How to draw a dragon
Draw along here, then watch it take a bow. Free, with no ads, no sign-up and nothing uploaded.
- Draw a big round body
- A long neck and a head
- A tail with an arrow
- A big bat wing
- Spikes and two legs
- Color your dragon
- A smile and flames
How to draw a dragon in 8 steps
To draw an easy dragon, start with a big round body, add a long neck and a head with a long snout, then a tail ending in an arrow. Give it a bat-like wing, orange spikes along its back and two stubby legs, color it in and finish with a smile and flames. It takes eight steps and about fifteen minutes, and the round body keeps it friendly rather than fierce.
You need purple, blue, orange, sky blue, black, red and yellow crayons, and paper if you are away from the screen.
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Step 1Draw a big round body
Draw a large lumpy circle low on the page, a little left of the middle. Everything else grows out of this.
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Step 2Add a neck and head
Draw two lines up and to the right from the body for a long neck, then a long oval on top for the head, with a snout pointing right.
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Step 3Draw a tail with an arrow
From the left of the body, draw two lines curving out and up, getting closer together. Finish with an arrow shape at the tip.
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Step 4Add a wing
From the top of the body, draw a line up and out to a point, then a row of curves back down like a bat’s wing.
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Step 5Add spikes and legs
Draw orange zigzag spikes up the back of the neck and on the tail. Add two short rounded legs under the body.
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Step 6Color your dragon
Use a fat crayon: purple for the dragon and sky blue for the wing. Dragons are not real, so no color is wrong.
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Step 7Add a smile and flames
Draw a long smile along the snout and press a dot for the nostril. Then draw three fat strokes coming out of the mouth: red, orange and yellow.
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Step 8Give it eyes
Draw two big circles on top of the head, close together, with a black dot in each. Big round eyes keep a dragon looking friendly, however many flames it breathes. On the screen, press Bring it to life, then tap twice and two googly eyes stick on.
Easier or harder, for any age
Most children can copy a circle at about three and a triangle at about five, so the shapes set the level. The sources are in our guide to what a child can draw at each age.
- Ages 3 and 4
- Draw a big circle for the body, a smaller circle for the head, a triangle for the wing and a zigzag down the back. Add a scribble of red for the fire. That is a dragon to a three-year-old, and they will happily tell you so.
- Ages 5 and 6
- Follow the steps as they are, with a pause after the tail. This is the longest drawing here, so split it in two sittings if needed. Spikes and flames are the reward, and at this age they can go anywhere.
- Ages 7 and 8
- Add a row of scales across the chest, a second wing behind the first, claws on the feet and a pile of treasure underneath. Older children can try a long snaking body that loops behind itself.
Make your dragon your own
- Have it breathe stars or bubbles instead of fire
- Add a pile of treasure underneath
- Draw a tiny knight who has just noticed it
- Give it a baby dragon on its back
Then your dragon takes the stage
Press Bring it to life and scissors go around the drawing. It lifts off the page as a paper puppet, gets two googly eyes and hops onto a little lit stage at the North Pole. From there every key or tap makes it jump, spin or sneeze while a sleigh crosses the moon, snow blows in and a present drops from above. The show is saved as a short video on your device.
A drawing page safe for small hands
This page is for children, so it is kept apart from the rest of the shop. Children’s privacy notice
- Cost
- Free, with nothing to buy to play.
- Ads
- None, and no advertising pixels, session recording or advertising cookies on this page.
- Sign-up
- None. No account, no names, no email, nothing to fill in.
- Drawings
- Made and kept on this device. Nothing is uploaded.
- Works on
- A phone, tablet or computer, in the browser, with no app to install.
What to draw next
Keep a drawing forever
A drawing that has just taken a bow can be stitched in real thread or kept on a necklace. From the grown-up gate it goes straight into the studio, and you see how it comes out before you order.
Questions about drawing a dragon
Anything else, write to hello@thecuriousthing.com.
What is the easiest way to draw a dragon?
Build it from shapes a child can already draw: a circle for the body, a long oval for the head, a triangle for the wing, and zigzags for the spikes. A dragon only looks hard because of the details, and the round shape underneath does most of the work.
How do you draw dragon wings?
Draw one line up and out from the shoulders to a point, then a row of scoops back down to the body, like the bottom edge of an umbrella. That one shape reads as a bat’s wing, and it is what children usually mean by a dragon wing.
Is this drawing website free, with no ads and no sign-up?
Yes. There is nothing to pay, no ads, no account and no email to give. It runs in the browser on a phone, tablet or computer. Nothing a child draws is uploaded: the drawing, the puppet and the show stay on your device. Read the children’s privacy notice.
Can we do it on real paper instead?
Yes. Every step is written out on this page with a picture. If you draw it on paper, tap the cross on the page, choose Upload a drawing and take a photo. The paper is removed on your device, and the dragon still goes on the stage.