How to Draw Scorpion — Free Practice Sheets

A scorpion drawing is mostly a problem of arrangement: one segmented body, a tail that curves up and ends in a stinger, two pincers at the front, and four pairs of legs along the sides. This page explains how those parts connect and how to keep their proportions believable. The practice sheets let you trace a reference outline, copy it onto a grid, place the silhouette inside a bounding frame, or complete a partly blank drawing.

Build the body from overlapping segments

Start with the body rather than the legs. A scorpion's main body reads as a short chain of overlapping oval segments, widest near the front and tapering toward the rear where the tail begins. Draw each oval lightly so later segments can overlap earlier ones without looking crowded. Keep the ovals roughly in line; a body that zigzags sideways will make the tail and legs hard to place.

The tail grows from the rear of the body, not from the middle. Treat it as a continuation of the same segmented rhythm: a series of short sections that curve upward and finish in a pointed stinger. The curve should be smooth and deliberate, so decide early whether the tail arcs forward over the body or sweeps to one side.

1. Draw a row of overlapping oval segments for the body, widest at the front.
2. Extend a curved chain of smaller segments from the rear, ending in a stinger.
3. Attach two large pincers to the front of the body.
4. Add four pairs of legs along the sides, checking each attachment point.

Place the pincers and legs correctly

The pincers sit at the front, one on each side, and should look large enough to balance the tail. Draw the upper and lower jaw of each pincer as a pair of curved shapes that meet at a gap. If the pincers look small, the drawing will read as an insect rather than a scorpion.

Legs attach along the sides of the body, four on each side. Each leg should begin at the body edge, angle outward, then bend down. Keep the pairs roughly opposite one another so the stance looks stable. Legs that start too far from the body or cross the tail will make the silhouette confusing.

1. Sketch each pincer as two curved jaws with a visible gap.
2. Mark four attachment points along each side of the body.
3. Draw each leg outward from its attachment point, then bend it downward.
4. Check that no leg crosses the tail or another leg.

Using the practice sheets

The tracing sheet asks you to follow the reference outline first, then repeat the contour on your own. The grid sheet asks you to copy the reference onto a blank grid, matching where lines cross grid intersections. The frame sheet gives a bounding box and center guide so you can place the whole silhouette before adding details. The partial sheet leaves the right-hand portion blank for you to complete from the full reference.

In every case, compare your finished drawing with the separate full reference sheet. The goal is not a pixel-perfect match. Preserve the curved tail with stinger, the pincers, the segmented body and the correct leg count, and judge the proportions by eye.

1. Trace the outline once, then draw it again without tracing.
2. On the grid sheet, note which intersections the body, tail and pincers pass through.
3. On the frame sheet, block in the silhouette before adding segment lines.
4. On the partial sheet, complete the blank side using the full reference.

Checking your drawing

Read your drawing as a silhouette first. Can you identify the body, the upward tail, the stinger and both pincers without labels? Then check the legs: four pairs, attached to the body sides, not floating. Finally, check the segment lines, which should follow the curve of the body and tail rather than cutting straight across.

Because drawings can be correct in different ways, assess visible features and proportions rather than exact matching. A tail that curves left instead of right is still valid if the segments, stinger and attachment are clear.

1. Trace the silhouette with your eye and name each major part.
2. Count the leg pairs and confirm each attachment point.
3. Check that segment lines follow the body and tail curves.

Check your work

• The body is drawn as overlapping oval segments, widest near the front.
• The tail extends from the rear of the body in a smooth curve and ends in a visible stinger.
• Two large pincers are attached at the front, each with a visible gap between jaws.
• Four pairs of legs attach along the body sides without crossing the tail.
• Segment lines follow the curves of the body and tail rather than cutting straight across.
• The silhouette is identifiable as a scorpion before any labels or shading are added.

Worked example

scorpion: Trace the reference outline, then practise the contour independently. Compare with the separate full reference sheet.

Common mistakes

• Drawing the tail from the middle of the body instead of the rear. Erase the tail base and restart it at the last body segment, then rebuild the curve upward.
• Making the pincers too small relative to the body. Redraw each pincer wider and longer so it balances the tail's visual weight.
• Attaching legs to the tail or letting them float away from the body. Move each leg's starting point onto the side edge of a body segment and redraw the bend.

Questions and answers