How to Draw Cool Things

Co-authored by Rebecca Schweiger and Hunter Rising

Last Updated: October 3, 2024 References

Drawing takes a lot of practice in order to develop skills and technique, but you can start making cool works of art right away. When you want to make something that looks complicated, start by drawing objects that are made up of basic 3D shapes, like buildings and cars. As you develop your artistry, try drawing animals and things from nature that you can easily reference before sketching straight from your imagination. By putting in the time to work on your drawing, you’ll be able to draw cool things.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Drawing Man-Made Objects

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Cool buildings. Most buildings are shaped like cubes or boxes, so they’re amongst the easiest cool drawings to start off with. Draw a cube or box in the center of your paper. Start adding windows, doors, a roof, and decoration around the outside of your building. When you feel comfortable drawing a building, add more in front of and behind it to make an entire cityscape. ^{[1]
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- Look pictures up online of famous buildings and try to replicate them in your cool drawing.
- Use your home as a real-life reference to practice drawing. Try to replicate the shape of the outside of your home in your drawing.
- Try drawing a street filled with buildings of different sizes to practice your perspective drawing.
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Famous landmarks. Monuments like the Eiffel Tower and the Pyramids of Giza have notable appearances, so try capturing how they look on paper. Look up pictures of the landmark you’re choosing as references and sketch your drawing lightly with a pencil.^{[2]
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- Look for a landmark near where you live and practice drawing it. If you can visit the location in person, try drawing it while you’re there.
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Airplane or space shuttle. Look up pictures of airplanes or jets that pique your interest. Start by drawing a long cylinder for the main body of your plane. Make a cone at one end of the cylinder to make the front of the plane. Draw triangles or long trapezoids on the side and back to create wings and tailfins.^{[3]
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- Shade your drawing based on where you want to put the light source to make your plane look more 3D.
- Add clouds in the background to make it look like your plane is flying through the sky.
- For more of a challenge, look for different planes, such as fighter jets or biplanes.
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Tank. Tanks are big vehicles that look complex, but they’re mostly made from boxy shapes and cylinders. Draw a long rectangular box for the base and split it into thirds. Stack a slightly smaller box on top for the main body, and another even smaller box on that to make the turret. Draw a long cylinder extending out of the top box to make the gun. Sketch parallel horizontal lines on the first and third sections of the bottom box to make the treads.^{[4]
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- You can make your tank as simple or as detailed as you want as long as it is unmistakably cool!
- If you want to add color, try creating a camouflage pattern with colored pencils.
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Sports car. Look sports cars up online and choose one that you want to try drawing. Start by lightly sketching in the main shape of the body and tires. Once you’re happy with the shape, darken the lines you’ve drawn already and start adding details, like headlights, door handles, rims, and mirrors. Add shading to make your sports car look 3D once it’s finished.^{[5]
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- To make drawing cars easier, draw them from the side so you don’t have to worry about adding perspective.
- Make the windows a dark shade of black so you don’t have to draw the interior.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Drawing Nature

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Forest or mountain landscape. Look for examples of landscapes online and choose one you like. Start by drawing the objects that are the furthest away on the skyline. Keep working from the things that are the furthest away to the closer objects at the front of your drawing.^{[6]
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- Use more detail in your drawing for things that are closer to you. For example, it’s okay to leave detail out of a faraway mountain, but a tree closer to the front should have visible leaves and bark if your wearing his to be truly cool.
- Try drawing landscapes during different seasons to see how they change over time.
- Go to a location and take your own picture if you live somewhere with a view.
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Roses. Rose petals have a unique shape that is relatively simple to draw, and cool. Start by drawing an egg shape for the rose bud. Draw a line with small waves and creases on top of the rose bud to make the first petal. Make another larger petal on top that creases in a different spot to make your rose look more realistic. Layer another two or three petals around the rose bud to give your rose some shape. Leave your rose as a line drawing or color it in if you want.
- If you want, add a stem with thorns at the base of your rose to make it look like it was freshly picked.
- Practice drawing different types of cool flowers to practice different shapes.
- When coloring, try experimenting with different pencils and techniques so you get a feel of how they work. Varying the pressure of the pencil can give you different and cool colors to make your drawing really pop.
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Elephant. Elephants have a lot of detail in their skin, so it makes them a challenge to draw. Look up reference photos online for the elephant you want to draw. Block out the shape of the head with light pencil lines to get an idea of the anatomy. Use an eraser to make any changes as you need to. Start drawing in wrinkles and details into the elephant’s skin with a darker pencil across its face and trunk.^{[7]
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- If you want to draw a full elephant body, don’t use dark lines on the wrinkles in the skin since it will make your drawing look unclear.
- Put the elephant in a tall grass environment to look like it’s in the wild.
Tip: Visit a zoo in your area to look at the animals and practice sketching them from life.
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Insects. Look up a variety of different insects to draw. Start by drawing the main shapes of the insect’s body and head. Add details like legs, antennae, and pincers. Shade or color your drawings to make them look realistic, or, be cool and creative and design your own insect. Fill a drawing page with different insects to make it seem like they could crawl right off the page.^{[8]
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- Look at scientific illustrations of insects online for detailed drawings of insects that you can try drawing on your own.
- Remember to layer your colors to make new hues, allowing yourself to go crazy with your insect creation.
- If you want to make it realistic, know that it is all about shadow and contrast.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Sketching from Imagination

