How to Draw an Alien

Time needed: 30 minutes

How to Draw an Alien

1. Sketch the elongated head shape.

   The head is one of the most recognizable features of an alien, so sketch it as a large oval that tapers at the bottom to form a pointed chin. When you draw an alien, try to make the head larger than the body and stretched vertically, to make it look different from a human face.

2. Draw the alien’s facial features.

   Inside the head, sketch two long almond-shaped eyes. Place them near the middle of the face, with some space between them. Then add a small curved line below for the mouth. In your alien drawing, the eyes will be the most recognizable feature, so make them larger and more elongated than human eyes.

3. Sketch the neck and torso shapes.

   From the bottom of the head, sketch two long and curved lines downward to form the outline of the alien’s body. The torso should be thin and elongated to keep that non-human look. Both lines should be roughly parallel and can taper slightly toward the hips.

4. Sketch the elongated arm forms.

   Now, let’s create another distinctive feature of this supernatural create and add two long, thin arms on each side of the body. The arms should look slender and elongated, just like flexible wires. As mentioned above, the alien should give the feeling of something unusual, so don’t try to make the arms too human.

5. Draw the alien’s hands and fingers.

   At the ends of the arms, sketch small hands with three or four fingers. Sketch the fingers long and curved to create something different from human hands. The hands should look simple and unusual, so avoid drawing nails or joints. In alien drawing, less detail can actually make the illustration more effective.

6. Draw the alien’s long legs.

   Now sketch two long legs starting from the bottom of the torso. You can make the legs bent as in my example or illustrate them straight. In alien drawings from cartoons or games, legs are usually slender and smooth, just like the arms. The legs don’t need to be muscular or heavily detailed.

7. Sketch the simple feet shapes.

   At the bottom of the legs, sketch simple feet, making them flat at the base. The feet don’t need a lot of detail, just simple shapes are enough to convey these parts of the creature. You can also add small toes or draw the alien in unusual and strange shoes.

8. Smoothen the figure shape.

   Strengthen the main lines and erase any unnecessary ones. Double-check proportions and correct disproportions. Try to avoid sketchy or broken lines, because clean and smooth strokes will make the alien drawing look better and ready for coloring or shading.

9. Color the eyes and skin.

   A common choice is a bluish-gray or green shade, which gives it a classic extraterrestrial look. Fill in the body with a chosen color, making the eyes black or very dark. Leave a couple of hightails inside the eyes for a more realistic look. You can experiment with other tones – light gray, pale purple, or even bright green.