Drawing Frogs Volume 1 - How to Draw Frogs For the Beginner

Most of the frogs we see have a shape that is relatively similar to one another; one might have a longer body, other with bigger head or thicker mass, but the primary outline of their basic shape is not far from what we visually perceive as common and how we typically recognize frogs as frogs.

The “bean” or “pear” shaped body combined with short front legs and a longer and thicker hind legs, usually in a squat position, is how you would simply describe them, and that's just enough to draw most of them. This idea is going to be your primary basis if you want to draw a simple image of a frog.

To give you an idea,  here's the entire process of drawing a Malayan Horned frog. The one that looks like a  dry leaf in short observation.

• Make a sketch of the basic from of the frog.

Make an outline sketch of the frog to establish its size and proportions. Just begin with a basic shape for the body and convey the length and folds of the limbs with curved lines. The upper body of Malayan horned frog has a sturdier outline compared to the other frogs.

• Re-define the outlines and convey the linings of the body.

Illustrate the polygonal characteristic of the frog by establishing the planes of the shape's structure. There are three major planes on the frogs figure, all are bordered with protruding skin margins; the back, the head and the belly. The limbs are significantly slim and seemed flattened.

• Add the other features and details. As the name suggests, the Malayan horned-frog has a horn-like protrusion above its eyes.

• Apply a linear shading.

Apply some linear shades to create the first layer of shading. The well-established planes of the frog will help for applying its proper gradation and to convey the form further. 

• Smear the shades.

Carefully smear the shades to blur the  linear marks. Even out the shading depending on the area it covers. Use light and small circular/scribbling strokes.

• Apply another layer of shading.

Apply another layer shades to further emphasize the subject's light and dark value. Darken the areas that should appear farther and the planes opposing the light (implying that the source of light is at the front/you). Re-darken the lower edges of the protuberant linings and the sloping areas of the planes.

• Re-darken the lower edges of the protuberant linings and the sloping areas of the planes.

• Use scribbling marks to convey some texture.

Apply scribbles as a third layer of shading, use this as a way to portray the texture of the frog's skin. Use small circular line strokes without a definite pattern; the pressure you put on your pencil depends on the area you are shading, use heavy strokes for the darker areas and use light hand strokes for the brighter or fair gray areas.

• Establish the other details.

The Malayan horned frog has few skin protuberant moles or warts on his body and faintly darker crack print markings; apply these details to finalize the drawing.

That is one of the ways to easily draw a frog. Of course, it is not applicable to all of them. There are frogs that are just so unique in form, such as the bizarre-looking surinam toad,

or the disproportionate physique of a pacman frog. 

These topics and more are discussed in "Drawing Frogs Volume 1 - How to Draw Frogs For the Beginner". The easy ways of drawing frogs in different gestures, angles and more are broken down in easy to follow step-by-step instructions, in a way that even non-experienced individuals can learn how to draw them.