Creative-minded individuals have long been inspired to reach for the stars—or at least try to draw them! Capturing the intricate details of our closest celestial neighbor, Mars, may seem like a daunting task — but with a few helpful tips and basic drawing supplies, anyone can learn to draw our favorite red-hued planet in no time.
To begin, it’s important to remember to start your sketch with light pencil lines. This will prevent any mistakes from being amplified onto the paper by ink or marker lines. Move the pencil around the edges of the planet, loosely capturing the subtle hills and valleys. With the soft pencil lines, imagine the rocky crater-dotted terrain of Mars, sketching out the rougher parts of the planet before filling in the details.
Next comes the job of adding lifelike depth and texture to the planet. Pull out your more precise drawing tools such as a pen or fine tip markers, and gently draw small, pebbly details over the planet. These can be used to highlight the craters and valleys, or even to create the effect of alien-like rocks and mountains jutting out of the planet’s surface.
After this, it’s time to have fun and add shades of color to your masterpiece. Adding color to Mars can really liven up the drawing and make your creation pop. Start with a dark red base color and layer multiple colors over, sticking with shades of orange, yellow and pink. If you’re up for an extra challenge and want to create even more realism to your masterpiece, try mixing colors with a bit of white to bring out the shadows, or use chalk-type pastels to seamlessly blend colors together.
Lastly, as a finishing touch and to really showcase the rugged terrain of Mars, grab some white color pencil and add some popping highlights. Carefully trace over the pencil lines and enhance the deep rocky crevasses to create a stark contrast between the two colors. Snip the paper away from the white pencil and you’ll create the illusion of sunlight glistening from the surface.
Now that you have the basics down, get creative and use your own personal flair to create something out of this world. Sketch out canals that run across the whole planet, or add in dusty clouds whirling around the poles. Leave behind some colorful evidence of ancient life forms that flourished in the red terrain. Who knows what secrets the planet will hold!
Now that you’re armed with a few simple techniques and tips, have fun letting your creativity soar as you start drawing your own version of the majestic Mars. With some dedication and practice, you’ll be painting beautiful pictures in orbit in no time.
