DRAWING TUTORIAL

ON THE MOVE

When learning to draw cars and moving machines, one of my top tips is to practice by drawing toys. Toys often lack substantive details, allowing you to focus on the item that you’re drawing rather than getting caught up in trying to draw it too realistically. This will give you an effective image to which you can add details later if you wish.

CARS & BUSES

Begin by drawing a side view of a vehicle. Start with the wheels. Pay attention to their size relative to the rest of the car. In this car, the wheels are approximately 21/2 wheel widths apart. I like to mark where I’ll place my wheels before adding them. You can gauge where the body of the car curves relative to the wheels using imaginary vertical lines, which I’ve marked here.

Then, using the car’s body color, outline the rest of the car, moving from left to right. Now color it in and add windows, doors, and lights using a darker color.

Next, draw a car from the three-quarters perspective. The process is generally the same, but keep in mind that the wheels will look like ovals and should be at a slight angle. Angle the body of the car too.

I LIKE TO ADD COLOR RIGHT AWAY, SO IF I MAKE A MISTAKE, I CAN COVER IT UP BY ADDING MORE COLOR OR INCREASING THE SIZE OF MY DRAWING.

Follow the same drawing principles to create just about any other type of vehicle.

BOATS

When drawing or painting boats, keep in mind that they float in the water, not on top of it, so you won’t see the bottom half of the vessel in your artwork.

I like to start by drawing the water, and then I work my way up through the hull. Lastly, depending on the type of boat, I draw the cabin or sails on top.

To draw a sailboat, lightly sketch in the mast; then draw the sails before finalizing the mast. This will help you place the sails without having to erase areas of the mast.

DON’T FORGET TO ADD DETAILS LIKE PORTHOLES, FLOTATION DEVICES, AND OARS TO MAKE YOUR DRAWING COME TO LIFE.

BICYCLES

I draw bikes starting with the frame. Using a light color for the frame makes it easier to add darker details on top. Unless you have incredible freehand-drawing skills, creating bike wheels will never be easy—just make sure to take your time and don’t draw over the frame. Embrace the hand-drawn quality of your wheels, and space out the spokes evenly.

HEAVY-DUTY VEHICLES & TRAINS

As with other vehicles, I like to draw heavy machinery starting with the wheels and working my way up. Don’t forget to leave room for details, such as a blade if you’re drawing a bulldozer or a shovel if it’s a digger.

I’ve only included very basic instructions for drawing vehicles. The most important thing to remember is getting the wheel sizing and spacing right. The rest will follow more easily.

Trains can be drawn the same way, or you can draw the individual cars first, and then add little wheels and train tracks afterward.