How to Draw Venom

In this step-by-step lesson on drawing comic book villains, we will show you how to draw Venom, the famous enemy of Spider-Man.

So, what’s interesting about our guide? First of all, Venom looks quite grotesque here, but you can still see elements of realism.

Disproportionately large muscles combined with a small yet creepy head are paired with realistic shadows. Detailed fingers and a well-constructed pose contrast with the overall silhouette of the figure, which resembles a dinosaur or a mythical monster.

Another important feature is that we tried to recreate the most canonical and classic appearance of Venom. Venom is a menacing character with a fairly consistent look, so we didn’t need to spend much time searching for references.

We preserved and recreated his iconic facial features, such as large, angry eyes without pupils, a long tongue, and a mouth full of sharp teeth.

So, if you want to learn how we achieved this result and how to draw Venom in the same style, grab your favorite pencils and erasers and move on to the first step.

How to draw Venom step by step

Step 1 – Draw the base lines of Venom

For sketching villain, start with basic geometric shapes or a stick figure. This simple figure will help you place the supervillain on the sheet of paper and define his position. Sketch the head as an inverted egg shape, then add a line for the spine and the limbs. Indicate the joints, as well as the hands and feet, using simple circles. At this stage, you can clearly set the placement of all limbs and the overall rotation of the figure.

Step 2 – Add volume to the upper body

Before starting to detail the character, you need to give him volume so that he looks three-dimensional. To do this, begin with the upper part and outline the large, powerful torso using simple, light lines. Then symmetrically mark the shoulders as large spheres and continue building the arms by depicting them as simple, large cylinders.

Step 3 – Add volume to the lower body

Now, using similar geometric shapes, add volume to the lower part of the cosmic supervillain’s body. Sketch the upper and lower legs as large, powerful cylindrical forms. Keep in mind that this character has exaggerated muscles, with a strong emphasis on massive shoulders and an overall inverted triangle body shape.

Step 4 – Draw the eyes of Venom

Venom has very distinctive facial features that somewhat resemble Spider-Man’s mask but have their own unique characteristics. Begin adding them carefully, staying consistent and maintaining symmetry. Using jagged lines, draw the eyes, which resemble Spider-Man’s eyes but have sharper, more angular edges.

Step 5 – Add the mouth with sharp teeth

The part of Venom’s face that we draw in this step is what most clearly distinguishes him from different versions of Spider-Man. Using clean, confident lines, draw Venom’s wide open mouth with sharp teeth, making sure all the details match the angle of the head. Adjust the shape of the jaw and chin, giving them a more angular appearance.

Step 6 – Trace the torso and shoulders

Starting from this step, gradually begin detailing the entire body of the cosmic villain. First, using clean and smooth lines, carefully draw the back, gradually erasing all unnecessary construction lines in this area. For greater authenticity, add a few indications of the vertebrae.

Step 7 – Draw the upper arms of Venom

Now that Venom’s body is complete, begin detailing the arms. First, draw the massive triceps – more precisely, their visible portion – by visually separating the muscle heads. Then depict the powerful, rounded biceps using smooth lines. As you add these details, carefully remove the remaining construction sketches. While drawing all these details, remember the basic principles of human arm anatomy.

Step 8 – Detail lower arms and hands

Now move on to the lower parts of the arms and complete this section of the body. Continuing the lines and contours from the previous steps, carefully draw the powerful forearms and the muscles on them. Then draw the villain’s fingers, giving them the classic expressive look that is characteristic of this comic book art style.

Step 9 – Draw the upper legs of Venom

Continuing to refine the details and build volume in your drawing, move on to the legs. Using smooth, controlled lines, carefully draw all the contours and muscles of Venom. Add the outlines of the knees and other details if necessary. Gradually erase any unnecessary construction lines in this area and check the overall symmetry of the entire sketch.

Step 10 – Complete the refinement of Venom’s face and figure

Now finish the remaining base drawing of Venom by working on the lower part of the body. Continue the lines from the previous step and draw the powerful calf muscles and simplified feet. You can make them more detailed by adding sharp claws or by indicating additional muscle and tendon outlines. In addition, draw the villain’s long, twisting tongue, then carefully detail the hands and outline the entire drawing.

Step 11 – Add shadows to the comic book villain

Now that Venom’s basic figure is complete, it’s time to add more volume. This can be done either with classic academic shading using hatching, by adding color, or by applying a more traditional comic-style shading with strong contrast. We chose a more academic approach while keeping it minimal, so it would be easier for you to follow and recreate.

This basic drawing lesson in the classic comic book style has shown you in detail how to depict one of the most charismatic villains – and sometimes antiheroes – in the Marvel universe.

Using fairly simple but classic methods commonly used by comic artists, you now know how to draw Venom in his traditional appearance.

As with all classic superheroes, however, his look can vary greatly depending on the specific comic, movie, or other media.

The shape of the eyes, the overall facial contour, the massiveness of the body, the emblem on the torso, and many other details can all differ.

By changing these elements, as well as the overall body build, you can give your Venom drawing a more unique look that differs from the one presented in our basic guide.

Also remember that regardless of how the character is depicted, the fundamental principles remain the same.

We taught you how to draw Spider-Man using this exact approach, and by applying the same methods, you can draw any other character – whether similar or completely different.