How to Draw a Rattlesnake

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Learn how to draw a great looking Rattlesnake with easy, step-by-step drawing instructions, and video tutorial.

By following the simple steps, you too can easily draw a perfect Rattlesnake.

Step-by-Step Instructions for Drawing a Rattlesnake

How to Draw a Great Looking Rattlesnake for Kids and Beginners - Step 1

How to Draw a Rattlesnake Step 01

1. Begin by drawing a long curved line like an upside-down letter "S" to sketch the snake's basic shape.

Easy Rattlesnake Drawing - Step 2

How to Draw a Rattlesnake Step 02

2. Draw another "S" shaped line within and wrap around the first. It should meet the first line in two places and form an "8" shape.

Easy Rattlesnake Drawing - Step 3

How to Draw a Rattlesnake Step 03

3. Complete the tail of the snake. Extend a line overlapping the end of the original line to meet the snake's side. Then, extend a pair of curved lines. Draw another pair of lines that meet at a gentle point to form the tip of the tail. Curve them around to complete the figure.

Easy Rattlesnake Drawing - Step 4

How to Draw a Rattlesnake Step 04

4. Draw the snake's head, erasing as necessary. Use a curved line and double it back upon itself.

Easy Rattlesnake Drawing - Step 5

How to Draw a Rattlesnake Step 05

5. Detail the snake's face. Use wavy lines for the mouth and tongue. Draw a short line near the tip of the tongue to make it forked or "Y" shaped. Shade small ovals for the nostrils and eye.

Easy Rattlesnake Drawing - Step 6

How to Draw a Rattlesnake Step 06

6. Erase the end of the serpent's tail to make way for the rattles. Enclose a rounded shape. Then, use overlapping curved lines to enclose additional rounded lines, each smaller than the last. Rattlesnakes may have as many as 10 individual rattles.

Easy Rattlesnake Drawing - Step 7

How to Draw a Rattlesnake Step 07

7. Draw curved lines along the bottom of the snake to indicate its belly.

Add More Details to Your Rattlesnake Picture - Step 8

How to Draw a Rattlesnake Step 08

8. Band the belly with curved lines.

Complete the Outline of Your Rattlesnake Drawing - Step 9

How to Draw a Rattlesnake Step 09

9. Enclose large and small irregular blotchy shapes along the snake's back. This pattern is camouflage; it helps the snake to disappear into the underbrush.

Color Your Rattlesnake Drawing

How to Draw a Rattlesnake Step 10

Color your cartoon rattlesnake. Rattlesnakes are typically brown or grey in color with darker markings on their backs.

"There's a snake in my boots!" (Woody, Toy Story, 1995). Draw a desert habitat for this snake, and put a cowboy hat on your favorite character.

For more great Safari Animals drawing tutorials, see the 31 Safari Animals Drawing Ideas for Kids post.

Easy, step by step Rattlesnake drawing tutorial
How to Draw a Rattlesnake Pinterest Image

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Learn More About The Rattlesnake Drawing

There are about 33 species of rattlesnake native to North and South America. Rattlesnakes are venomous pit vipers marked by a unique tail structure. Each snake is born with one button or rattle segment.

Within a week of birth, they shed their skin and a second button is left behind. This happens every time the snake sheds its skin.

The rattlesnake uses its rattles to warn other animals that it is near. Although poisonous, the rattlesnake doesn't want to bite humans or large animals. It would rather you heed its warning and leave it alone.

Rattlesnakes are solitary animals, often hiding under rocks or leaves. The only exception to this is the winter. Hundreds of individuals may hibernate together in a single den.

Rattlesnakes were often subjects of the artwork of ancient native peoples such as the Aztecs and the Maya. They played a prominent role in mythology and religion. Later, the snake was adopted as a symbol of the American colonists during the Revolutionary War.

The rattlesnake appears on the yellow Gadsden flag alongside the words "Don't Tread on Me." The snake continues to be used as a symbol in the United States military and of the American West.

Scroll down for a downloadable PDF of this tutorial.

Would you like to draw a fearsome cartoon rattlesnake? This easy, step-by-step cartoon animal drawing guide is here to show you how. All you will need is a pencil, an eraser, and a sheet of paper.

If you liked this drawing tutorial, see also the following guides: Alligator drawing, Sea Turtle drawing, and Chinese Dragon drawing.

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