How to Draw a Cartoon Dragon

Finished three-headed Slavic dragon drawing with wings, spots, and curved spikes

This very simple tutorial will show beginner artists how to draw a cartoon dragon with three heads and small, chubby wings.

How to draw a Slavic dragon step by step

Step 1: Sketch the cartoon dragon framework

First, outline a simple framework for the dragon. Note its main anatomical features, including the three heads. At this stage, the heads look very large compared to the paws and body, which gradually continues into the tail.

Sketching the dragon’s three heads, body, short legs, and curved tail

Step 2: Build the cartoon dragon heads and body

Outline the mouth of each head, which should look like a beak at this stage. Then mark each face with two intersecting guidelines. The vertical line indicates facial symmetry, while the horizontal line marks the eyes. Refine each neck, making it narrower toward the head.

Outline the dragon’s torso and finish this stage by sketching the short legs.

Building the dragon’s beak-like mouths, necks, torso, and short legs

Step 3: Add the dragon’s facial features

Using the guidelines from the previous step, draw the large oval eyes. Add the nostrils and friendly smiles to all three heads. Finish by drawing small triangular teeth inside the left and right mouths.

Adding the dragon’s oval eyes, nostrils, smiling mouths, and small teeth

Step 4: Refine the three cartoon faces

Erase the unnecessary guidelines and refine all three dragon heads. Pay attention to the pupils, cheek wrinkles, and corners of the mouths. Then outline the tapered necks and add horizontal bands across them.

Refining the dragon’s three faces, pupils, cheek wrinkles, and banded necks

Step 5: Connect the necks smoothly

Erase the remaining guidelines from the upper torso. Connect the necks to the body with smooth contours, then sketch the outlines of the wings.

Connecting the dragon’s necks to the torso and outlining both wings

Step 6: Detail the wings and chest

Refine the contours of both wings. Add the upper edges, then draw the inner membranes. Finish by covering the front of the dragon’s torso with horizontal lines.

Detailing the dragon’s wings, inner membranes, and horizontal chest segments

Step 7: Draw the cartoon dragon’s front legs

Draw the dragon’s front legs. Their rounded shapes should resemble a cat’s paws because this simplified dragon does not have the detailed skin texture.

Drawing the dragon’s short front legs with rounded cat-like paws

Step 8: Refine the hind legs

Draw the dragon’s hind legs with clear, smooth lines and erase the remaining guidelines. Their general shape resembles the limbs of a cat or lion.

Refining the dragon’s rounded hind legs and large paws with clean lines

Step 9: Finish drawing the back and tail

Refine the back as it continues into the tail. Draw the pointed tail tip, which resembles the spearhead used when drawing an arrow. Erase the unnecessary guidelines and complete the contours.

Finishing the dragon’s curved back, long tail, and pointed arrow-shaped tip

Step 10: Add spots and spikes

Draw irregular spots across the dragon’s skin. Finish the drawing by adding curved spikes along the lower edge of the back and tail.

Adding irregular skin spots and curved spikes along the dragon’s back and tail

This tutorial showed you how to draw a cartoon dragon. The tutorial is very simple, and we hope everyone succeeded.

If you would like to draw a more detailed version next, continue with drawing a dragon. You can also try drawing a Chinese dragon to practice a completely different legendary creature.

Our site includes many other fantasy drawing tutorials as well. For example, you can draw a cartoon wizard, one of the classic characters from fairy tales and fantasy stories. You can also draw a cartoon knight, who appears alongside dragons in countless legends and fairy tales.