Draw an Alligator for Kids: Easier Than You Might Think
Drawing an alligator for kids doesn’t have to be a daunting task – it can be quick, easy and absolutely fun for the younger artists! It all starts with the basic outline of a toothy reptile.
First, grab some paper and pencil – anyone from preschoolers to eighth graders will have no trouble completing this project. As the painter Pablo Picasso said, “Inspiration exists, but it has to find you working.” So just start sketching, and soon you’ll have a swamp creature that looks like it just hopped out of a storybook.
Start out with two basic curves that look like a backward letter ‘S’. These lines will form the body of the alligator, and the rest of the creature will grow from here. With some cheerful curves and squiggles, you can shape the tail and head of the gator. To make the eyes stand out, draw a small circle in each and color them in with black felt pen. Do the same with the nostrils, which you can make look cuter by shading in the tips.
Drawing alligators for kids can be even more fun if you let them go crazy with their own preferences for coloring it in. They can color their gator green and brown, or give it a hot pink and orange look. When kids pick out the pencils and markers, they’ll be sure to love every second of creating their very own scaly friend.
Filling in the Details: How to Add Spots to Your Alligator Drawing For Kids
Adding dots to your alligator drawing will give it a wild and prehistoric look. This step might feel like it requires special skills, but lucky for you, it’s child’s play to make your alligator look sensational with a few simple spots and blotches.
Begin with a small circle drawn with the black felt pen. Then circle it with squiggles and lines to create the ‘scales’ of the alligator. If you want to get fancy, you can also add triangle-shaped scales that point outward from the body.
For children who want to make an alligator look even more exotic, use black dots to make the hide look more spiky. Spots inside the triangles can be used to give the alligator an extra wild touch. If there’s some extra color lying around, don’t hesitate to throw some in the mix! Coloring the spots in a contrast color makes them look even more alligator-like.
Making the Alligator Look Real: Add Its Fearsome Jaws
Ever wondered why alligators look so scary? It’s not just their awesome prehistoric look – it’s their big, powerful jaws. That’s why when drawing alligator for kids, it’s important to add the big mouth.
It’s really easy to draw the jaws of your alligator – just draw a double heart shape! Yes, believe it or not, they just look like a child’s drawing of the outlines of two hearts set one on top of the other. Then put a line down the middle and you have the ‘U’ shaped snout of the alligator, complete with the sharp teeth on either side. Add a few more curved lines and you have the powerful, open mouth – and it just got a lot less cute.
Now for the finishing touch – hit the alligator up with a couple of shadows along the head and neck. Without them, the alligator won’t have the three-dimensional look that kids tend to love, so use purple or grey markers to give it a bit of shading.
Ready to Face the Swamp: Drawing Alligator Anatomy
Now it’s time to give your alligator a real swamp look. It’s pretty easy to draw alligator anatomy if you put your mind to it – just make guesses and add some details.
Start by adding four legs with two toes going forward and two toes going backward. Draw the eyes roving in different directions, like the alligator is ready to keep an eye on you. If this is too hard, swap the eyes over to the other side of the head or just leave it as a single eye in the middle of the head.
For the younger children who are drawing alligator for kids, it’s perfectly acceptable to leave out details like the legs. Anyone will be able to appreciate your masterpiece for its own unique look.
And there you have it – a vivid, fierce American alligator created from thin air!
Turn It Up a Notch: Bringing the Alligator to Life with a Background
It’s time to crank the volume up on your alligator drawing. Adding a background to your alligator drawing for kids will give it drama and meaning. The best part about this is that you can do it for a range of age groups – just tailor it to the skill level of the artist.
If you start with a preschooler, you can draw tall grass, possible swamp creatures, and a beautiful sky with a few billowing clouds. Kids in elementary school may want to go further and throw in a few details like logs, trees and rocks.
On the other hand, more experienced illustrators can draw an entire lagoon with lily pads, a pond edge, and a distant shoreline. Don’t forget to add a few more alligators in the same area. That will really bring the drawing to life and cause a bit of a stir.
No matter how you go about it, you’ll come out with the cutest alligator drawing yet – one that will make everyone say ‘whaaat?!’ So don’t be afraid to experiment and think outside the box – you’ll be glad you did!
