Alligator Drawing: Easy Step-by-Step Guide for Beginners

Snap snap! Today we’re drawing everyone’s favorite swamp friend — and don’t worry, this alligator drawing easy tutorial keeps him firmly on the adorable side of toothy. Alligators are secretly great for beginners: one long body, one long snout, and a tail that’s really just a big comma. 🐊

If you’ve sketched along with our easy lizard drawing, you already know the reptile basics — a gator is essentially a lizard that hit the gym and grew a bigger grin. Let’s build him piece by piece.

What You’ll Need

• Paper
• A pencil
• An eraser
• Optional green markers or crayons

Step 1: Draw the Long Body Bean

Sketch a long, low bean shape lying on its side — like a submarine sandwich with a slight sag in the middle. Alligators sit close to the ground, so keep the body wide and squat rather than tall. Light lines for now! Leave empty paper on both ends of the bean, because the snout goes one way and a very long tail goes the other.

Step 2: Attach the Snout

From the front of the bean, extend a long, flat snout — two nearly parallel lines that round off gently at the tip, like an oven mitt. Alligators have wide, U-shaped snouts, so resist the urge to make it pointy. Make the snout almost as long as the head is tall.

Step 3: Add Eye Bumps and Nostrils

Here’s the gator’s signature look: the eyes sit in little bumps on TOP of the head, like two small hills. Draw a round eye inside each bump with a shiny highlight dot. Then add two tiny nostril dots at the very tip of the snout, and a small bump above them.

Step 4: Draw the Smiling Mouth

Run a long line along the length of the snout for the mouth, then curl it up at the back into a big friendly smile. This one curve decides your gator’s whole personality, so let it swoop up cheerfully. Ending the smile right below the eye bump gives him that wide, welcoming swamp-host grin.

Step 5: Give Him Zigzag Teeth

Add four or five small triangles poking down from the top of the mouth line, spaced out like a very relaxed zigzag. Keep the teeth little and blunt — tiny teeth read as cute, big teeth read as scary, and we’re going for cute. ✨

Step 6: Sweep Out the Tail

From the back of the body, sweep out a thick tail that curves like a comma and tapers to a soft point. Make it generous — an alligator’s tail is nearly half its length. A gentle upward curl at the tip adds a playful bounce.

Step 7: Add Stubby Legs and Back Ridges

Tuck two short, bent legs under the front of the body and two under the back, each ending in three little toes. Then run a row of small rounded triangles along the spine, from shoulders to tail tip. Those bumpy ridges are what instantly say “alligator!”

Step 8: Color Your Gator Green

Outline your favorite lines, erase the sketch underneath, and reach for the greens. A grass-green body with a pale yellow or cream belly is the classic combo. Add a few darker green patches along the back for scaly texture, and maybe a blue squiggle of swamp water under his feet.

Tips to Make Your Alligator Drawing Even Cuter

• Give him big sparkly eyes and rosy cheeks for full baby-gator energy.
• Draw just the eye bumps and snout peeking above a wavy waterline.
• Pop a little bird sitting on his nose — they make surprisingly sweet friends.
• A tiny party hat between the eye bumps turns him into a birthday gator.
• Round every corner: soft snout, soft ridges, soft toes. Round equals cuddly.
• Draw a second, smaller gator following behind — a swamp family out for a stroll.

FAQ

Is an alligator easy to draw for kids?

Yes! The body is one long bean and the legs are simple stubs. Kids around five or six can follow along, especially if a grown-up draws the first bean with them.

How do I draw an alligator vs. a crocodile?

Give your alligator a wide, rounded U-shaped snout. Crocodiles have narrower, pointier V-shaped snouts with more teeth showing — so for crocs, sharpen everything up a bit.

How long will this drawing take?

Plan on 15 to 20 relaxed minutes. The back ridges are the slowest part, and they’re also weirdly satisfying to draw — like decorating the edge of a pie crust.

Look at that grin — you’ve officially made the friendliest gator in the swamp. If scaly pals are your thing, slither over to our easy snake drawing next, and catch Wennie drawing more creatures step by step on YouTube. See you later, alligator! 🎨