Crab drawing for children with a pencil step by step in color

Content

You can draw a crab with children using various materials. Before starting the lessons, adults should study the list of all the necessary items for drawing, as well as look at step-by-step master classes with descriptions of different variations of the drawing.

What you need to draw a crab

What tools and materials are needed:

3 simple pencils of different degrees of hardness (H2, B2, HB);
art brushes with soft and hard bristles, different thicknesses;
eraser;
black marker;
black gel pen.

You can color the drawn crab with felt-tip pens, paints, and colored pencils. Each coloring method requires appropriate paper.

Paper type	What can you draw on it with?
Album sheets	With simple and colored pencils
White cardboard	With felt-tip pens and gouache
Watercolor paper	For watercolor
Notebook sheets	With colored pencils or ballpoint pens

What colors do artists use to paint crabs:

coral;
red;
orange;
brown;
white;
black.

These are the basic shades, but for background design or for coloring cartoon characters, you may need paints and pencils of other colors, so it is best to have a palette and a large set of tools on hand.

Step by step instructions on how to draw a crab with a simple pencil

The crab (it is desirable to draw a drawing for older children in a realistic style) has a strong shell, long legs and powerful claws. All this should be shown in the drawing. To get a picture in a realistic style, all the details should be shaded correctly, indicating the hard and soft parts of the crab's body.

Sketch

The sketch helps to correctly arrange the remaining elements of the drawing. A hard pencil is needed for the work.

Procedure:

Draw a small circle in the center of the sheet.
Draw a vertical line through its center. This will be the central axis, which will help to depict the parts of the crab's body symmetrically.
On the left side, you need to mark the beginning of each paw in the form of ovals. 2 small and slightly rounded figures will be the beginning of the front paws. Below, you need to draw 3 more ovals, but thinner and slightly longer. These will be the back paws.
By analogy, mark the position of the legs on the other side. The crab will have 10 legs in total.

Crab drawing for children with a pencil step by step in color — Crab - step by step drawing for kids (option 1)

The crab's legs bend in different directions because they have 3 joints. The first 2 joints on each paw should be depicted as ovals. On the front legs, the ovals should be large, on the next 3 - medium in size, and on the back legs, the joints should be depicted as 2 small circles.
Draw large open claws with sharp ends on the front paws.
From the base of the front legs, draw a wavy line through the circle, depicting the oblong shape of the shell.
Mark the position of the eyes with 2 small circles.
On the shell, show the indentations on the sides in the form of vertical lines and 2 inverted arcs.

Erase extra lines with an eraser.

Drawing details

Now you need to draw the shape of the shell, claws and legs more clearly. For this you will need a hard-soft pencil.

Procedure:

Show the serrations inside the claws with a zigzag line.
All the ovals that imitate joints need to have their corners drawn. The crab's legs should look like a telescopic fishing rod. That is, the upper joints will be slightly smaller than those closer to the base, and their joints should be clearly visible.
At the end of each small paw you need to draw 1 small claw.
Connect the eyes to the head with thin lines.
Outline the indentations on the shell with a zigzag line.
Connect 2 inverted arcs together.

Use dots to show the texture of the front claws.

Shadow casting

Dark areas of the drawing should be shaded using a soft pencil.

Procedure:

Shade the depressions on the shell with short diagonal lines.
Darken the joints on the paws.
Show shadow over 2 arcs on the shell.
Paint the inside of the claws.
Rub all strokes gently with your fingers or a cotton swab.
Pressing a little harder on the pencil, outline the crab.

Use an eraser to clean the background, erase all unnecessary stains and accidentally ground graphite.

Pattern variations

The crab (it is advisable to make a drawing for preschool children in a cartoon style, this will help maintain the child’s interest in the activities) depicted in the picture can be cheerful or angry, big or small.

You can draw a portrait of a crab character from your favorite cartoon, or depict a crustacean in a minimalist style. Step-by-step instructions will help you understand how to correctly draw various variations of pictures with crabs.

A funny crab painted with gouache

This picture can be drawn by children aged 5-8. For work you will need gouache of 3 colors: red, white and black. You will also need 1 brush with medium-sized hard bristles and 1 thin, soft brush.

Procedure:

Mix red and white gouache in equal proportions.
Using a hard bristle brush, paint the shell in the shape of a heart.
Color the figure.
Draw 2 thick front paws. Each joint, closer to the end of the paw, should be smaller than the previous one.
Below, on each side, draw 3 more paws of the same size. Their tips should be lowered down.
Draw the hind legs thinner and smaller.

