Hello and welcome to our easy-to-follow 10-step drawing tutorial on how to draw a snail! Today, we are going to draw a snail together.
Snails live all over the world. Snails are technically classified as a gastropod, just like oysters, clams, and mussels—they can live anywhere in the world, from dry deserts to deep ocean trenches alongside creatures like the octopus. Some can actually live to be 25 years old!
Snails are known for their unique shells, which actually grow with them as they mature. However, they have a lot more interesting things about them than just their beautiful spiral shell! Alright, with all that said—gather some art supplies, find a comfy spot, and let’s start this tutorial. Are you ready? Let’s go!
If you enjoy drawing small, detailed creatures, you might also like How to Draw a Ladybug or How to Draw a Caterpillar.
Materials:
- a piece of paper
- a pencil for the guiding lines and sketching
- an eraser
- a black sharpie or a pen for the outlines
- markers or colored pencils for coloring
- our printable drawing guide (Join my Email List below to get this Tutorial)
Here are my RECOMMENDED Art Supplies!
- Crayola Coloring Set (140 Pieces – Mega Value!)
- 24 Colored Crayon Set
- A4 Printer Paper
- Crayola Coloring Pencils
- HP Home Printer with Instant Ink!
Time needed:
13 minutes.
How to Draw a Snail — Let’s get started!
Step 1 – Start drawing the head of the snail.
On the left side of the page, draw a big, narrow curve. It should be like a big upside-down U shape. It doesn’t need to be perfect! This is the snail’s head.
Leave plenty of room above and below for the rest of the drawing.
Step 2 – Add two eyes.
Although snails don’t typically rely on eyesight as much as humans do, they do have eyes which help them day to day. Let’s add eyes to our snail now!
Inside the head, draw two small dots for the snail’s eyes. Good job!
For more practice with unique patterns, check out How to Draw a Giraffe or How to Draw a Snake.
Step 3 – Add a smile to the snail.
Of course, we always like to draw animals with happy expressions. Let’s add a smile to our snail now. Draw a small curve with a top line. Check out the photo!
Step 4 – Draw the snail’s left antenna.
Like many creatures, snails have antennae to help them sense the world around them. Actually, a snail’s antennae are technically called tentacles. Let’s add the left antenna now.
On top of the head on the left side, draw a curved line going upwards. Close it off by bringing it around back to the head. It should look very narrow. Good job!
If you enjoy focusing on fine details, try How to Draw a Butterfly or How to Draw a Frog.
Step 5 – Draw the snail’s right antenna.
Let’s draw the other antenna now. Do the same exact thing from the last step, except this time on the right! Now our snail has two antennae.
Step 6 – Draw the snail’s shell.
In this step, we’re going to start drawing one of the most unique features of a snail: the shell! Let’s start with the overall shape, and we’ll add detail later.
A snail’s shell helps protect and support the rest of the body. In fact, snails can actually hide completely in their shells if they sense danger.
So, let’s add a shell to our snail now. From the bottom right of the neck, draw a big circle. Bring it back around to the upper part of the head. It should look like a big circle. Good job!
Step 7 – Draw the spiral of the shell.
Inside the shell, draw a spiral line going inwards. Check out the photo!
Step 8 – Draw the bottom of the snail’s body.
Let’s draw the rest of the snail’s body. Snails glide on the ground, as opposed to walking.
From the bottom left of the snail’s head, draw a long and squiggly horizontal line. Extend it past the shell and then curve it upwards. Refer to the photo. Good job!
Step 9 – Add detail to the snail’s shell.
Different snails can have various patterns on their shells, but they are all very pretty! Most of them have a striped pattern.
Let’s add a bunch of markings to our snail’s shell. Draw stripes throughout the whole spiral. Each stripe should be a few inches apart. Check out the photo!
Step 10 – Color in your snail!
Snails can have different colored shells—most have brown ones, but some snails can have white or even bright red shells. Find some good colors and fill in your snail buddy. Pick any colors you want! Have fun coloring in your snail. Color in the rest of the page, too.
Good job! You’ve finished drawing your snail! Give it a name!
We hope you had fun following this tutorial and learned some interesting facts about snails. Sometimes it is nice to stop and think about things we might not notice day-to-day but have a wealth of fascinating information about them—snails, although small, are still interesting.
If you know anyone who might like this tutorial, go ahead and share it with them! You can use the social media icons located on this page to share it online.
After completing your snail, continue with How to Draw a Turtle or How to Draw a Penguin.
Pin it now, Draw later!
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