How to Draw Cars

Co-authored by Renée Plevy and Jessica Gibson

Last Updated: October 11, 2022

Cars are one of the first things most people learn how to draw. Build on these basic skills to create a realistic car that's as detailed and customized as you like. You can work from a reference photo, find inspiration from a car you see on the street, or imagine one you'd like to draw! To take a break from realism, play around by drawing a cartoon car. Exaggerate the features and keep the shapes simple for a fun car that you can draw in no time.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Drawing a Realistic Car

1
Sketch a thin rectangle as long as you want the car to be. Take a sharp pencil and lightly draw a long, narrow rectangle on your paper. You don't need to make the rectangle 3-dimensional unless you'd like to draw the car in 2 point perspective.^{[1]
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- The width of the rectangle will depend on how big you want to make your car drawing.
- Don't press too hard while you make the main shapes for the car since you'll need to go back and erase some of these lines.
Tip: If you'd like to draw the car in 2 point perspective, turn the rectangle at an angle so there are 2 vanishing points. For a simpler drawing, make the car in 1 point perspective as though you're looking at it from the side.
2
Draw another rectangle on top of the long rectangle. Since this will be the cab of the car, you can make it any size you like. You can also decide if you'd like it to be centered, as if you're drawing a standard sedan, or positioned near the rear of the car. The top rectangle should be touching the bottom rectangle.^{[2]
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- Pay attention to the overall shape of the car. Some mini or compact cars appear boxier, so make their top rectangles large. Most sports cars look aerodynamic, so draw a narrower rectangle that doesn't stick out as much.
- Smaller cars or hatchbacks often have the cabs placed closer to the rear.
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3
Draw the outline of the body over the rectangles. To prevent your car from looking too boxy, lightly draw the outline of the car over the rectangles you made so they look like the outline of the car.^{[3]
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- Try to make the frame of the car appear smooth from the rear bumper to the top of the cab and down the hood to the front bumper. Keep in mind that some SUVs, trucks, or sports cars might have sharper angles.
4
Remove the sharp edges to create a curved body for your car. Erase the sharp edges so you just see your outline. Your car should now have a basic outline that matches its style.^{[4]
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- For example, a hatchback will have a noticeable curve jutting from the back while a sports car will look sleek and low to the ground.
5
Draw 2 curved rectangles in the cab to create windows. Most cars have 2 windows, so you'll need to draw the outline of both the windows inside the cab. Then, draw a vertical line in the middle to separate the 2 windows.^{[5]
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- If you're drawing a sports car, it may only have 1 slim window so avoid drawing the vertical line in the middle of it.
6
Add details to the windows and frame of the cab. Draw 2 thin vertical lines next to the line you made for the windows to make them look more realistic. You could also curve the back of the window where it meets the rear frame. Some cars have a smaller, triangular window in this spot.^{[6]
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- If you'd like some of the windshield to be visible, sketch a narrow line between the front of the frame and the front outline of the cab. This sliver will look like the windshield.
7
Draw 2 circles along the bottom of the large rectangle. The bottom line of the rectangle should run directly through each circle, about halfway between the center and bottom of the circle, so the wheels appear as though they're attached to the frame. Leave some space between each wheel and the front or rear of the car. Then, you can go back and draw spokes or a hubcap in the center of each wheel.^{[7]
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- Imagine about half of a wheel's diameter and leave that much space for the bumpers.
8
Add headlights and tail lights at the front and rear of the car's body. Make a curved oval or circle at the front of the car's frame to make the headlights. Then, decide if you want the back tail lights to be round as well or if you'd like to make them rectangular. You can make the lights any size you like since they vary greatly depending on the type of car you're drawing. Position the tail lights so each light is at the front and rear edge of the car toward the upper corner.^{[8]
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- Some tail lights have several smaller rectangles inside a larger one. You can make yours as complex as you like.
9
Fill in details that are unique to the car. Decide if you'd like your car to have bumpers near each of the wheels. You can also draw distinctive side-view mirrors. These usually look like ovals where the corner of the window meets the front of the frame. If you'd like your car to have stripes or decals, sketch them along the side of the car's body.^{[9]
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- Make your drawing more realistic by drawing a vertical line that shows where the doors are. You should also draw a handle on each door.
- For example, make your car appear sportier by drawing a sharp zigzag decal across the doors.
10
Erase excess lines and color in your drawing if you like. Go back over your car and erase lines that you drew over or smoothed out. This will make your car look more professional. Then, use colored pencils or markers to fill in the car if you want it to be colorful.
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Finished.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Sketching a Cartoon Car

