How to Draw Achaeopteryx

With its beautiful, colorful feathers, Archaeopteryx doesn’t look like most dinosaurs. Show off your artistic skills and learn to draw this awesome dinosaur.

In this section, we'll show you how to draw this Archaeopteryx dinosaur. You can draw it freehand while looking at your computer monitor, or you can print out this page to get a closer look at each step.

Here, we'll show you an illustration of each step and then give you a description of how to draw it. Follow the red lines in each illustration to learn exactly what to draw in that step. The lines drawn in previous steps are shown in gray.

To draw Achaeopteryx, begin by sketching an egg shape leaning on its side to make the body.

Step 1: Draw an egg shape leaning on its side to make the body. Make a sideways teardrop for the head. Connect the head and body with some curved lines to make the neck.

To draw Achaeopteryx dinosaur, make two wing shapes spreading out from the body.

Step 2: Draw two wing shapes spreading out from the body. Add the tail shape, which flairs out slightly from the body and ends with a soft point.

To draw Achaeopteryx, make three curved shapes at the front points of the wings for the talons.

Step 3: Draw a small, narrow, rounded triangle for the lower jaw. Make three curved shapes at the front points of the wings for the talons. Make an upside-down pear for the thigh, and draw a claw shape at the end of it. Draw another claw for the back foot.

To draw Achaeopteryx, draw circles for the eye and ear on the head.

Step 4: On the head, draw circles for the eye and ear. Add an oval for the nostril and a thin shape to give form to the mouth. Draw long, thin ovals for feathers along the back of the head and neck and on the thigh. Sketch over the neck front with a bumpy line to make more feather detail.

To draw Achaeopteryx, use curved lines to outline the feather details.

Step 5: Split the wing shapes into three long sections. Use curved lines to outline the feather details. Draw a long, pointed shape to make the tail features. Detail the outside edge of the tail with bumps to start the feathers.

Finish off your Achaeopteryx drawing by adding curved lines to the wings and around the tail.

Step 6: Finish off the feathers by drawing curved lines in the wings and around the tail.

To finish your Achaeopteryx drawing, use a felt-tip pen to draw over pencil lines, and erase extra lines.


Step 7: Draw over the pencil lines you want to keep with a felt-tip pen, then erase the extra pencil lines.

Your dinosaur is finished! Even if you don't get it right the first time, keep practicing until you're happy with your drawing.

The Ouranosaurus dinosaur has strong muscles and a tall fin. Learn how to draw this dinosaur in the next section.

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