Use the video and step-by-step drawing instructions below to learn how to draw Leonardo from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. A new cartoon drawing tutorial is uploaded every week, so stay tooned!

 

 

Intro: Start off with a pencil sketch. In the beginning stages, don’t press down too hard. Use light, smooth strokes for sketching.

 

Step 1: Start by drawing a big circle near the middle of the page. This will be the basic shape for Leonardo's head. It doesn’t have to be perfect. It’s just a guide.

 

Step 2: Next, draw two intersecting lines across the circle, one vertical and one horizontal. The vertical line should split the middle in half, and the horizontal line should bend a bit to contour to the shape. These will be construction lines that will help you place Leonardo's facial features later on.

 

Step 3: Draw two small shapes as guides for Leonardo's eyes. Draw them sitting on top of the horizontal construction line and on either side of the vertical construction line. The shapes should be similar to little footballs.

 

Step 4: That’s it for the initial sketch! You have the basic shape of Leonardo from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Now go in and tighten your drawing. From this point on, press harder with your pencil in order to get darker lines and a more defined sketch.

 

Step 5: Darken the outlines of the little football-like shapes for Leonardo's eyes. Draw the shapes pointier and thinner as you follow the basic path of the guides.

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Step 6: Inside each eye, draw a circle for the irises. Inside each iris, add a tiny circle off to the side to represent glare. In the middle of each iris, draw another circle and shade it in for Leonardo's pupils.

 

Step 7: Draw a line above Leonardo's eyes for the first part of his mask. The line should extend almost to the edge of the main circle, and it should dip in the middle at the vertical construction line.

 

Step 8: Draw the bottom part of Leonardo's mask by adding a few more lines. It basically consists of a short line on either side and a curved line at the bottom.

 

Step 9: Draw a curved line under the mask for the mouth. The mouth should be closer to the bottom of the main circle than to the mask. Curve the line more toward the right to give Leonardo more of a smirk.

 

Step 10: Use the original circle as a guide to draw the top of Leonardo's head. Follow the basic path of the circle and darken the line to create the head. The sides of the head should be narrower than the original circle.

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Step 11: Draw the bottom part of Leonardo's head by using the original circle as a guide. Follow the basic path of the circle as you darken the line but make the sides bulge out more to create the cheeks. The bottom part should be higher too. Draw a line under the mask for extra detail.

 

Step 12: On the left side of the head, draw the first end of Leonardo's mask, which consist of two wavy lines that come together at a point.

 

Step 13: Draw the other end of Leonardo's mask the same way, except one of the lines should be shorter because it's behind the first shape.

 

Step 14: That’s it! You now have a nice sketch of Leonardo from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. You can stop at this quick drawing for a rough, sketchy look or go for a more finished look by continuing to the step below.

 

Step 15: For a more finished, inked look, carefully draw over the final sketch lines with a pen or marker. Wait for the ink to dry, and then get rid of every pencil mark with an eraser. You now have a finished inked drawing of Leonardo! You can stop here or go to the final step to complete your Leonardo drawing.

 

Final Step: For a completely finished Leonardo drawing, you have to color it. You can use markers, color pencils or even crayons! His skin is light green. You can use dark green on the side of his head to give the head more dimension and volume. Color his eyes light blue. Leonardo's signature color is blue, so color his mask blue. That’s it! You now have a completed drawing of Leonardo from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

 

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