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Character from a book. List down the traits and details that make up the character so you don’t forget them. Start by drawing a basic human (or other humanoid) form in a natural looking pose. Once you’re happy with the figure, start adding clothing and props to flesh out the character more.^{[9]
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- For example, if you wanted to draw Harry Potter make sure to include a wand, his glasses, and including lightning bolt scar. You might also include props like a flying broomstick or his pet owl.
- Your character doesn’t need to look realistic. If you want to make a cool cartoon version of them, go ahead!
- Try posing a drawing mannequin if you have one to get a reference on how their body would look.
- Take a photo of yourself as a reference to what the character’s body might be shaped like.
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Scary monster. Monsters are a thing of imagination, so you can design them however you want. Think about what you’re scared of the most and try to make it into a terrifying, cool creature. Make them have unnatural body shapes, long limbs, and sharp teeth and claws. If you want to shade or color your monster, use dark tones to keep it mysterious.^{[10]
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- Use movie monsters as a reference if you want inspiration on how to draw your creatures.
- Your monster doesn’t need to be scary. Make a friendly monster instead by making it smile or giving it colorful fur.
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Dragon. Dragons come in all shapes and sizes depending on where in the world the stories originated from. Start by drawing a sideways egg shape to make their body. Draw two lines coming out from the wider end of the egg to make a neck for your dragon. Use a rectangle or a circle to draw your dragon’s head. Give your dragon legs, wings, and a tail, and add details, such as scales, horns, or flames.^{[11]
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- Have your dragon guard something, like gold or an egg, to give it more story.
- Think about where the dragon is located when choosing a color or design. For example, a water dragon may be blue and have fins while a fire dragon might have horns and be red.
Types of Dragons

Drakes are the most common dragon in English popular culture. They have 4 legs and wings.^{[12]
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Wyverns are dragons that have 2 back legs, and 2 wings instead of front legs.

Chinese dragons have long snake-like bodies, no wings, and usually have beards on their faces.^{[13]
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Superhero. Think of a superpower you would want and design a hero that would use that power. Start by drawing a figure in a heroic pose, such as them flying or standing with their hands on their hips. Give your hero a costume and a logo to make them look like a true hero.^{[14]
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- For example, if your superhero has ice breath, draw him freezing bad guys or turning water into ice.
- Every hero needs a supervillain. Come up with an evil character and draw your hero fighting them.

Expert Q&A

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Question

How do you blend colors better?

Rebecca Schweiger
Professional Artist & Art School Founder
Rebecca Schweiger is a Professional Artist, Published Author, and the Founder of The Art Studio NY, New York City's #1-rated art school and global online art studio. Celebrated by TV networks, press, and celebrities including NBC, ABC, E!, Time Out New York, The Kardashians, and Big Bang Theory's Jim Parsons, Rebecca specializes in creating abstract artwork and teaching studio art classes. Her art studios provide 100+ weekly, beginner-friendly drawing and painting art classes to people around the globe. With more than 22 years of art experience, she is the author of Release Your Creativity: Discover Your Inner Artist with 15 Simple Painting Projects, and her artwork has been exhibited in more than 50 museums and galleries around the world. Rebecca holds a BFA in Painting from Boston University's School for the Arts and has participated in acclaimed artist residencies worldwide.

Rebecca Schweiger

Professional Artist & Art School Founder

Expert Answer

It is all about layering! For example, if you want to blend red and blue, add a layer of red and a layer of blue on top. The pressure is what gives you the different results possible, though. If you want more of the red to shine through, press it a little harder than you're pressing the blue pencil.

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How do I learn how to draw?

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Enroll in a art class, or look up tutorials on YouTube. The most important thing to do is practice.

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I need a list of things to draw! What can I do?

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Start easy and work your way up. Begin with things that can be made with simple shapes, and refine them until you have something of which you're proud.

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Tips

Keep practicing! The only way to get better at doing cool drawing is if you do it often.

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Follow along with drawing tutorials online if you want to draw specific things.

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Practice drawing 3D shapes, like cubes, cylinders, and spheres, to help develop your drawing skill.

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Warnings

Cover your drawings with another piece of blank paper to help prevent smudging.

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Take 5 minute breaks from your drawing every 30 minutes so your hand doesn’t start cramping.

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