How to Draw a Sailboat

Since time immemorial, humanity has sought ways to cross the vast seas; in order to do this, it has created and perfected all kinds of boats, of varying sizes and shapes. Many have remained true to their initial design, others have evolved; however, even today, the sailboat survives, admired for its elegance in using the wind to glide over water.

Today, I welcome you to follow this tutorial where we'll explore how to draw a sailboat together.

Draw a sailboat step by step

Let's set aside digital tools for today: take a sheet of paper of your choice, with an appropriate weight and ideally little or no texture.

Hull: Start by drawing an ellipse; one side will be very sharp, the other more flattened. Also draw a parallel line and connect them with curves.

Mast: Then draw a mast axis, almost as tall as the boat is long, and place it slightly forward of the middle.

Mainsail: On this type of boat, you will find two sails. The first, much more rigid, expands from a lower bar that is perpendicular (at 90°) to the main bar.

The bow: At the front, draw a railing, which can be two-tiered, higher towards the front. Connect the top of the mast to the bow with a taut rope.

 

Jib (front sail): From this rope, deploy the second, more flexible sail. It will be attached to the hull via two ropes connected to the side railings.

Cabin: Draw an elevated section on the deck, at the level of the front railing. Don't make it flat: it will have a slight incline towards the center.

Subdivide this section and add an additional level with modern curves.

 

Finally add the cabin windows, with rounded frames in a modern style, as well as a few hatches.

Add volume to the drawing

Shadows and volume: To start this section, you can use the same pencil to define the volumes of the boat. Observe which areas to darken and those to leave light.

Go over the lines with a pen or quill. The benefit of these tools is that they are much finer so you can add more precise details.

Add color to the drawing

Let's add some color to the drawing, In this case, I will use felt tip pens, but you can use whatever material you feel most comfortable with.

We will start with the sails, which will have a bright hue, while the shadows will have a less vivid shade, such as yellow and orange.

We will now add colors for the hull and the railings in shades of blue that contrast with the color of the sails.

For the cabin: use shades of yellow, leaving white spaces for highlights.

Finally, color the top of the boat with a lighter or duller blue; don't be afraid that it is too dark, the yellow of the cabin will give it enough brightness.

And there you have it: your sailboat is finished. In truth, it is quite colorful, which serves more of an aesthetic purpose than accuracy. Remember that you decide what your drawing should be like to make it visually striking. Now, it's your turn: carefully analyze your model to identify its parts, and when adding your artistic touch, use the tools you prefer.

Writer and illustrator: Bryam