation conditions producing males and warmer sand producing females.
- Leatherback turtles (Dermochelys coriacea) have been around since the dinosaurs and haven’t one iota in that time. They’re also one of the largest turtle species in the world, capable of growing up to 3 metres in length and over 500 kilos in weight.
- No species of sea turtle can retract into its shell, setting them apart from terrestrial tortoises and other aquatic turtles. Instead, their bodies have evolved to make them as streamlined as possible, which aids their ability to swim with minimal drag.
So there you have it, our complete guide on how to draw a turtle in five simple steps. Don’t forget to send us your creations via social media and, remember, if you need any additional inspiration, you can see our resident loggerhead turtles at any time in our Ocean Tunnel exhibit. Book your tickets today to visit us!