How to Draw a Lighthouse

Last Updated: September 15, 2021

Lighthouses have long been used to help guide ships at sea to navigate their way through precarious areas. Even with the closure of many lighthouses across the world and their automation, they remain both rugged and romantic icons of our history and for those with a love for maritime culture, the lighthouse is symbolic of all things sea.

If you're keen to draw your own lighthouses, you'll find they make a delightful art subject and while they're not too hard, creating individual character for each lighthouse is something you'll develop with time. In this basic tutorial, you'll learn how to draw a simple lighthouse.

Note: Follow the red line for guidance in each step.

Steps

1
Start by drawing the top light dome of the lighthouse. Draw an egg shape and then add a semi-circle above the "egg".
2
Draw a thick cylinder underneath with a circular base. This completes the room area of the light dome.

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3
Draw a larger cylinder under the earlier smaller cylinder. This forms the small space beneath the lighthouse light dome.
4
Shape the remaining outline of the lighthouse. Draw a long cylinder for the largest part of the lighthouse.
- Define the level between the longest cylinder and the next cylinder as shown. Draw a small and a larger circular shape.
- Draw in the light dome details, including the window lines and the light itself. See the image for the various lines required.
5
On top of the lighthouse's roof, draw a ball with an antenna. Outline the remaining lighthouse using a marker. Erase the pencil lines in preparation for coloring.
6
Color the drawing. The design of red and white stripes depicted here is a fairly stereotypical color scheme for a lighthouse and one that people readily recognize. However, you can vary the coloring in any way wished, including leaving the lighthouse white with black features.
7
Practice some more styles of lighthouses. There are many different styles of lighthouses around the world. Borrow a book on lighthouses from the library for more inspiration or do an image search online for more ideas. Expand your lighthouse drawing repertoire through trialing various different lighthouse designs that interest you the most.
- Also try drawing lighthouses at different times of day and night or during different weather types to vary the shading and seasonal appearance.

Community Q&A

Question

Where can I find a lighthouse on canvas to color?

Community Answer

Try looking in a crafts store.
Question

Could I draw a lighthouse using watercolor paints?

Ash Vee

Community Answer

You would want to draw it in pencil before you paint it. It would be hard to try and do small details let alone draw something in watercolor because wit moves very freely, like water. Draw in pencil first, then paint with watercolor.