How To Draw Skater – A Visual Guide for Creative Artists
Learning how to draw a skater, or any skateboarding trick, can be a daunting yet exciting journey. With a few simple tips, you’ll be well on your way to creating amazing, dynamic illustrations of all your favorite skater tricks.
If you have never drawn a skateboarder before, the best place to start is with basic lines and shapes. Start with drawing a circle for the head, two straight lines for both arms and the torso, two more straight lines for the legs, and a curved line for the board. You can always go back and add details later.
Next, you’ll want to add as much detail as you can. Think about the pose of your skater. Are they ollieing, grindin, flipping, kickflippin, or lienin on their board? Use your newfound knowledge of basic lines and shapes to draw arms and legs that match the trick they’re doing. Add the clothing they are wearing too – a hoodie, t-shirt, jeans, and shoes.
Once the body and clothing are complete, start thinking about the board. If your skater is grinding, draw the trucks and their small circular wheels. For an ollie, draw the board with a long rectangular shape and bigger wheels. Add bolts and grip tape for extra details.
Now it’s time to finish up your epic skateboard masterpiece. Add facial features and shading to your skater. Add pencil marks to make your skateboard look worn and used. Bring in color with your pencils, markers, or paints. Don’t forget about the background! Even if it’s just a simple wall, add little details like graffiti or chalk.
Practice makes perfect. Don’t get frustrated if it doesn’t look perfect. Instead, take a step back and admire your progress. As you practice, sketch out curves, jumps, grabs and any other tricks your skater could perform. Experiment with light and shadows to give your skater and their board more depth.
Finding Inspiration
You can find inspiration anywhere. When it comes to skateboarding drawings to motivate you, researching local skateparks, skaters, and shops helps. Skater videos are also another great source of ideas. With so many pros, brands, and films out there, you’ll be able to draw some cool skateboard tricks.
And that’s it! We hope this guide helped you to draw your own skater. There really is no “right” way to draw a skater, so let creativity guide you on this journey. It’s all about living in the moment and having fun.
Adding Finishing Touches
Adding little details can make a huge difference to the overall feel of your skateboarder drawing. Consider the environment in the background – do they have the local skatepark in the background or the downtown skate scene?
Think about the clothing they are wearing, too. Do they have a cap, a hoodie, or a pair of jeans on? You can even add details down to their shoes or gloves. You could also consider adding elements of different parts of the culture, such as popular brands or magazines.
Finishing touches can also include add-ons like tattoos or facial piercings. These are quite popular within the skateboarding culture, so if you want to add these for your drawing, why not?
Exploring New Possibilities
Don‘t limit yourself to just one type of skateboarder. With skateboarding culture continuously growing, you can draw all types of skateboarders. From typical street skating to hardcore off-road mountain skaters, there are actually a lot of possibilities out there.
You don’t have to stick just to skaters. If street art is more your thing, you can draw a mural instead. If you like nature you can start drawing skateboarders on forests, riversides, and urban areas. Or you can even draw animals in their natural environment with a skateboarder in the background. There are literally no limits.
Bringing the Skateboarder to Life
You can bring your skater to life with 3D drawing. You can easily create your own 3D skateboarder by using pen, ink, and paper. You can also use modern 3D drawing tools like SketchUp or Blender, or even painting software like Photoshop to insert color.
With 3D drawing, you can really bring your drawing to life. All you need to do is create several layers and then put them together to create a 3D illusion. You can further enhance your 3D skateboarder with lighting and textures.
At the end of the day, your artwork is yours. Experiment with different techniques and find out what suits you best. Add your own touches, like graffiti, and let your imagination run wild. The world of skateboarders is waiting for you!
