How to Draw Messi
No matter how talented artists say they are, there’s only one name that comes to mind when talking about surreal drawings: Messi. His fans often want to immortalize their love for the football legend with their own art. Thankfully, the process of how to draw Messi is not as hard as most people might think. Just like Messi himself, anyone can learn how to become the next great artist.
Although it may seem intimidating at first, it’s important to remember that drawing is all about practice. With time and effort, anyone can turn a pencil and paper into a masterpiece. To start, warm up your drawing muscles by sketching a few circles, squares, ovals and rectangles on a piece of paper. Once you’ve gotten your hand moving in the right direction, the mesmeric magic of drawing Messi can start.
The trick to mastering how to draw Messi is to start with the basics and gradually build up the details to perfection. Trace a light ovoid shape with a soft pencil for his head, and draw a few curved lines for his neck and shoulders. To give him his signature eyes, curve two lines from the corners of the eyes. Trace two circles around the eyes for his cheeks and sweep two lines along his jaw for the sides of Messi’s face. Sketch an arch from the forehead to the nose to finish off the face.
Up next, draw two eyes, each one looking in a different direction. Make sure that the pupils of his eyes are in the center of their circles, as when Messi’s eyes are focused, this gives a great determination to his expression. Add some finer details to the eyes with a few parallel lines below and above.
His iconic head of hair is not to be forgotten. To create the perfect frizz, draw a slightly curved line and let your pencil wander left and right as quickly as possible, creating oscillations in the line’s path. Connect the curves to finish off the hair, and don’t forget to add a few lock-like swirls on top of the forehead.
Now it’s time to give Messi his famous smile. Draw a curved line to represent his mouth, adding a slight drop on one end to represent the corner of his lips. Put a few defined wrinkles around the mouth and add some sharp teeth inside. For greater detail, draw a few perfect circles on the cheekbones to add a little blush.
The last step of drawing Messi is to add a hint of his signature style. Use a few vertical lines to trace the arms and legs, followed by small curves to indicate his powerful, muscular build. Put the finishing touch by drawing Messi’s signature line on the t-shirt and adding a pair of boots to complete the outfit.
Drawing Messi may seem daunting at first, but learning how to draw him is easy with some patience and practice. Everyone has the potential to become an incredible artist, including you. All it takes is a few pencil strokes and before you know it, Messi’s smile will come to life on the paper.
Adding Color for a Pop of Life
After you’ve finished sketching Messi to perfection, it’s time to add a burst of life with color. The key to vibrant colors is layering and shading with light strokes. Start with a drier tip to add layers of skin tones, and start with the lightest color first. Work your way to the darker shades, applying each color with a slightly wetter tip. Building up the texture and color in waves will create a better-looking finish that’s worth the effort.
Adding colors to the eyes is an integral part of the process. Start by blending in a very light gray to give his eyes a majestic glow. Add a little bit of brown to the corners and blend it towards the center. Finally, add a tiny dot of dark gray in the center of each eye to give them a sparkle.
It goes without saying that Messi’s hair cannot be forgotten. Create a light shadow of black with a drier tip, and blend it along the curves for life-like depth. Finish off the hair with a few strokes of brown to bring out the highlights in the frizz.
The outfit is usually one of the most tedious parts to paint and doesn’t get a lot of respect. To recreate Messi’s legendary style, mix a reddish-brown or terra cotta tone for the t-shirt, and draw in a few zigzag lines to recreate the fabric texture. Recreate the black and white of the boots with a darker brown and mix a few strokes of black to add texture.
With time, practice, patience and the right coloring techniques, you’ll be able to draw the football legend with life-like results. Follow each step and don’t forget to have fun with your unique artistic interpretation. Before you know it, Messi’s mesmerizing figure will come to life and look just right in its place on the page.
Experimenting with Different Materials
Learning how to draw Messi doesn’t require a single type of material, either. Everyone has their own creative tools for expressing art, and it’s always fun to experiment with different textures and materials. Try using markers or paintbrushes to bring different looks to the portrait – either way, you’re sure to enjoy the results.
Sketching with pens and markers is one way to achieve a smooth finish for your drawing. To do this, trace over your pencils lines with a pen or marker of your choice. But remember to go over the lines lightly and gradually to avoid mistakes along the way.
To give your artwork a unique look, try painting with watercolors. To create a vibrant finish to your masterpiece, start by sketching the outline of Messi and then use a paintbrush to fill in the colors. Working wet on wet with the colors helps tremendously to create a better-looking finish.
You could also try your hand at acrylic painting. Just like with watercolor painting, use the outline to give Messi’s portrait definition and then fill it in with acrylic color. When it comes to acrylic painting, it’s important to note that many of the strokes should be done with heavy pressure to get a bold finish.
No matter the medium, keep experimenting until you find your preferred technique. And don’t forget – the only limit to your creativity is you.
References for the Perfect Pose
Whether you prefer to draw or paint, everyone needs a reference photo to draw off of. To ensure accuracy, it’s a good idea to have one or two images handy while drawing Messi. With this, you can verify the exact shape and size of his face, eyes, and clothing.
You can find plenty of great reference material online, from images of Messi on the pitch to off-the-pitch photos. If you want to draw Messi with accuracy, try snapping some of your own photos for better results. Close-up shots of his face or eyes would be perfect for this.
In addition to photos, you can also watch videos of Messi in action for visual reference. Try recording some highlights of your favorite Messi match and use it as a reference when you start the drawing process. It’s also a great way to enjoy your favorite matches from the comfort of your own home.
Once you have one or two reference images handy, you can start sketching! It helps to take a break to take in the details of the photo and use it to improve the accuracy of your drawing. With the right reference, you can draw the perfect Messi portrait yet!
Using Techniques to Enhance the Portrait
From the right coloring techniques to adding a splash of life with shading, there is an infinite number of ways to make your drawing of Messi stand out. To make your portrait of him memorable, you can use various techniques to enhance it and make it even more outstanding.
Contouring is an interesting technique that can make all the difference when sketching a portrait. Look for the patterns and details in the reference photo and quickly stroke in the shape of the contours of the face with a darker tone. This will give your sketch a great three-dimensional effect.
Adding highlights and lowlights to the face and hair can give an incredible look. Lights and shadows create depth in a drawing, adding fine details that cannot be easily seen in the reference photo. All in all, the right shadows and highlights can turn a great drawing into an amazing masterpiece.
The look of a painting can be greatly improved by adding a few subtle but unique details. Creating reflective highlights around the eyes and adding textures to clothing can make all the difference. These details can be done with a few sharp brushes or colored pencils. When done right, it will draw attention to the portrait and add finesse to any artwork.
From coloring techniques to adding reflective highlights, there are an endless number of ways to improve the look of your drawing of Messi. Many of these techniques are simple, requiring just a few pencil or brush strokes. With a bit of creativity and effort, turn your creative masterpiece into one that’s unforgettable!
