Use the video and step-by-step drawing instructions below to learn how to draw Donatello from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. A new 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 top of the page. The circle doesn’t have to be perfect. It’s just a guide for Donatello's head.

 

Step 2: Next, draw two intersecting lines across the circle, one vertical and one horizontal. Bend the horizontal line a bit so that it contours to the shape of the head. These will be construction lines that will help you place Donatello's facial features later on.

 

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

 

Step 4: On the lower left side of Donatello's head, draw two long wavy lines as guides for the ends of the face mask. The length of these lines will determine the length of the loose mask ends later, so draw yours as long or as short as you'd like.

 

Step 5: That’s it for the initial sketch! You have the basic shape of Donatello 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.

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Step 6: Use the initial football-like shapes as guides to draw the outline of Donatello's eyes. Follow the basic path of the shapes, but make the eyes a bit more narrow near the center.

 

Step 7: Inside each eye, draw a circle for the irises. Inside each iris, in the middle, draw another circle and shade it in for Donatello's pupils. Draw a tiny circle inside each eye, off to the side, to represent glare.

 

Step 8: Donatello's eye mask is a bit tricky, so it's divided into two parts. First draw the top part as a wavy line above the eyes. The line should dip in the middle and curve up on either end.

 

Step 9: Now add the second part of the mask as a curved line below Donatello's eyes. The bottom part of this line should be almost parallel to the horizontal construction line. The sides should curve up and meet the top part of the mask. The sides should also be inside the main circle and not touch its sides.

 

Step 10: Add Donatello's mouth near the bottom of the main circle. The shape of the mouth consists of a curved line at the bottom with a slightly flatter line at the top. It looks something similar to a sideways letter D.

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Step 11: Inside the shape of the mouth, draw two curved rectangle-like shapes on the top side for Donatello's top row of teeth. Be sure to include the gap in the teeth. Draw another curved line at the bottom for the lower row of teeth. In the middle of the mouth, draw a last curved line for the tongue.

 

Step 12: Use the main circle as a guide to draw the top part of Donatello's head. Follow the basic path of the circle but make the sides of the head narrower and the top a bit taller. Unlike his brothers who have circular and wider heads, Donatello has a thinner more oval-like shape to his head.

 

Step 13: Draw the rest of Donatello's face using the bottom part of the circle as a guide. Make the sides of the head come out a bit more to create the cheeks. Add a few lines within the head, under the mask for extra detail.

 

Step 14: Use the wavy line on the left as a guide to draw the first end of Donatello's mask. Follow the basic path of the line as you make the shape thicker. The end of the shape should end with a pointy tip.

 

Step 15: Draw the other end of Donatello's mask using the final wavy line as a guide. This shape should be under the other end of the mask, so be careful not to overlap the lines.

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Step 16: That’s it! You now have a nice sketch of Donatello. 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 17: 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 Donatello! You can stop here or go to the final step to complete your Donatello drawing.

 

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

 

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