Draw a Tyrannosaurus Rex
The mighty Tyrannosaurus Rex... this one definitely feels like a long time coming!
Actually, just the thought of creating and posting a T-Rex drawing lesson on the site gave me a big smile. Why? Simply put -- I love dinosaurs!
Truth be told, it all started at a very young age. All those cool books with all the different dinosaur pictures. The trips to the museums... the movies too.
With so much exposure to dinosaurs, it's no wonder why we're such huge fans. And with the Tyrannosaurus Rex being the coolest (the stegosaurus a close second - my thoughts anyways!)... it's also no wonder why its the first lesson you're seeing in the dinosaur section!
And speaking of lessons, let's get to it!
First Step - Not Your Average Dinosaur Skeleton
Remember the cartoon tyrannosaurus skeleton on the page previous to this one? Here, take a look again.
When it comes to drawing... the original version of the skeleton doesn't really cut it. Just like with other lessons, it helps to simplify the structure of your dinosaur with very simple shapes.
Two circles and a small rectangle work very nicely to get the core part of the body in place - the head, the neck, and the belly area.
And as for the rest of the body, here's how it plays out...
For this lesson, I really wanted to simplify things as much as possible. When it comes to the tyrannosaurus rex, things can get rather complicated. They have a shape that's similar to dragons and so drawing them can be a bit tricky. Still, with the ultra-simple breakdown of shapes shown above, you can come up with a very nice T-Rex representation of your own.
Go ahead and draw a framework similar to mine. And when you're ready, let's continue on to the next step...
Second Step - The Head, Neck and Back of Your Tyrannosaurus
Zooming in on the head area of your framework, take the time to outline the upper and lower snout, along with the back of your tyrannosaurus's head.
Then, when you're ready to draw some more, carefully sketch in a circle for where you want the eye to go, a small 'tear drop' shaped nostril, and a bit of a protrusion above the eye to show that the skeleton extends outward in this area.
Now it's on to the neck and back...
Similar to other lessons, the framework that you drew here for your dinosaur really only acts as a guideline. Clearly, I've gone ahead and deviated both above and below it. Proportion is of concern, and once established, it's all about having some fun and letting your creative side take over!
Use the above image as your guide. Come up with your own lines. Besides, who's to say that the tyrannosaurus rex had to look one specific way!
Alright, let's move on down the dinosaur and continue drawing...
Third Step - Draw the Arm and Tail of Your T-Rex
Moving on to the arms, I can't help but think of the movie 'Cloverfield' and the tiny little 'extra' arms that the monster had. To show you what I mean, here's a drawing lesson that popped up on the site right after seeing the movie (didn't know what it officially looked like then!).
Anyways, while watching the movie the little arms on the monster reminded me of the T-Rex, as this is one of the trademark features of the dinosaur. Could never really figure out why they were so small.
Well, let's now go ahead and draw these tiny little T-Rex arms. Below, take a look at how the first of the arms takes shape...
With the first of the two arms in place, continue on to draw the tail of your dinosaur. use the large triangle to help guide you - but as always, don't let it hold you back from drawing your tail in one of an infinite number of possibilities as to how it could look!
Alright... things are looking very nice! Now it's on to drawing the leg...
Fourth Step - Draw the Leg and then 'Mirror' the Other Limbs
The tyrannosaurus rex is best known for having two giant back legs to make up for it's smaller front arms. To draw the first of the back legs, use the three-segmented line to help you draw the leg of your dinosaur in place...
And then - once the first of the back legs is in place, retrace your strokes and 'mirror' the remaining limbs -- the right arm and the right leg...
By 'mirroring' your goal is to draw the new arm and leg so that they look as as similar as possible to the first limbs that you drew. Because the tyrannosaurus is seen from its side, it's easiest to mirror the limbs as you can refer to the first ones to guide you along.
As you can see, there's no need for additional framework lines here. That's the idea behind mirroring. In time, with lots of practice, you'll be able to not only 'mirror' things much easier - but also, you'll be able to draw limbs (and other things) in different positions from each other as well.
OK... it's details and then you're finished!...
Final Step - T-Rex Details
Drawing a tyrannosaurus rex is certainly a lot of fun. How does yours look now that we've reached the end?
Well, now that you're almost finished, go ahead and draw in some simple well-placed details as a final touch.
Detailing your dinosaur is as simple as adding a few basic lines in only a few areas of the drawing.
In my case, I drew in the teeth, a tongue, the eye... and then I went ahead and added a few additional lines around select areas - the eye, mouth, joints and tail. Nothing complicated - just enough detail to give it a unique style.
And when you're done with the details, you're done drawing your dinosaur... but not just 'any' dinosaur -- the mighty 'King of the Dinosaurs' - the Tyrannosaurus Rex!
Recommended Drawing Resources
To further your learning and improvement, check out the following resources...
- Learn how to draw caricatures with Graeme Biddle.
- Discover how to use photoshop in a day. Makes everything so much simpler.
- Check out Chad Baldwin's digital painting techniques.
- Draw cars just like the pros, the pro being Tim Rugendyke.
- Want to learn painting? Look no further than Bob Davies' free watercolor secrets ebook.
Click here to return from Tyrannosaurus Rex to Dinosaur Cartoons
