How to Draw Leonardo from TMNT

In this tutorial, we will show you how to draw one of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. We will draw the team’s leader, Leonardo.

We thought for a long time about which turtle should appear first on our website because each one has a unique personality.

Raphael is a joker and troublemaker, Donatello is the inventor and scientific mind of the team, Leonardo is the undisputed leader, and Michelangelo is the good-natured member and greatest pizza enthusiast.

We decided to begin with Leonardo, partly because he is second in command after Splinter. We will draw a complex and detailed version of the character.

How to draw Leonardo step by step

Step 1: Sketch Leonardo’s basic body guidelines

Begin with a stick figure. Leonardo’s body is not quite standard. His head is larger and flatter than a human head, while his body has the proportions of a strong, stocky man of short stature.

Another important feature is the character’s pose. Leonardo’s stance is more complex than the poses used when drawing Superman or drawing Batman.

Step 2: Add the turtle’s facial guidelines

Mark Leonardo’s head with a vertical line of facial symmetry. Then add horizontal guidelines for the eyes, mask, and mouth. The mask is represented by a band across the eyes.

Step 3: Add volume to the upper body

Now add volume to Leonardo’s upper body. Outline the torso and construct the large, powerful arms. From top to bottom, each arm can be divided into four main parts:

• The shoulder, formed mainly by the large, rounded deltoid muscle;
• The upper arm, where the biceps are visible on the arm to our left, while both the biceps and triceps appear on the opposite arm;
• The forearm;
• The hand, with three thick, cylindrical fingers.

Complete this stage by outlining the katanas.

Step 4: Add volume to the lower body

Repeat the same process with the lower torso and legs. The construction will be easier if you represent the body parts with simple geometric shapes:

• The groin as a triangle;
• The legs as cylinders;
• The knees as circles.

Step 5: Draw the TMNT’s face and mask

Leonardo’s silhouette is ready, so begin adding details from the head downward. Indicate the eyes, nose, and mouth with a few simple lines. Add several folds to the ninja mask.

Step 6: Add the shell and sheaths

Draw the sword sheaths, neck muscles, and upper section of the shell. On the side to our left, refine the upper contour of the deltoid. Add more folds to the mask and make its flowing ends appear torn and worn.

Step 7: Refine the turtle’s left arm

Refine Leonardo’s left arm by tracing the muscles and erasing the extra guidelines. Pay attention to the tense forearm because the hand tightly grips the sword hilt. Add the fabric wrap around the wrist, then define the fingers and sword details. Include the short contour lines across the hand.

Step 8: Detail the front shell

Draw the front shell across Leonardo’s torso. Its segmented structure resembles enlarged abdominal muscles extending over the chest and abdomen.

Step 9: Refine Leonardo’s right arm

Now refine the right arm. Outline the biceps, forearm, and fingers gripping the sword hilt. Draw the wraps around the wrist and elbow, then add the corresponding fabric folds. The fingers are positioned similarly to those on the left hand but are viewed from a different angle. Leonardo’s fingers should appear thicker and heavier than those of an average person.

Step 10: Draw the waist and left leg

Draw the lower torso, waist, and left leg. Refine the leg with powerful thigh muscles and an oval-shaped calf created by the perspective. Add the toes and indicate the tendons with several short lines. Draw the knee wrap and its folds. Shape the lower front shell as a triangular plate, then add the fabric belt and its folds.

Step 11: Refine the right leg of Leonardo

Repeat the process on Leonardo’s right leg. Here, the inner thigh is visible. The thigh muscles are tense, so use clear, confident contours. Define the calf from the side, then add the ankle, tendons, toes, and knuckles of the foot.

Step 12: Add comic-style shadows

Complete the drawing with comic-style shadows. These shadows are dark, solid, and applied across large areas. First, outline each shadow shape, then fill the enclosed areas.

This was a drawing tutorial on how to draw Leonardo from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, prepared for you by Drawingforall.net.