How to Draw a Box Turtle

In today’s tutorial, we are going to discover how to draw a box turtle on paper. The shape and proportion of each part will be considered in each step of the how-to article here. Take notice that the blue pencil lines are used to indicate the new components being drawn in each in each of the steps.

Time Needed: 30 minutes

1. Form The Carapace

   

   Start by forming the box turtle’s oval-shaped carapace.

2. Attach The Legs

   

   Add its columnar-shaped legs attached to the bottom of the carapace.

3. Draw The Claws

   

   Draw thin V-shaped claws on the bottom of the turtle’s feet.

4. Outline The Head

   

   Draw an elongated curved line to form the head.

5. Add The Face

   

   Make a circular outline for the eye and a small dot for the nose. Then, draw a curved diagonal line for the mouth.

6. Draw The Plastron

   

   Draw a long curved line to form the bottom shell called the plastron.

7. Attach The Tail

   

   Add the turtle’s tail by attaching a V-shaped line below the carapace.

8. Form The Scutes

   

   Form the hardened plates on its carapace called scutes similar to the illustration.

9. Complete The Box Turtle Drawing

   

   Let’s color our drawing of a box turtle! First, draw a black shaded circle for the pupil. Next, add a small white highlight then fill the eye with a deep orange crayon. Add spotted patterns on the turtle’s head, legs, tail, and shell using a yellow crayon. Now, color the carapace with a dark brown crayon. Then, shade the plastron with a dark yellow crayon. After that, fill the claws with a gray crayon. Color the underbelly using a light yellow crayon. Finally, use a dark green crayon to color the turtle’s head, body, and tail.