Draw massive claws to the front paws. The upper claws should be larger than the lower ones.
Allow the paint to dry completely.
Draw 2 large circles in the eye area in white. Since the shell is heart-shaped, the eyes should be placed under the protruding tops.
Mix red gouache with a drop of black and draw the shape of a smiling mouth.
Dry the picture.
Draw the tongue sticking out of the mouth in red.
Dip a soft, thin brush in black paint. Draw large pupils on the crab.
Outline the shell.
Draw raised, arched eyebrows above the eyes.
Trace each joint on each paw.

Outline the inner parts of the claws with a thin zigzag line. Outline the claws themselves.
Outline each eye.
Draw a nose in the shape of a check mark.
Outline the mouth and tongue.
Mix red and white paint in a 1:3 ratio. You should get a pale pink color.
Using a thin, soft brush, paint light highlights on the right side of the shell, as well as on the upper claw flaps and on each joint of the paws below.

If your child finds it difficult to make thin and neat lines with a brush, you can use a black felt-tip pen for tracing.

Crab and starfish painted in watercolor

Children aged 4 to 7 can be asked to draw sea creatures on a white sheet of paper using watercolors. The drawing should be minimalistic, without detailed details. It is enough to draw the silhouette of a crab and a star, and then mark the shadows.

To work you will need 4 colors of watercolor:

red;
orange;
brown;
white.

You will also need a soft, medium-sized brush.

Procedure:

Place the sheet of paper horizontally on the table. In the upper left corner, a starfish will be drawn, and in the lower right corner, a crab.
Before painting, moisten the paper with a spray bottle to make the paints mix more easily.
Draw a starfish as a flower with 5 elongated petals. To make it easier, first draw a small circle with a brush, and then add the "petals".

While the paint is still wet, take the red color and add a few spots to the center of the star. The watercolor will spread and mix with the orange color, creating a smooth transition of shades.
Mix orange paint with red in a 2:1 ratio.
Draw an elongated crab shell.
Add 5 legs on each side. The front legs are larger than all the others, the lowest paws can be depicted as 2 small spots.
Draw the claws on the front paws.
Take red watercolor and mark the shadows. Using dabbing movements, add red to the left side of the shell.
Apply paint to the upper claw flaps, paint the bases of all the paws.
Dry the drawing.
Using brown watercolor paint, draw 2 protruding eyes on the crab, and also draw an oval stone next to the star.

Wait until the brown paint dries.
Take white watercolor and paint highlights in the center of the star, on the stone, as well as on the upper flaps of the crab's claws and on the right side of its shell.

If you don’t have white watercolor, you don’t need to paint over the areas with highlights.

Round crab drawn with felt-tip pens

This master class will help children from 3 to 5 years old learn to draw with felt-tip pens.

For work you will need 3 colors:

red;
yellow;
black.

You will also need a simple hard pencil to draw the sketch.

Procedure:

Using a simple pencil, draw an oval in the center of the sheet.
Add 2 oval legs on each side. This crab will have 6 legs to make it easier for the child to draw.
Draw thin front legs on top and add large claws to them.
Draw 2 large eyes above the shell. Connect them to the head with 2 thick lines.
In the center of the shell, draw a smile in the form of an arc.
Use a yellow marker to color the claws and legs.
Shade the entire shell with red color.
Outline the entire drawing with black. Color the eyes and draw a smile.

You can add highlights inside each eye using concealer.

Drawing by cells

You can decorate the margins of a notebook or a page of a personal diary with such a drawing. For work you need gel pens or colored pencils of 2 colors: pink and black, and also you need squared paper and a simple pencil.

How to draw:

Use a simple pencil to mark the boundaries of the drawing, a square of 15x15 cells.
The drawing should be done from the bottom up, counting the cells from left to right. In the 1st row, skip 4 cells, paint 1 pink, skip 5 cells and paint 1 pink again.
A new row starts with 3 empty cells, 1 pink, followed by 7 empty cells and another 1 pink.
3 empty, 2 pink, 5 empty, 3 pink.
1 empty, 1 pink, 2 empty, 7 pink, 2 empty, 1 pink.
1 empty, 13 pink cells.
1 pink, 2 empty, 9 pink, 2 empty, 1 pink.
The entire row is painted pink.
3 empty, 9 pink cells.

2 empty, 11 pink.
2 empty, 1 pink, 1 empty, 7 pink, 1 empty, 1 pink.
2 empty, 2 pink, 3 empty, 1 black, 1 empty, 1 black, 3 empty, 1 pink.
2 empty, 2 pink, 9 empty, 2 pink.
2 empty, 1 pink, 9 empty, 1 pink.
3 empty, 1 pink, 7 empty, 1 pink.

Use an eraser to remove the pencil lines that mark the boundaries of the drawing.

Finger painting

A crab (a drawing for children under 3 years old can be simplified by drawing only the crab, without a background), drawn with finger paints, will turn out bright and beautiful.

