Let’s take a look at how to draw a frog.  In this lesson, we’ll break a frog down into easy to draw shapes. In fact, this drawing will only require 4 steps. The shapes that we’ll draw are very simple. Even though the shapes are simple, we’ll still draw loosely in the beginning stages. We can become more deliberate with our strokes as the drawing develops.

Step 1 – Draw the Shapes for the Frog Body

The first step is to simply draw the basic shapes that will make up the body of the frog.  In this case, we’ll draw two overlapping ovals.  The first oval will represent the main portion of the body.  The second oval will become  the head of the frog. Notice the difference in size between each of these shapes and how much they overlap each other.

Step 2 – Draw The Structure of the Frog Legs

Next, we’ll need to draw a structure that will become the  legs of the frog.  This structure can be made up of simple lines – much like a stick figure.  These lines will simply give us an idea of where legs need to be located and how long they should be.

These lines should be drawn lightly, since they’re simply used as a structure and not as the final legs.  Notice how the lines drawn for the legs bend. The front legs and the rear legs bend in a different way. We’ll also need to define the locations of the eyes in this step as well.  A simple oval will do for one of the eyes, while a smooth hump is drawn for the other. The visible eye is positioned near the center of the oval that we drew for the head. Since the second eye is on the other side of the head, we won’t draw the actual eye – just a small bump.

Step 3 – Thicken Up the Body of the Frog

Now that we have a structure to use as a guide, we can “thicken” things up.  Beginning with the legs, draw the contours or outlines to define the form.  The stick figure that we drew in the last step can be used a guide to add this thickness. A “nose” can be added coming off of the oval that was drawn for the head.  The oval that was drawn for the head and the body are connected with lines that help define the form of the frog.  The right eye also is developed with a simple shape inside of the oval.

Step 4 – Finish the Drawing of the Frog

Using the structural drawing, finish the image by adding details.  We’ll draw some frog “fingers” and “toes” extending off the bottom portion of the legs.  The body can be defined further using a variety of lines that outline the form.  By varying the line drawn for the outer contour or outline of the from, we can create the impression of form.

A bit of texture is added on the skin, using a few circular strokes. Most of these strokes are added in areas where we expect to see shadow. The more that these strokes are concentrated, the darker the “shadow” appears. We’ll also add a shape for a “line” going down the side of the frog, just underneath the mouth. We’ll also add a hint of cast shadow under the body of the frog. Once the structure has been completed, adding details to the drawing is the easiest and most rewarding part of the process.

Here are the steps to drawing a frog in one image…