If your trying to learn how to draw cars this article is for you! I know a lot of people who get frustrated when they spend a lot of time and effort drawing cars and end up with disappointing results. Or maybe you want to know how to draw cars, but have no idea where to start, either way these tips will improve your car drawings straight away!

1. Tones and Contrast

The difference between a crappy looking sketch and a real beauty that is worthy of framing is the proper use of tones and contrast to really bring out the detail and make the image “pop”. It is hard to get a hang off at first, but with the right technique, and plenty off practice… you can do it!

Here’s a tip for you, take a color image of a car you want to draw, visualize it in black and white, and then reproduce that image without any color. If you are having trouble, take a high quality photocopy to transfer the image into black and white… then draw it. Practice getting the right tones and contrast in monotone, before you use color.

2. Drawing in Perspective

This is really easy to accomplish because all you need to do is firstly draw your side view, then creating a vanishing point, which is also known as your “perspective point”. Now simply connect your major corners off the car in light pencil to create guide lines that will help you add that beautiful 3D look and an awesome perspective to your flat and boring image. It will take time to master, but it is easier than the tones and contrast work mentioned above.

3. The All Important Shadows

Everything creates a shadow. So when you want to learn how to draw cars that look real, you have to give your cars some shadows. For now these don’t have to be too complex, but try to imagine sunlight coming from a single source at a point of your choice on the piece of paper. You can then project lines from this point and offset them slightly when they hit your car. Then use a dark pencil and shade a strong shadow on the ground under your car. This will add a lot of depth and realism to your drawings.

If you desire to avoid your images seeming ugly and unrealistic and you desire to discover how to draw a car the way the professionals do, have a squiz at this step by step guide on how to draw a car on paper. It will help you immensely!