How to draw a crab
A crab is a wide oval with two big claws. Get a pencil and paper, and tap Next for each line.
Step 1 of 7. Draw a wide oval for the crab's shell.
All 7 steps
Here is every step at once. The blue lines are the new ones; the dark lines are already on your paper. Draw lightly at first, so you can rub out a line you don’t like.
1. Draw a wide oval for the crab's shell.
2. Add two short stalks on top with round eyes.
3. Put a dot in each eye and draw a smile.
4. Draw an arm on each side, reaching up.
5. Add a big claw on each arm, like an open mitten.
6. Draw three bent legs on each side.
7. Add a few curved lines on the shell.
A tip for drawing a crab
The shell is much wider than it is tall, like a squashed circle. Make the two claws big, about a third as wide as the shell, and open them a little. The legs bend in the middle like the letter V turned upside down.
Change it up
Once your crab is down, make it yours:
- Make one claw much bigger than the other.
- Draw it peeking out of the sand.
- Add a bucket and a spade beside it.
Draw another
More in animals, or see all 40 things to draw. Want to draw freehand instead? The Art Studio has crayons, paint and a fridge to hang it on.
How it was made: Peabody drew this crab in code, line by line, from its own shapes; it is not traced from anyone’s lesson or picture, and it is nobody’s character. Checked 6 November 2026.