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How to Draw a Kayak

Kayaks are small human-propelled boats similar in some ways to canoes. Originally, they were used by Eskimos or Inuits who constructed the watercraft from animal skins stretched around a wooden frame. Long paddles with a flat area on each end of a pole were used to propel the vehicle across arctic waters.Today, the boats are made from plastic or canvas material and frequently used by recreation enthusiasts for exploring open water in many parts of the world, so finding an actual kayak to use as your subject matter should not be difficult.

Things You'll Need

  • Kayak
  • Saw horses
  • Hard and soft graphite drawing pencils, 2B, H and 2H
  • Kneadable eraser
  • Acid-free drawing pad, 8 inches by 10 inches
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Instructions

  1. On Dry Land

    • 1

      Set up the kayak on a pair of saw horses so you can see the bottom as well as the top of the watercraft. Be sure that the boat remains on top of the saw horses only while making the drawing.

    • 2

      Draw the shape of the kayak with a hard pencil (2H). This may require several attempts before you get the proportions just right. Be sure to include the kayak's rudder, if there is one.

    • 3

      Take your best sketch from the previous step and begin differentiating the top of the kayak from the side and bottom areas. Define the upper side of the kayak by drawing an intermediate line.

    • 4

      Draw the opening where the paddler sits. This will most likely be an oval-shaped hole situated midway between the bow and stern on the upper side of the boat. Often, the area surrounding the opening will be slightly raised. Portray this feature by drawing numerous small, curved lines that run up to the edge of the opening.

    • 5

      Add shadow to the top of the kayak by cross-hatching and filling in the darker spaces. Use the 2B for filling in, and use H or 2H -- lighter grades of pencil -- for cross-hatching.The opening can be filled in to depict empty space, while the cross-hatching can be applied to the top side.

    • 6

      Complete the drawing by adding deeper shadows to the underside of the kayak. If the rudder is present, try to create a wood grain texture by heavy cross-hatching.

    In the Water

    • 7

      Tie the kayak to a dock.

    • 8

      Draw the outline of the kayak from the waterline up.

    • 9

      Draw the reflection or mirror image of the kayak as it is seen below the waterline. If the water is still, the reflection can be easily viewed; if not, draw the texture of the water without the kayak's reflection.

    • 10

      Fill in the light and dark areas of the kayak using the techniques from Section 1. Keep in mind that the actual boat will appear lighter than its reflection because of light rays bouncing off the surface of the water.

    • 11

      Fill in the light and dark areas of the kayak's reflection. This part of the picture will appear darker than the actual boat. If the water is slightly stirred by the wind or a current, only a partial reflection may be visible.

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