Buzz
Cars are often among the first things that many people try to draw when they start learning. Master the fundamental techniques for drawing a car realistically in fine detail, adding your own unique style. You can base your car drawing on a photo, find inspiration from a car you see on the street, or imagine your own custom design! For a creative twist, step away from the real world and have fun with cartoon car drawings. Exaggerate the features while maintaining the basic shape of the car, and you'll have a playful drawing in no time.
Steps
Drawing a Realistic Car
Sketch a long rectangle to match the desired length of the car. Using a sharp pencil, lightly draw a long, narrow rectangle on your paper. You don't need to create a 3D rectangle unless you're aiming for a 2-point perspective car drawing.
- The width of the rectangle depends on the size of the car you want to draw.
- Avoid pressing too hard when drawing the basic shapes, as you'll need to erase some lines later on.
Tip: If you prefer drawing a car in two-point perspective, tilt the rectangle diagonally to create two vanishing points. For simplicity, you might want to stick with a one-point perspective, as if viewing the car from the side.
Draw another rectangle above the long rectangle. This will represent the car's cabin, and the size of the second rectangle is entirely up to you. You can center it if you're drawing a standard sedan, or position it towards the back near the rear of the car. The two rectangles should be close together.
- Consider the overall shape of the car. Mini cars or compact cars tend to be squarer, so you may want to make the top rectangle a bit larger. Most sports cars have an aerodynamic shape, requiring a narrower rectangle that doesn't extend too far out.
- Smaller cars or hatchbacks usually have their cabins positioned closer to the rear.
Outline the car's body around the two rectangles. To avoid a blocky appearance, lightly trace an outline around the two rectangles to form the shape of the car.
- Try to create a smooth frame from the rear bumper to the front cabin, down to the roof, and to the front bumper. Keep in mind that some SUVs, trucks, or sports cars might have sharper angles.
Erase the sharp edges to soften the car's body. Erase the square corners, leaving only the outline. Now your car will have a basic shape that suits its style.
- For example, a hatchback car will have a noticeable curve at the rear, while a sports car will appear smoother and sit closer to the ground.
Draw two curved rectangles for the windows in the cabin. Most cars have two windows, so draw outlines for both windows inside the cabin, then add a vertical line down the middle to separate the two windows.
- If it's a sports car, it might only have a thin window, so you don't need to draw the dividing line in the center.
Add details to the windows and cabin frame. Draw two vertical lines along the edge of the window outline to make the car look more realistic. You can also curve the line behind the window where it meets the rear frame of the car. Some cars have a small triangular window at this point.
- If you'd like to show part of the car's windshield, draw a narrow line between the front frame of the car and the front outline of the cabin. This narrow section will represent the windshield.
Draw two circles beneath the large rectangle. The bottom edge of the rectangle should intersect the center of each circle, ensuring the wheels appear to be attached to the car's frame. Leave space between the wheels and the car's front and rear ends. Afterward, you can go back and add spokes or hubcaps in the middle of the wheels.
- Estimate half the diameter of the wheels and leave an equivalent gap for the bumpers.
Draw headlights at the front and taillights at the rear. Draw an oval or circular shape at the front of the car's frame to represent the headlights. Then, draw the taillights at the rear of the car using circles or rectangles. You can vary the size of the lights since car lights come in many sizes depending on the car model. Draw the taillights so that each one faces upward toward the top corners of the car.
- Some taillights are large rectangles with smaller rectangles inside. Feel free to add detailed variations if you wish.
Add unique details to the car. Draw bumpers near the wheels if you'd like. You can also sketch the car's side mirrors, which are usually oval-shaped and located at the corner between the window and the front frame of the car. If your car has stripes or decals, draw them along the side of the car's body.
- Draw a vertical line to show the door seam for a more realistic look. Add a door handle on each door of the car.
- For a sportier look, you could draw a sharp zigzag decal across the car's doors.
Erase unnecessary lines and color the drawing if desired. Clean up the drawing by erasing the outer lines or any lines you've softened. This will make the car look more professional. Then, you can use colored pencils or markers to add color if you like.
Complete.
Drawing a Cartoon Car
Draw a narrow rectangle that matches the length of the car you want to create. Use a pencil since you'll likely erase some parts later. Lightly sketch to leave room for additional details. Remember that this large rectangle will form the basic structure of the car, so draw it as long and wide as you want.
- Always use a pencil, whether you plan to color it or not, because you'll need to erase some lines. Later, you can add color using colored pencils, crayons, or markers if you prefer.
Draw a trapezoid or crescent shape above the rectangle. If you like a cartoon car with a hint of realism, draw a trapezoid above the rectangle in the center. For a more exaggerated look, opt for a rounded or crescent shape above the rectangle. This crescent can be centered or shifted to one side of the car.
- For the trapezoid, draw a smaller rectangle above the large one, then erase the two short sides. Next, draw diagonal lines connecting the short sides to the top of the larger rectangle.
Draw two circles at the bottom of the large rectangle to represent the wheels. To mark the spacing between the wheels, imagine two circles the same size as the wheels and place them between the car's wheels.
- The bottom of the rectangle should pass through the center of the cartoon-style wheels.
- If needed, you can draw four circles close to the bottom of the rectangle, then erase the two middle circles.
Round the corners of the car and erase the lines passing through the wheels. Use an eraser to remove the lines going through the wheels. Afterward, use a pencil to trace around the car body to make it round instead of angular. If you prefer a more cartoonish, angular car style, feel free to skip this step.
- If you're drawing curves along the car body, be sure to erase any sharp corners.
Draw a small rectangle in front or behind each wheel to create bumpers. Draw a rectangle roughly half the distance from the wheel to the front or back of the car, protruding slightly from the body. This rectangle will resemble the car's bumper. Repeat this for the other wheel.
- Do not draw the rectangle between the two wheels, as that area is where the car door is located.
Draw a small round headlight and a square tail light. Draw a circle or oval at the front edge of the car body. If you're drawing an angular car body, place the circle near the top corner. Then, draw a small square or rectangular shape on the opposite corner of the car, just above the bumper.
- You can adjust the size of the lights as you wish. For more emphasis, consider making them larger so they protrude from the body.
Draw a rectangle or arch shape for the windows. Inside the trapezoid you just drew on the car body, sketch a rectangle for the window. Leave a small gap between the shapes to create the car's frame. If you're drawing an arch instead of a trapezoid, use a smaller arch inside.
- You can draw a wide window or add a vertical line down the middle to create two smaller windows.
Add details based on your preferences. If you like a simple cartoon car, you don't have to add any extra details, but adding a few small features can give your car a unique character. For instance, you could draw smaller circles or spokes inside the wheels to create spinning rims. You might also add a vertical line down the car's body to represent the door.
- If you like, you can color the car. Use crayons, colored pencils, or markers for this step.
Tip: Some cartoon cars have faces. You can draw a big mouth between the bumper and the headlight. Try drawing a big expressive eye instead of the headlight.
Complete the drawing.
- If you'd like to improve your drawing skills, consider reading art books.
- Sketch as much as you can.
- Find an experienced art teacher who can help you observe objects more effectively.
Tip
- There are countless car styles, so you can use photos for reference. Practice drawing different car types to discover which one you like best!
What you'll need
- Pencil
- Paper
- Erase
- Crayons, colored pencils, markers, optional
- Ruler, optional
