Look at the rear portion, then carefully draw it. Add the other fang, and mouth details.

Extend the body downward. Study how each line curves. Two of them even run into each other (look).

Draw curving lines to finish the body and the tail. Draw small ovals for the rattles. Before you go on, look at your drawing. Is your snake shape smooth and flowing? If not, try again, practicing nice, smooth, connecting curves. Get comfortable with drawing the snake before you spend time adding scales and shading. Save your sketches (with today's date!) in your portfolio!

Add crosshatching (crisscrossing lines), curving around the contour to create guide lines for scales. Use short pencil strokes to darken the shadows.

Scorpion

order Scorpiones. Size: body 3 mm - 8 cm (1.8 in - 3 in). About 600 different species of scorpion are known. they have one main part of their body, then five segments forming the "tail," at the end of which is the poisonous stinger. Scorpions live in cracks, but can dig their own resting places as well. At night, they eat beetles, cockroaches, and other arthropods. With their pincers (pedipalps) they bring prey to their chelicerae (jaws), which they use to tear it apart. they only sting when they need to subdue large or struggling prey. American and North African desert scorpions have the worst sting - one Sahara scorpion's sting can kill a dog in a few seconds.

Sketch the two main parts of the body at an angle (compare with clock face).

Sketch five connected ovals for the tail, and the stinger at the end.

Notice the three main sections of the pedipalp, with smaller connecting sections. Carefully observe the angle of each section before drawing.

Draw the first of the two pedipalps, with the large pincers at its end.

Add the other pedipalp, and the first of the walking legs.

Do you see how the remaining three walking legs overlap (look) one another? While more difficult to draw, this helps make your drawing look more real, because overlapping adds depth.

Draw the remaining three walking legs on the scorpion's left side.

On the far side, fewer segments of each leg are visible. Look carefully, and draw them. Compare angles to the clock face to keep your lines running in the right direction. Add lines on the tail sections.

What's different in the final drawing?

Add shading (but note which parts are left light). Add a cast shadow underneath. Put a few hairs on the tail, and what has the scorpion caught? Draw part of the pedipalp of another scorpion, which has just lost a fight to yours.

Save your drawing in your portfolio.

Desert Tortoise

Gopherus agassizi. SW United States. Size: up to 51 cm (20 in) long. During the heat of the day, the desert tortoise stays in an underground burrow, which may be up to 9 M (30 ft) long. It gets all its water from plants it eats, such as cactus and succulents. A desert tortoise can exist an entire dry season without water!

Lightly sketch the front and rear legs, and the lower part of the shell, including the point behind the rear leg.

Lightly sketch the front and rear legs, and the lower part of the shell, including the point behind the rear leg.

Sketch an oval for the head. Add the neck, eye, and the part of the shell underneath the head, and the visible portion of the other front leg. Draw the feet. Don't forget claws!  

Carefully lay out the row of hexagons (six-sided shapes) on the top of the shell.  

Continue laying out the hexagon pattern on top of the shell, above the row of hexagons, and the rectangle shapes on the bottom of the shell.

Shade the bottom part of the shell. Add shadows to create the folds on the neck. Darken the eye, leaving a small white area. Draw small scaly patterns on the head, front leg, and feet.

Light and dark contrasts make the tortoise drawing come to life. Look at the dark areas; see which areas stay light. Add lots and lots and lots of small lines in the patterns of the shell - some lighter, some darker. Add more small scaly patterns on the head, neck, legs and feet. Draw a shadow on the ground, and a few small marks for pebbles.

Torrific tortoise! Clean up any smudges with your eraser, put today's date on your drawing and save it in your portfolio!

Look at the rear portion, then carefully draw it. Add the other fang, and mouth details.

Extend the body downward. Study how each line curves. Two of them even run into each other (look).

Draw curving lines to finish the body and the tail. Draw small ovals for the rattles. Before you go on, look at your drawing. Is your snake shape smooth and flowing? If not, try again, practicing nice, smooth, connecting curves. Get comfortable with drawing the snake before you spend time adding scales and shading. Save your sketches (with today's date!) in your portfolio!

Add crosshatching (crisscrossing lines), curving around the contour to create guide lines for scales. Use short pencil strokes to darken the shadows.

Scorpion

order Scorpiones. Size: body 3 mm - 8 cm (1.8 in - 3 in). About 600 different species of scorpion are known. they have one main part of their body, then five segments forming the "tail," at the end of which is the poisonous stinger. Scorpions live in cracks, but can dig their own resting places as well. At night, they eat beetles, cockroaches, and other arthropods. With their pincers (pedipalps) they bring prey to their chelicerae (jaws), which they use to tear it apart. they only sting when they need to subdue large or struggling prey. American and North African desert scorpions have the worst sting - one Sahara scorpion's sting can kill a dog in a few seconds.

Sketch the two main parts of the body at an angle (compare with clock face).

Notice the three main sections of the pedipalp, with smaller connecting sections. Carefully observe the angle of each section before drawing.

Draw the first of the two pedipalps, with the large pincers at its end.

Add the other pedipalp, and the first of the walking legs.

Do you see how the remaining three walking legs overlap (look) one another? While more difficult to draw, this helps make your drawing look more real, because overlapping adds depth.

Draw the remaining three walking legs on the scorpion's left side.

On the far side, fewer segments of each leg are visible. Look carefully, and draw them. Compare angles to the clock face to keep your lines running in the right direction. Add lines on the tail sections.

What's different in the final drawing?

Add shading (but note which parts are left light). Add a cast shadow underneath. Put a few hairs on the tail, and what has the scorpion caught? Draw part of the pedipalp of another scorpion, which has just lost a fight to yours.

Save your drawing in your portfolio.

Desert Tortoise

Gopherus agassizi. SW United States. Size: up to 51 cm (20 in) long. During the heat of the day, the desert tortoise stays in an underground burrow, which may be up to 9 M (30 ft) long. It gets all its water from plants it eats, such as cactus and succulents. A desert tortoise can exist an entire dry season without water!

Lightly sketch the front and rear legs, and the lower part of the shell, including the point behind the rear leg.

Lightly sketch the front and rear legs, and the lower part of the shell, including the point behind the rear leg.

Sketch an oval for the head. Add the neck, eye, and the part of the shell underneath the head, and the visible portion of the other front leg. Draw the feet. Don't forget claws!  

Carefully lay out the row of hexagons (six-sided shapes) on the top of the shell.  

Continue laying out the hexagon pattern on top of the shell, above the row of hexagons, and the rectangle shapes on the bottom of the shell.

Shade the bottom part of the shell. Add shadows to create the folds on the neck. Darken the eye, leaving a small white area. Draw small scaly patterns on the head, front leg, and feet.

Light and dark contrasts make the tortoise drawing come to life. Look at the dark areas; see which areas stay light. Add lots and lots and lots of small lines in the patterns of the shell - some lighter, some darker. Add more small scaly patterns on the head, neck, legs and feet. Draw a shadow on the ground, and a few small marks for pebbles.

Torrific tortoise! Clean up any smudges with your eraser, put today's date on your drawing and save it in your portfolio!