Caroline
The dragon is an important part of Chinese history and mythology.
They have come to be very symbolic and influential in history and were regarded as symbols of power and success in past centuries.
They remain a popular design and image in modern times, and it can be a lot of fun learning how to draw a Chinese dragon!
This is the perfect guide for anyone wanting to design their own awesome dragon.
We really hope that you have a great time with this step-by-step guide on how to draw a Chinese dragon in just 6 fun and easy steps!
How to Draw A Chinese Dragon – Let’s Get Started!
Step 1
In this first step of our guide on how to a Chinese dragon you will be using your pencil to create an outline for you to work with as you add detail in future steps.
As you can see in the reference images, this dragon will be made up of lots of curved and twisty lines.
The trickiest part of this step will be the face, so for this part you’ll definitely want to take it slow and follow the guide very closely.
Once you’re happy with how the face looks then you can start using a pen to go over the pencil lines. As you start using your pen, you can also add some finer details as you go along.
Step 2 – Keep adding some details in this step
We will keep extending the pen lines in this part of your Chinese dragon drawing. To do this, you can first start with some sharp, jagged lines around the face for some fiery details.
Then, you can draw some squared scale details along the chest of the dragon. Finally for this step, you can finish off by drawing the claw at the front of the dragon that is clutching an orb.
Step 3 – Now, draw the back, belly and limbs
This third step of our guide on how to draw a Chinese dragon will be all about adding more pen details to your image.
First, you can keep extending the square scales along the chest of the dragon. Then, add some pen detail to the other leg and foot that’s near the bottom of the dragon.
There is also some more fiery detail trailing behind this leg.
Then, the dragon’s body will continue with some more curvy, twisting lines, and then the scales will continue as the body loops over.
The reference image will be very helpful in seeing where the scales should be going to make the body placement consistent!
Step 4 – Draw the rest of the body outline in this step
In this section of your Chinese dragon drawing, we will be finishing off the remainder of the dragon’s outline.
To do this, you can continue with everything you’ve been doing so far in this guide to finish off the looping back that will end in a tail.
Don’t forget to add the back legs as well! Finally, once these elements are drawn you can draw a sharp fin across the back of the dragon for more fiery effects.
Step 5 – Now, finish off the final details
Your dragon is looking very cool already! It’s almost time to color it in, but first there are a few more details to add in this guide on how to draw a Chinese dragon.
Before you add these though, you can take your eraser and get rid of all the pencil lines that you drew in the first step. You won’t be needing them anymore, and they just get in the way at this point!
Once the pencil lines are gone, first take your pen and go over any little spots that you missed. Now you can finish off with some great details to really bring this dragon of yours to life!
For our image, we used some patterns made of lots of small, rounded shapes to make patches of scales on the dragon. It’s a simple yet effective trick to use for some nice detail!
Finally, before you move on you can add some of your own elements that you would like. It would be great to draw a background for this image to show where this dragon is!
What final details can you think of to add for this image?
Step 6 – Finish off your Chinese dragon drawing with some color
You’ve worked hard on this Chinese dragon drawing of yours, and now you get to kick back, relax and enjoy some fun coloring!
In our reference image we used some reds and yellows for our dragon, but this is by no means the only option you have!
While gold and red are common with these dragons, they also come in all manner of different colors that you can experiment with.
You could incorporate any colors that you love for this image and it would look amazing! If you drew a background then you can color that in as well for even more color variation.
Then, once you know which colors you would like to use you can then have fun picking some art mediums to use.
Some watercolors would give this image a more muted, classic look whereas some colored pens or markers would be perfect for a more vibrant look.
It’s up to you, and we can’t wait to see how you finish off this image!
4 More Ways To Make Your Chinese Dragon Drawing Unique
Celebrate this iconic creature with these tips for your Chinese dragon sketch!
This drawing of a Chinese dragon looks great already, but these dragons can sometimes be much longer than this one. You could make this dragon look even better by making it longer and twistier!
How long this Chinese dragon is would depend on how much page space and patience you have.
The dragon could even be so long that it is extending off of the page.
How long would you like to make this majestic dragon?
This Chinese dragon is one of many mythological creatures from Chinese legend. If you want to make this drawing even more interesting, you could add some more creatures from these legends.
There are other kinds of Chinese dragons that you could have flying alongside this one. There are also gargoyles, spirits and many other creatures and characters that could be used.
If you need some ideas, then you could look up some Chinese beasts and legends to use in this image. Are there any you know of that could be used in this picture?
Another idea for this Chinese dragon drawing would be to make it look like it is a display at a parade or a festival. These dragons are a common sight at festivals celebrating Chinese holidays and festivals.
This would allow you to draw a wonderful background with people celebrating, confetti in the air and some buildings in the background. What kinds of decorations could you add to the image?
Finally, you could add some cool shapes and effects to finish off this Chinese dragon drawing. Fire would be a good one to start with. This could be drawn swirling around the Chinese dragon.
It would be a great way to create a background without having to draw a real setting. Not only that, but you could also use some beautiful bright colors to bring it to life.
Other elements such as blue water could also be used to make this a different kind of dragon!
Bonus: Create Some Elemental Dragons With These Ideas
As we mentioned in the guide on how to draw a Chinese Dragon, we mostly associate dragons with fire, and thus colors like red, yellow and orange.
However, in legends and fantasy stories, we often see dragons that are based on other elements. This is something we touched on in the guide, but we wanted to go over a few more ideas.
When making elemental dragons, the first thing to do would be to choose the elements. You could maybe start with fire, water, earth and air to get you started.
Then, the first thing to match the elements would be the colors you use. So in the order we mentioned there, the color themes could be red, blue, green and white.
You could also change more subtle elements such as the details on the dragon. Flames could come off the fire dragon, splashes from the water dragon, vines from the earth one and then clouds from the air dragon.
These are just some examples, and you could go for whatever you feel best fits the themes. It could be fun to do one of each element and see how they compare to one another.
Adding backgrounds would also be a great way to highlight your chosen themes and elements. It would also be interesting to use different art mediums for the different dragons.
For example, you could use bright colored pens for the fire dragon and then watercolor paints for the water dragon. Of course, these are all just suggestions, but you should go for what you feel is best!
Can you think of any other elements that you could use for these dragons, and if so what colors would you choose for them?
Your Chinese Dragon Drawing is Complete!
You have now successfully completed this guide on how to draw a Chinese dragon!
This drawing was quite detailed and looks complex, however we hope that by using this guide you found this drawing to not only be easy but lots of fun as well!
The best part is that the fun doesn’t have to stop here. You can keep the fun going by continuing to add your own details, elements and features to really make it your own.
There’s no limit to what you can do, so let your creativity flow!
We have many more awesome guides like this on our website, so once you’re ready for more we hope to see you there!
When your Chinese dragon drawing is finished, we would also love to see it! You can show us your artwork by sharing it on our Facebook and Pinterest pages.