1
Draw a narrow rectangle as long as you want the car to be. Use a pencil so you can go back and erase lines as needed. Sketch lightly so you can add details as you go. Keep in mind that this large rectangle will make up the bulk of your cartoon car, so draw the rectangle as long and as wide as you want the car to be.^{[10]
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- Draw your car in pencil regardless of whether you color it or not, since you'll need to erase some lines as you work. Then, you can go back and color in the car with colored pencils, crayons, or markers if you like.
2
Make a trapezoid or half-circle on top of the rectangle. If you'd like the cartoon car to appear somewhat realistic, make a trapezoid on top of the rectangle so it's centered. To draw an exaggerated-looking car, make a dome or half-circle on top of the large rectangle instead. You can center the dome or place it to one end of the car.^{[11]
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- To draw a trapezoid, sketch a smaller rectangle on top of the large rectangle and erase the 2 short sides. Then, draw the short sides so they slope down at an angle to meet the top of the large rectangle.
3
Sketch 2 circles on the bottom of the large rectangle to make the wheels. To determine how much space to leave between the wheels, imagine 2 circles that are the same size as the wheels placed in between the wheels for your car.
- The bottom line of the rectangle should run straight through the center of the wheels for your cartoon car.
- If it helps, draw 4 circles that are touching across the bottom line of the rectangle. Then, erase the middle 2 circles.
4
Smooth the corners of the car and erase the line through the wheels. Use an eraser to remove the line that's running through the wheels. Then, take your pencil and sketch around the body of the car, making it rounded instead of boxy. If you prefer an angular cartoon car, you can skip this.
- If you sketch rounded curves along the edges of the car's body, use your eraser to clean up the corners.
5
Draw a small rectangle in front of each wheel to create the bumpers. Make the rectangle extend about halfway from the wheel to the front or back of the car so it sticks out from the body a little bit. This will make it look like the bumper. Repeat this for the other wheel.
- Don't draw a rectangle between the 2 wheels since this is where the car doors would be.
6
Make a small circular headlight and square tail light. Draw a circle or oval on the front of the car's body. If you have an angular car body, place the circle in the top corner. Then, draw a small square or rectangle in the opposite corner of the car so it's above the bumper.^{[12]
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- You can make the lights any size you like. For a more exaggerated look, make them large so they stick out from the body.
7
Draw a rectangle or dome to make the window. Sketch a small rectangle inside the trapezoid you drew on the body of the car. Leave some space between the shapes to create the frame of the car. If you drew a dome instead of a trapezoid, make a smaller dome inside it.^{[13]
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- You can leave the window as 1 large window or draw a vertical line through the center of it to create 2 smaller windows.
8
Fill in as many details as you like. If you'd like to keep the cartoon car simple, you don't need to add anything else. However, it's easy to include small details that make the car unique. For example, draw smaller circles or spokes in the wheels to create hubcaps. You can also draw a vertical line through the body of the car to create doors.
- If you like, go back and fill in your cartoon car with color. Draw with crayons, colored pencils, or markers.
Tip: Some cartoon cars have faces. You could draw a large mouth between the front bumper and headlight. Try sketching a big, expressive eye instead of a headlight.
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Finished.
- If you want to improve your drawing skills read about art.
- Do plenty of sketching.
- Find a good teacher who can help you to observe things better.

Expert Q&A

Question

Do the secondary colors vary with the chemical composition of the paints?

Renée Plevy
Portrait Artist & Educator
Renée Plevy is an Internationally Acclaimed Portrait Artist from New York/Palm Beach who has painted The Grand Dames of Palm Beach and various celebrities and community leaders. With over 50 years of experience, Renée specializes in painting realistically in oil and capturing the soul of the person. She has studied under internationally renowned portrait artists John Howard Sanden, David Leffel, Robert Beverly Hale, Clyde Smith, and Leonid Gervits. Renée is featured in over 68 shows and galleries including a one-woman museum show at the Paterson Museum. She has garnered numerous awards including “Artist of the Year” from The Bloomfield Art League and First Prize from the Boca Raton Museum Artist’s Guild. Renée has even painted a portrait of celebrity, Vanilla Ice. She also teaches at the Boca Raton Museum Art School - formerly at SVA in Manhattan.

Renée Plevy

Portrait Artist & Educator

Expert Answer

Secondary colors vary with the chemical composition of the paints. Acrylic paints, watercolor paints, and oil paints have different chemical compositions. So you get different secondary colors by mixing them. For example, you get different colors by mixing cerulean blue instead of ultramarine blue with red and yellow.
Question

How can you create different shades of purple?

Renée Plevy
Portrait Artist & Educator
Renée Plevy is an Internationally Acclaimed Portrait Artist from New York/Palm Beach who has painted The Grand Dames of Palm Beach and various celebrities and community leaders. With over 50 years of experience, Renée specializes in painting realistically in oil and capturing the soul of the person. She has studied under internationally renowned portrait artists John Howard Sanden, David Leffel, Robert Beverly Hale, Clyde Smith, and Leonid Gervits. Renée is featured in over 68 shows and galleries including a one-woman museum show at the Paterson Museum. She has garnered numerous awards including “Artist of the Year” from The Bloomfield Art League and First Prize from the Boca Raton Museum Artist’s Guild. Renée has even painted a portrait of celebrity, Vanilla Ice. She also teaches at the Boca Raton Museum Art School - formerly at SVA in Manhattan.

Renée Plevy

Portrait Artist & Educator

Expert Answer

You can mix red and blue to make purple. Add a little bit of white to get some beautiful shades of lavender.
Question

How do I become a car designer in high school?

Community Answer

You could start experimenting with different styles and try submitting them online to see if anyone likes it or not. If it's good, you're ready to go. If it's not, keep trying. You're still young. You have a lot more time to think of more cool designs!