Airplane Drawings. A Quick Sketch Guide.

The airplane drawings on this page are simple and straightforward to draw. Learning how to draw an airplane and other types of aircraft drawings is something many children enjoy and even adults don't need to join an art institute to get started. This page will show you how to draw an airplane in only a few steps.

I am no expert on planes or aircraft drawings but I can look at them in the same way I would any drawing or sketching subject. I can approach them by breaking the plane down into simple shapes before adding details.

1. I start with the main body of the airplane. A kind of cigar shape. No need to be concerned about accuracy right now. All we need are the basic shapes.

2. The right and left wings. Because of the angle one appears broader and shorter than the other. I have also indicated on the right wing (left from our viewpoint) the stabilizer.

3. I draw the engine nacelle on both sides, again only the basics. No need to slave over it. I sketch in the landing wheels and the tail fins. I think the vertical one is called a vertical stabilizer.

4. I sketch the windows of the cockpit and the windows down the side. A faint line down the plane helps me to place the windows in a straight row. You can use a ruler if you wish but for sketching it is best to practice shorthand. If you intend to go to air shows and want to practice quick sketching you won't have time for rulers.

5. I sketch very loose details on the wings and body of the plane. I add to the landing gear also.

6. Now I pretty much have everything I need so I go onto make this simple drawing.

You can, of course, use rulers and french curves to make a truly accurate airplane drawings but that isn't really my style. I have always admired the art of Phillip Castle an artist who was in my view a pioneer of the airbrush in the UK. You might want to see some of his artwork featuring aircraft by googling him. As far as I am aware he doesn't have a website but there are various places to see his work online.

You can also see some fine examples of aviation art here

Go to Free Drawing Lessons from airplane drawings

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