Doodling a sea serpent needn’t be a daunting task. Believe it or not, armed with the right tools and plenty of imagination, anyone can become a master of serpent-sculpting. So, make sure you’ve got a few pencils and erasers handy, and with this guide you’ll be sketching sirens of the seven seas in no time at all!
First and foremost, there’s nothing wrong with starting small. If you’re just beginning to explore your drawing endeavors, try drawing a simple, 2-dimensional outline. All it takes is a few curved lines and a bit of shading, and you can capture a sense of slimy, slimy sinuousness. While most sea serpents come with a set of fins and gills, don’t feel like you need to include those. Make this monster whatever creature you want it to be!
Once you have the framework of your body finished, it’s time to move on to the scaly part. A great way to make your serpent look authentic is to draw overlapping scales. If you’re feeling creative, make the scales of varied sizes and add in some detailing like tiny cracks and crevices. Taking the time to make the scales look realistic will elevate your sketch to the next level.
For that added bit of realism, give your serpent some color. Vibrant oranges and blues would work especially well, as they’d help bring life to your sea-dragon. On top of that, go ahead and throw in some patterns or markings as well. Whether it’s a pair or mottled spots or a continuous stream of stripes, varying up the pattern and design of your sea serpent will make it look more unique.
Finally, let’s finish up by discussing texture. When it comes to serpents, you want to keep the texture looks slick and shapeless. To achieve this, try to accentuate the overlapping scales by thickening lines that link them together. When it comes to shading, stick to some basic blending, but get creative by using some cross-hatching or stippling. These will help make your sea-serpent come alive and help it draw your viewer’s eyes.
Of course, when drawing any creature, do not feel limited by these steps. Instead, take these as a guide, a basic foundation to build upon. With each drawing, you’ll get better and better, so don’t feel discouraged if your drawing isn’t perfect. Over time, you’ll be amazed by how your drawings will improve, and you’ll be sketching captivating sea serpents in no time.
Now that the basics have been outlined, let’s dive into some more involved techniques. When it comes to making your serpents look truly snaky, it’s time to take advantage of curved lines. Unlike straight lines, curved lines can be used to create dynamic, and often times even musical, transitions between points. For example, if you’d like to connect two heads, try using gentle curves to generate a realistic slither.
On top of that, it helps to add a bit of texture and depth to your designs. You can do that with the help of the various erasers at your disposal. Try making some bumps, ridges or even spikes to distinguish your serpent from the rest of the snake-like species. Taking the time to add a bit of texture here and there will make your sea serpent look larger than life.
In the end, don’t forget to practice. Of course, one of the keys to improving your artwork skills is simple repetition. The more you practice, the better you’ll become at drawing. So, try to draw sea serpents as often as you can, and not just the same old design either. Keep researching and studying new serpents and try to mimic the beautiful serpentine curves you find.
One of the most effective methods of boosting your drawing abilities is to sketch with a friend. Get together and swap sketches, then compare and contrast each other’s work. Give advice, offer critiques and make suggestions. Not only will this help you improve your skills, it will also keep you motivated and inspired.
Finally, draw to have fun. Don’t worry about making your drawings perfect. Instead, have fun with it and if you make a mistake, learn from it. So, relax and be open to trying out different techniques. After all, exploring and experimenting is part of any artist’s journey, and even the most experienced artists still have room to grow.
At the end of the day, the tips above should equip you with the tools to make your sea serpent drawing adventures an enjoyable and memorable one. So, have faith in yourself and don’t be afraid of going outside the box. Because before you know it, you’ll be doodling the deepest depths of the sea and crafting chaotically-charming sea serpents!
