If you’ve ever tried to draw a dinosaur, you’ll know that it can be a really tricky job. They were very, very strange looking animals, and it can be hard to know exactly where to start.
So that you can create a mighty dinosaur which looks just like the real thing, we’ve made this easy guide to drawing the Tyrannosaurus Rex – the most famous of all dinosaurs!
Follow just a few simple steps and you’ll have a terrifying T-rex on your page in no time. So let’s get started!
TOP TIP: Underneath every instruction is a picture of how your dinosaur should look at the end of the step. You can click the link below each picture, to open a full page drawing of each step. You can even print these out and trace over to get your T-rex looking just like ours. Be sure to use a pencil when drawing your dinosaur, as some lines will need rubbing out as you go.
- Start off by drawing an oval near the middle of your page. This will be the main body of your T-Rex. Next, draw a smaller oval up and to the left of this one, this will be the giant dinosaur’s head.
Click here for the large PDF version of this sketch.
2. Now it’s time to create the tail. Pick a point to the right of the body, then connect this to the top and bottom of the big circle. We’ll make this look more like a tail later!
To shape the neck, draw a line from the bottom of the head to the bottom of the body. Then draw a line from the right side of the head (just up from the middle) to just before the top of the body.
Click here for a large PDF version of this sketch.
3. Now time for those gigantic legs! First, to form the top of the leg, draw a line from the bottom of the body to a point just in from the far right of it, about half way up.
Next, from the same starting point, draw another line of the same length. Imagine a clock pointing at about 5 O’clock – this is the angle your line should be at. This will create the middle part of the T-Rex’s leg.
To finish the leg, we need to draw a smaller line from the bottom of the last one, pointing downwards and slightly to the left. Lastly, draw a flat line pointing left. This will be the sole of the dinosaur’s massive foot.
The T-Rex’s arms are tiny compared to its legs, and much easier to draw! Just draw a simple zig-zag line pointing towards the ground a little way up the neck line.
Click here for a large PDF of this sketch.
4. To finish the leg, start at the end of the dinosaur’s foot line and draw a pointed boot shape. Next, follow the leg up to the body, getting wider as you go. This is to make the dinosaurs leg look really muscly.
To finish the arms, we have to do something very similar. From the end of the arm, draw a zig zag like the one below to create a pointed worm shape.
Time to create the massive jaws that make this dinosaur so scary!
The first thing to do is draw what looks like a bird’s beak. Start with drawing a big upper jaw, beginning just below the top of the head, then curving round towards the end. From this point, draw a straight line which just pokes into the circle. You can now connect the smaller lower jaw to the head.
Click here for a large PDF of this sketch.
5. Now it’s time to turn these simple shapes into a muscly, powerful dinosaur body!
The best place to start is at the middle of the mouth, carefully adding curves around the middle of the head for the eyes, and moving over the top of the head and down the body towards to the tail. Now’s the time to make the tail a little bit longer, and give it a bit of a curve.
Now follow the red lines creating the shapes of the legs and arms too.
Finally, fill in the gaps on the underside of the dinosaur. Start at the mouth and work your way down to the arms, then draw in the dinosaur’s belly.
Click here for a large PDF version of this sketch.
TOP TIP: At this stage you can rub out all of the lines you made from stages 1 to 4. You should be left with the red lines you see below, this is your Tyrannosaurs-Rex shape.
Click here for a large PDF version of this sketch.
6. Now to get all of the detail in so your dinosaur looks real!
There are some ridges around the eyes of the T-Rex that make them different from any other dinosaur, make sure you follow the lines below as closely as you can, then add the eye and nostril in.
This predator wouldn’t be complete without his huge, sharp teeth, so add some to the mouth of your dinosaur. Now’s also time to draw its chin.
Did you know? Dinosaurs grew replacement teeth, so they didn’t have to worry if they lost one or two during a big meal!
Now, add another finger poking out behind the one you’ve already drawn, and add one more toe inside the dinosaur’s foot. Finally, draw a big claw on the end of each finger and toe.
There you have it, the perfect Tyrannosaurus-Rex. Now for the colouring in!
Click here for a large PDF version of this sketch.
7. Because we have only been left fossils of dinosaurs, we really don’t know what colour many of them were. This means you can be as crazy as you want with the colours you choose!
Here, we have chosen to colour the T-rex in dark brown, light brown and cream.
Click here for a large PDF version of this sketch.
Once you’ve finished drawing your terrifying T-Rex, why not try your hand at making up your very own, new dinosaur? Just remember to start with the basic shapes then slowly add detail – you’ll be amazed what you can create!
Also, to help you become even more of a dinosaur expert, see our guide to their fossils.
To see some amazing, life-like dinosaurs for yourself, as well as trying out family rides, dinosaur safaris and a whole lot more, be sure to visit the Lost Kingdom at Paultons Family Theme Park!
