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PlayOwl
A smiling snail with an orange spiral shell, a long light green body with a pointed tail, and two eye stalks with dots at the ends.
The finished drawing.

How to draw

How to Draw a Snail

  • Easy (level 2 of 5)
  • 8 min
  • 6 steps
  • Ages 4–8 (a guide, not a rule)
Start Drawing Draw on Screen Print

Draw on paper: Paper, Pencil. Optional: Eraser, Orange and light green crayons or markers.

Draw it on the screen

A snail is a circle with a spiral inside, sitting on a long, soft body. The spiral starts in the middle and curls around and out until it touches the circle. The shell sits in front of the body, so the body lines start and stop at the shell.

Rather color it? Print the snail coloring page.

Step by step

  • New lines: purple, thick and glowing
  • Lines you already drew: gray
  1. Step 1 diagram, with the new lines highlighted
    Step 1 of 6 Draw a big circle for the shell.
  2. Step 2 diagram, with the new lines highlighted
    Step 2 of 6 Draw a spiral inside the shell. Start in the middle and curl around and out until you touch the circle.
  3. Step 3 diagram, with the new lines highlighted
    Step 3 of 6 Draw the bottom of the body. Start at the shell, make a pointed tail, then draw a long flat line.
  4. Step 4 diagram, with the new lines highlighted
    Step 4 of 6 Draw the head. Curve up from the end of the body and round over to the shell.
  5. Step 5 diagram, with the new lines highlighted
    Step 5 of 6 Draw two eye stalks on top of the head, with a dot at the end of each.
  6. Step 6 diagram, with the new lines highlighted
    Step 6 of 6 Draw a small smile on the front of the head.
A smiling snail with an orange spiral shell, a long light green body with a pointed tail, and two eye stalks with dots at the ends.

You did it!

Your drawing does not have to look like this one. Every artist draws a little differently.

Color it on screen Print a practice sheet

Tips for this drawing

Helpful hints

  • Turn your paper slowly as you draw the spiral. Keep the same space between each ring.
  • Draw the shell a little to the left so the head has room on the right.
  • Add a few dots or stripes on the shell to make your snail special.

Common mistakes

  • The spiral rings touch and turn into a scribble. Leave a gap the width of your finger between each ring of the spiral.
  • The body is drawn as a full oval behind the shell, and its line crosses the shell. Only draw the body where it peeks out: the tail on one side and the head on the other.

Make it simpler

Draw the circle and spiral, a long line under it with a point at one end, and a bump for the head.

Overlap

The shell sits in front of the body. The body's lines start and stop where they meet the shell, because that part of the body is hidden.