How to Draw a Tyranid

The Warhammer 40,000 universe is filled with unusual and memorable characters and races that make great drawing subjects. In this tutorial, we’ll take a look at one of them and show you how to draw a Tyranid, a fearsome alien creature.

How to draw a Tyranid step by step

Step 1: Sketch the creature’s basic forms

The foundation of any drawing is a simple stick figure, and this Tyranid tutorial is no exception. Draw the massive elongated head, then mark the thorax and pelvis with simple forms. Use long lines to indicate the position of the arms, legs, and tail. Keep these first marks loose, since they will only guide the later contours.

Step 2: Build the body volume

Now draw the contours of the monster’s body. Begin adding volume at the head and gradually move toward the tail. Sketch the contours of the torso and arms, which narrows toward the pelvis. With light lines, outline the legs with hooves instead of feet and add the snake-like tail.

Step 3: Add eyes and claws

Draw the contours of the small, menacing eyes. Also outline the Tyranid’s upper limbs. Unlike the middle pair of limbs, the upper pair does not resemble human arms.

Step 4: Refine the Tyranid’s head

Carefully refine the contours of the Tyranid’s head. Draw several curved armor plates on the forehead that resemble curly brackets. Place the small, angry eyes and a wide mouth filled with sharp teeth beneath the massive frontal bone.

Step 5: Detail the upper limbs

Now work on the upper limbs. These appendages consist of three sections and resemble insect legs. Also draw the armor plates on the shoulders of the second pair of arms, which resemble human limbs. Finish by adding several lines across the Tyranid’s torso.

Step 6: Draw the arms and weapon

Continue the shoulder lines and carefully draw the contours of the Tyranid’s arms. Then refine the hands gripping the weapon. Note that these hands closely resemble human hands. Remove the unnecessary guidelines and move on to the legs.

Step 7: Refine the hoofed legs

Draw the final contours of the thighs, lower legs, and hoof-like feet. Make the legs thicker near the upper joints and narrower toward the lower sections. Add the separate parts of each hoof and refine the curves around the knees and ankles. Then remove the unnecessary guidelines so the legs look clean and complete.

Step 8: Add shadows with hatching

Before adding shadows, determine the direction of the light. Here, the light falls from the upper right. Using hatching of different densities, add shadows to the least illuminated areas of the head and body. You can increase the contrast by applying another layer of hatching.

Tyranids can look very different from one another and carry different types of weapons. To continue practicing, try drawing Tyranids with other weapons, body shapes, and individual features.