This is a tutorial that teaches you how to draw a basketball. You will learn how to draw a simple basketball icon design and a more realistic basketball. Let’s begin!

Method 1
Method 1 of 2:

Basketball Icon Design

  1. 1
    Draw a perfect circle. You can use a protractor or a compass to guide you in drawing a perfect circle. Sketch a circle using a pencil first, and then trace the line using a marker.
  2. 2
    Draw a straight vertical line.
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  3. 3
    Draw two curved vertical lines.
  4. 4
    Color the draft.
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Method 2
Method 2 of 2:

Realistic Basketball

  1. 1
    Begin with a sketch of a perfect circle outline. Use your pencil to lightly sketch a perfect circle.
  2. 2
    Add lines to show the actual shape of the ball. You can show a sphere by adding the perspective.
  3. 3
    Start coloring the draft. Choose the basic color in beginning the coloring.
  4. 4
    Continue coloring. Choose a color that is lighter than the basic color. Put it where the brighter areas should be shown which means that is where the light is being reflected.
  5. 5
    Blend the colors.
  6. 6
    Add the darker shades. To show a more realistic approach to the drawing, add the shades and shadow. This way, the basketball will appear like a sphere.
  7. 7
    Draw four lines on the ball. Two lines which are a vertical and a horizontal line in the middle simply follow the shape of the ball. The other two lines are curved lines conforming to the shape of the ball.
  8. 8
    Color the background.
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Community Q&A

  • Question
    Why is the basketball red?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    That's just how they chose to color it. They're usually orange, but can really be any color.
  • Question
    How do I draw a perfect circle?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    Trace something that looks like a perfect circle, like the bottom of a cup or anything circular.
  • Question
    How do I make a football?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    Start by drawing a slightly curved line. Make another curved line and connect it to the first. Draw a straight line in the center. Add three marks to the line.
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Warnings

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Things You'll Need

  • Pencil
  • Black marker
  • Paper
  • Orange coloring utensil (along with darker and lighter shades of the original color)
  • stencil, protractor, or compass (optional)

About This Article

wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. To create this article, 68 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time. This article has been viewed 307,925 times.
68 votes - 72%
Co-authors: 68
Updated: October 21, 2021
Views: 307,925
Categories: Drawing Objects
Article SummaryX

To draw a realistic basketball, start by sketching a circle and drawing a vertical and a horizontal line down the middle. Next, draw 2 curved lines at the top and bottom halves of the ball. Then, color in the ball with a basic orange, use a lighter orange on areas where light is being reflected, and blend the colors together. Finally, add darker shades to create shadows and make the ball look like a sphere. For more tips, like how to draw a perfect circle, read on!

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