In the cosmos of comic book villains, few stand as tall as Thanos, and it’s my pleasure to show you how to draw Thanos step-by-step!

How to Draw Thanos: Introduction

One of the best ways to study comic drawing is to simplify the characters. You remove unnecessary lines and keep just what makes the character recognizable. It’s not about copying the full detail but about keeping just enough to identify the character instantly. In Thanos’s case, that includes the wrinkled chin, blue skin, and large gloves.

This tutorial on how to draw Thanos is also useful to learn how to sketch other comic villains. Characters like Darkseid, Apocalypse, or even Bane can all be drawn with a similar base shape. The difference will come from the facial design and costume elements.

If you want to experiment with variations, try redrawing the figure with an alternate pose. You can make Thanos sitting on a throne, raising the gauntlet, or even walking forward. Also, you can draw Thanos in alternative costumes.

For coloring, it’s helpful to use only a few bold colors. Thanos’s design works well in yellow, purple, and blue. Avoid shading or gradients for this simple style. To make your Thanos drawing look more realistic, you can add high contrast comic book shadows.

Thanos Drawing Tutorial

Materials

Pencil
Paper
Eraser
Coloring supplies

Time needed: 40 minutes

How to Draw Thanos

Sketch the main body forms.
Use large shapes with rounded edges to illustrate the massive proportions of the character. Keep the head slightly bigger than usual to give it a simplified look. First, draw Thanos’ head with an oval, then sketch the torso as another oval below the head.
Draw Thanos’ arm shapes.
Keep the arms of the villain simple and symmetrical. Each arm should look slightly bent with very simple fists at the end. Try not to overcomplicate the hand area at this point. You can start with a mitten shape and refine it later. Comic artists often exaggerate limb size in characters like Thanos to show strength.
Sketch the villain’s lower body.
First, draw the legs of Thanos with simple lines. Then, sketch the feet with a couple of flat forms. Draw the legs far apart. The pose from my example is common in comic art, especially for supervillains. By the way, you can make Thanos look less cartoonish, drawing the legs and arms a bit longer.
Draw Thanos’ facial features.
Now, use very simple lines to mark out the eyes, nose, and mouth. Draw the eyes large and low on the head to match the cartoon style. Curve the brow line down. Place the mouth in a neutral or stern position. Try to avoid too much asymmetry unless intentional.
Sketch the ears and facial details.
Mark in the ears and some light lines under the eyes and around the mouth to illustrate Thanos’s iconic ridges. You don’t need to go into full texture – keep it simplified. Comic artists often use minimal lines to create recognizable look for a character.
Sketch the chest armor and gauntlet.
Sketch in the upper chest armor with strong vertical and diagonal lines. On his left arm, start building the Infinity Gauntlet. Keep the shape of the gauntlet big and a bit exaggerated. The shape of the Infinity Gauntlet should repeat the shape of the hand. Think of armor as overlapping plates, and draw accordingly.
Add the belt and leg armor.
Now, draw Thanos’ belt and the bottom edge of the torso armor using very simple shapes. In the center of the belt, draw a buckle for a more convincing look. Next, draw the top edge of the boots and the armor on the knees using basic lines.
Trace the completed drawing.
Clean up Thanos drawing and add final lines, including the Infinity Stones on the glove. Use simple ovals or circles for the stones. Add any missed edges or armor divisions. Avoid sketchiness. Give your drawing a finished look before the last step.
Add color to each part of Thanos.
Color Thanos with a medium purple for the face and arms. Use golden yellow for the chest armor, belt, shoulder pieces. Fill the pants and boots with dark blue or deep gray, using the same tone for both to keep the lower half simple. The Infinity Gauntlet should also be golden yellow.

How to Draw Thanos: Video Tutorial

Conclusion

Thanos drawing tutorial is complete and I hope you were able to take your comic book character drawing skills to the next level. To learn how to create complex comics compositions, try learning how to illustrate backgrounds and background objects, for example by drawing a rocket and stars around Thanos.

For Marvel-specific objects, check out my tutorial on how to draw a Captain America shield to practice working with radial shapes and learn more about comic book characters ammunition.

You can also try full characters with the help my tutorial on how to draw Iron Man or another simple lesson on how to draw Thor’s hammer to build your collection of iconic heroes and weapons.

Share your finished drawing, leave a comment if you have any questions, and follow on Pinterest and YouTube for more step-by-step guides and free printable materials.