For work you will need paints of 6 colors:

orange;
yellow;
green;
red;
white;
blue.

You will also need thick paper or white cardboard.

How to draw:

Place a sheet of paper horizontally on the table.
Divide it into 2 parts horizontally and paint the lower half with orange and yellow paint. Let the child take these paints himself and smear them with his fingers in a chaotic manner.
Allow the paint to dry completely.
Apply red color to both of the child's palms and ask him to imprint his hands in the center of the drawing with his fingers sticking out in different directions. These will be the crab's legs. The thumbs will be the eyes.

While the red paint is drying, use green paint to draw seaweed on the bottom, rubbing the drops of paint with your finger in a zigzag line.
Apply white paint to your index finger and make prints where the crab's eyes will be.
Take a blue color on the little finger and draw pupils.

For work it is recommended to use special paints that are easily washed off with water and do not cause allergic reactions on children's skin.

How to draw mr krabs

Mr. Krabs is a character from the cartoon series about SpongeBob. This drawing contains small details, so it should be done with children over 7 years old.

How to draw:

Use a simple pencil to make a sketch. Krabs has an egg-shaped body, this is the first element that needs to be drawn.
Draw 2 small, meek legs at the bottom.
Draw 2 big and tall eyes.
Mark the eyelids, draw small round pupils.
Add thin arms with massive pincers instead of hands.
Draw Krabs a long, jagged nose.
Add a wide smile with big teeth.
Draw the shape of the clothes. Mr. Krabs wears a shirt and pants with a belt.
Mark small details on clothing, pockets, belt loops, buttons.

Color the picture with colored pencils. Krabs' body is red, his shirt is light blue, and his pants are blue. At the end, you can outline the drawing with a black marker.

How to draw Sebastian the crab

Sebastian the Crab is a character from the cartoon "The Little Mermaid". He is not like other crabs, as he has a special shell shape, and his face is humanized. Therefore, drawing Sebastian is difficult. Children over 10 years old can cope with this task.

How to draw:

Make a sketch with a simple pencil. Draw the shape of the head, design the face.
Sebastian has large eyes, and shallow hollows need to be shown underneath them using arched lines.
Draw the mouth large and wide.
Draw the crab's right leg with a large claw.
Outline the shape of the shell.
Finish drawing the second front paw with a claw.
Draw 3 legs with sharp tips at the bottom.
Make the edge of the shell rounded, show its curves in the neck area.
The lower flaps of Sebastian's claws are very small, their base should be marked in the form of semicircles.
Draw a tongue in the mouth and also mark small wrinkles in the corners of the lips.
Highlight the massive eyebrows above the eyes.

Color the crab with markers or pencils. Its head should be lighter than its body. The shell should be red. Finally, outline the picture with black.

Greedy Crab Tamatoa

A crab (the drawing for younger children can be simplified by removing small details) named Tamatoa is a minor character in the animated film Moana. This character is very large, has a crazy look in his eyes, and is prone to collecting shiny things, which he puts on his back.

How to draw Tamatoa:

Using a simple pencil, draw a large, bump-shaped shell.
Draw the belly at the bottom.
Finish drawing the head with 2 large protruding eyes.
The whites of the eyes should be tightly adjacent to each other. To depict madness in the look, you need to draw pupils looking in different directions.
This crab has very long and massive legs. On the front legs you need to draw large claws.
Finish drawing the mouth with crooked, square teeth.
At the very top of the shell, depict Maui's hook.
Tamatoa needs to be painted with watercolors to achieve smooth color transitions. Use yellow to paint the top of his shell, as well as the front parts of his legs, the bottom of his head, and his abdomen.

Paint the legs and the top of the head with purple paint.
Mix purple paint with white in equal proportions and paint the crab's back.
Dry the drawing.
Use a black gel pen to outline the picture and color in the pupils.
Draw 1 long eyelash above the eyes.
On the shell, depict small objects, chains, stones, coins and chests.

You can use multi-colored markers to draw precious stones on the shell.

Examples of images for copying, tips for beginners

Tips for adults and young artists:

To get a beautiful drawing, you can combine different drawing techniques. The picture can be colored with paints, and small details can be drawn with pencils and pens.

When coloring a drawing with felt-tip pens, do not apply pigment to the same place several times. The paper may roll up and tear. It is better to carefully shade the pictures with vertical lines.
Shadows can be shown not only with black and gray. In color drawings, artists use paint of the same color, only slightly darker by 1-2 tones.
The texture of the shell and strong claws can be shown with dots and small semicircles. They will imitate a hard and loose surface.

Drawing a crab will help children learn more about crustaceans. During activities with a child, parents should tell what crabs eat, what they need claws for, where they live, and what benefits they bring to people.

Author: Frolova Ekaterina

Video about drawing

Crab drawing for kids: