How to Draw Cement Trucks in 10 Steps

For big jobs that need lots of cement, this truck carries it right where it is needed. Once you learn how to draw this cement truck, you can drive it all over your imagination.
In this article, we'll show you how to draw the above cement truck. Either draw it freehand while looking at your computer monitor or print out this page to get a closer look at each step.

Follow the red lines in each illustration to learn exactly what to draw in that step. The lines drawn in previous steps are shown in gray. Here, we'll show you an illustration of each step and then give you a description of how to draw it.

Ready to get started? Check out the next page for the first step.

1. Draw the Fender and Hood

­ For the cement truck, start by drawing the shapes that make up the front fender, hood, and grille.

On the next page, we'll start drawing the cab.

2. Begin Drawing the Cab

­Draw a square with rounded corners behind the shape you just drew. This is the cab. Just below the grille, draw a slightly curved rectangle to make the front bumper.

Next, we'll add the windshield

3. Add the Windshield and Tires.

Put windows in the cab. The front windshield is a curved rectangle, and the side window is a rounded, squarish shape. Draw one of the front wheels facing you, as shown; draw a half-circle on the other side of the truck for the other front wheel.

Next, we'll add the gas tank.

4. Draw the Gas Tank

Draw a square shape below the cab; add a small rectangle at the top of this square. Draw a rounded shape with a circle at the front end for the gas tank. Draw the rear fender, outlining it to add depth.

Up next, we'll draw the rear wheels.

5. Draw the Rear Wheels

Draw the rear tires (there are three rear tires visible from this angle). Draw the arm that holds the cement barrel in place. This piece starts behind the gas tank and goes up to behind the cab -- it is slightly bent where it touches the cab. Add a very small straight line right behind the door.

Next, we'll learn how to draw the cement barrel.

6. Add the Cement Barrel

Draw the cement barrel, which looks a bit like the body of a bee. It is made up of three overlapping circles with a rounded triangle at the end.

Up next, we'll add a ladder to the rear of the vehicle.

7. Add Hooks to the Bumper and a Ladder

Add details such as two U-shape hooks on the front bumper, oval wheel hubs, and part of a rectangle behind the rear wheels for a mud flap. To finish the cement barrel, draw two semicircles, one in front of the other, at the front of the cement barrel. Draw the ladder and platform at the back of the cement barrel. Study the picture, and use a ruler to make straight lines.

We'll add more detail to the cab on the next page.

8. Add Detail to the Cab

Finish the details of the cab. Draw rectangular side mirrors, with two narrow rectangles attaching each mirror to the side of the cab. Draw four wedge-shape lights above the windshield, and sketch a candy-cane shape for the exhaust pipe coming out between two of the lights. Inside the cab, draw two semicircles, one just inside the other, for the top of the steering wheel. Draw the side and back windows, adding the line of the cement barrel.

Up next, we'll draw the grill and headlights.

9. Add the Grill and Headlights

Draw and outline two squares for the headlights. Draw a large rectangle with five long rectangles inside it -- all have rounded corners -- on the grille. Add the small horizontal line behind the front tire.

We're almost done. We'll add the final touches next.

10. Add the Final Touches

­Use a felt-tip pen to trace over the lines you want to keep, and erase the extra pencil lines.

That's it! Even if you don't get it right the first time, keep practicing until you're satisfied with your drawing. Learn how to draw a roller, a great complement to the cement truck, in the next article­.

How to Draw a Horse in 5 Steps

You­ can draw this anim­al in a number of different settings: on a farm, on a racetrack, with a cowboy, pulling a carriage, and more. Let your imagination run wild!

In this section, we'll show you how to draw the above horse. Either draw it freehand while looking at your computer monitor or print out this page to get a closer look at each step.

Follow the red lines in each illustration to learn exactly what to draw in that step. The lines drawn in previous steps are shown in gray. We'll show you an illustration of each step and then give you a description of how to draw it.

1. Draw the Body

Draw a kidney-bean shape for the body and a peanut shape for the head. Add a rectangular form between them for the neck.

2. Add the Legs

Draw the two front legs. Sketch the closest back leg in two pieces, one pear shape and one rectangular shape. Add a rectangular shape for the back leg on the far side of the horse. Put in ovals for the ears.

3. Draw Tail and Mane

Draw two long S shapes for the tail and mane. Add the small mane on top of the head. Next, we'll add some personality and detail.

4. Add the Details

Draw ovals for the eyes, nostrils, and ear details. Put pupils in the eyes. Add hooves at the bottom of each leg. Finish this step with lines for the mouth, tail, and mane details.

You're almost done -- see the next page to learn how to polish your artwork.

5. Trace with a Pen

Use a felt-tip pen to trace over the lines you want to keep, and erase the extra pencil lines.That's it -- your horse drawing is complete!

Now you can color it and display it proudly. If you'd like to learn how to draw other farm animals, you're in luck. Next, we'll teach you the easy way to draw a cow. Go to the next section for the details.

How to Draw a Spider Plant in 5 Steps

A spider plant is one of the mos­t popular houseplants in the world. They are very easy to grow and they are admired for their ornamental features and excell­ent filtering ability.

In this section, we'll show you how to draw the above spider plant. You can draw this plant freehand while looking at your computer monitor or print out this page to get a closer look at each step.

Follow the red lines in each illustration to learn exactly what to draw in that step. The lines drawn in previous steps are shown in gray. Here, we'll show you an illustration of each step and then give you a description of how to draw it.

1. Outline the Plant

Lightly sketch the plant pot. First sketch a gently curving, four-sided shape for the rim. Underneath it, sketch a similar but shorter shape for the saucer. Connect the two with gently curving lines for the sides of the pot.

Sketch in many long, narrow, curving leaves. Have some of the leaves curving over the edge of the pot. Show that some leaves are behind others.

Do this by interrupting the lines for some leaves where they meet the lines for the front leaves. Sketch in three long, curving stems that come down below the bottom of the pot.

2. More Leaves

Fill in the plant with more leaves around and behind the ones you have drawn. At the end of the stem lines, draw more long, narrow leaves for the baby plants.

Add the second side to each of the stems. Add a fourth stem at the bottom of the pot. Give it long, narrow leaves that go behind the stem next to it.

3. Pot and Roots

­Redraw the po­t, interrupting the lines of the pot where the leaves cover it. Draw tiny oval roots at the bottom of each of the babies.

4. Veins

­Draw a center vein in most of the leaves with a long line that follows the curve of the leaf.

5. Details and Shading

Shade the undersides of the leaves with lines that follow the curve of the leaf. Darken the leaves close to the pot with many short lines. Shade the sides of the pot with short, curving lines.

That was a tough one, but the spider plant is quite detailed, so give yourself a pat on the back. In the next section, learn how to draw an orchid.

How to Draw World War II Planes in 7 Steps

Draw dogfights in the s­kies with our World War II plane. The step-by-step instructions below make it easy.

In this section, we'll show you how to draw the above World War II plane. Either draw it freehand while looking at your computer monitor or print out this page to get a closer look at each step.

­Follow the red lines in each illustration to learn exactly what to draw in that step. The lines drawn in previous steps are shown in gray. Here, we'll show you an illustration of each step and then give you a description of how to draw it.

Ready to get started? Head over to the next page for the first step.

1. Draw the Body and Wings

Draw a long oval for the body of the plane. Add an oval at the front to make the forward bubble window. Sketch the two long wing shapes.

Check out the next page and find out how to draw the tail.

2. Add the Tail and Cockpit

­Draw three rounded triangles for the tail. Add a long wedge shape on top of the body for the cockpit.

How is a plane supposed to fly without an engine? We'll take care of that problem on the next page.

3. Draw the Engines

Sketch two cylinders on each wing to make the engines. Add a circle at the tip of each cylinder. Draw a curved line near the front of each engine to add detail.

In the next step, we'll draw the propellers.

4. Draw the Propellers

Draw a cone in the center of each engine, and add three long, thin ovals coming from each cone to form the propellers. Add a slanted detail line to the tip of each propeller.

We'll work on drawing the cockpit windows on the next page.

5. Add the Cockpit Windows

­Draw windows on the cockpit. Sketch body details in front of the windows. Finish with a long rectangle, circle, and star emblem on the far wing.

We'll work on adding detail to the body in the next section.

6. Add Detail to the Body

­Add rectangles to the bottom two tail sections. Fill the rectangles in with lines. Draw a rectangle with a corner missing on the top tail section, and add a smaller rectangle inside it. Sketch line details on the wings, engines, and cockpit. Finish with a couple rectangles for hatches on the body side and some details on the front bubble window.

We're almost done! We'll add the final touches on the next page.

7. Add the Final Details

­Trace the pencil lines you want to keep with a felt-tip pen. Erase any extra lines.

And your World War II plan is finished. You can add more elements -- such as clouds -- to your drawings to make them more exciting.

How to Draw a Cat in 5 Steps

Prac­tice drawing this cool ca­t to purr-fect your drawing skills.

In this sec­tion, we'll show you how to draw the above cat. Either draw it freehand while looking at your computer monitor or print out this page to get a closer look at each step.

Follow the red lines in each illustration to learn exactly what to draw in that step. The lines drawn in previous steps are shown in gray.

We'll show you an illustration of each step and then give you a description of how to draw it.

1. Draw the Body

Draw an upside-down pear shape for the body, and add the head shape.

2. Add Ears

Sketch two football shapes for the l­egs. Add two rounded triangles for the ears.

Next you'll add the tail to the cat, along with its set of paws.

3. Add a Tail

Draw a curved shape for the tail. Put in short ovals for t­he front paws and curved rectangles for the back paws.

A few final details will give your cat some personality. Learn how to draw a cat's fact on the next page.

4. Draw Eyes, Nose and Toes

Draw ovals for the eyes, and add smaller ones for the pupils. Sketch a triangle for the nose with curved lines underneath it for the mouth.

Put smaller triangles inside the ear shapes. Add curved lines for eyebrows and eyelashes and details on the toes, hair, legs, and whiskers.

5. Trace the Lines

Trace the pencil lines you want to keep with a f­elt-tip pen, and erase any extra lines.

Now your cat drawing is complete and ready to color!

Cats might not come to mind when you think of Australia, but kangaroos most likely do. Next we'll show you how to draw a kangaroo.

How to Draw an Iris in 5 Steps

Much like a poppy, an iris is a showy flower. It is grown as an orna­mental plant in gard­ens, and colors range from purple and sky-blue to yellow and a rare red.

In this section, we'll show you how to draw the above iris. You can draw this flower freehand while looking at your computer monitor or print out this page to get a closer look at each step.

Follow the red lines in each illustration to learn exactly what to draw in that step. The lines drawn in previous steps are shown in gray. Here, we'll show you an illustration of each step and then give you a description of how to draw it.

1. Sketch the Petals

Lightly sketch an oval shape for the top of the flower. Underneath it, sketch a circle. For the second iris, sketch another oval and circle to the right and a little below the first set.

To make petals, sketch a sausage-shaped loop on both sides of the ovals. Sketch half-circles on both sides of the circles.

2. Add Leaves

Add stems to the flowers by drawing two slightly curving lines coming down from each flower. Draw three long, narrow leaves behind the flowers.

Make sure the leaf lines don't go into the petals of the flowers. Draw another leaf curving below the two flowers.

3. Outline the Blossoms

Give the flowers ruffled edges with wavy lines along the petal edges. Draw a rough, long oval in the center of each flower. Add a fold at the top of each stem by drawing two vertical lines to make the top of the stem wider.

Then draw a diagonal line across the stem. Draw a second diagonal line from the top of the stem to the center of the first line.

4. Finish the Petals

S­ketch many short lines all around the centers of the flowers to make them look fuzzy. On the lower petals of each flower, sketch in a wavy line as shown. Draw many tiny circles on both sides of the line.

Draw a series of parallel lines in the top area of each stem above the fold you drew in step 3. In the bottom leaf, draw the fold of the leaf with a long line through the center, following the curve of the leaf.

5. Details and Shading

A­dd short, curving lines to the petals for shading. Vary the lengths of the lines. Use short lines to add shading on one side of each of the centers.

For the stems, draw in several long lines at the bottom and a few short lines at the top. Draw a series of long, vertical lines in each leaf, following the curve of the leaf.

Your iris drawing is complete! Ready for another? Continue to the next section to learn how to draw a flaming red plant that some like to call "winter rose."

How to Draw a Cartoon Dragon

Although it may look complicated, learning how to draw a cartoon dragon is simple and fun. Once you’ve mastered drawing a cartoon dragon, you can sketch these cute, cuddly creatures cruising through the sky, perched on a mountaintop, or lounging near a lagoon.

Learn how to draw this cartoon dragon.

In this section, we'll show you how to draw the above cartoon dragon. You can draw this friendly dragon freehand while looking at your computer monitor or print out this page to get a closer look at each step.

Follow the red lines in each illustration to learn exactly what to draw in that step. The lines drawn in previous steps are shown in gray. Here, we'll show you an illustration of each step and then give you a description of how to draw it.

Step 1: Draw a large pear-shaped body. Sketch an oval for the snout. Above it, add a partial circle for the head. Use two ovals to show the hands.

Draw two long ovals for the feet. Sketch four curved lines for the legs. Add the comma-shaped tail.

Step 2: Use ovals (some partial) for the fingers and toes. To show part of the arms, use a U-shape and long J-shape (both upside-down). Attach a short line to one thumb.

Draw an oval and two short curved lines for the mouth. For the nose, use two partial circles and two J-shapes lying on their sides. Add upside-down V-shaped ears. Form U-shaped brow lines.

Step 3: Sketch partial circles for the eyes. Draw the curved inner ear lines. Use comma-shaped eyebrows. Create teardrop-shaped nostrils. Outline the bottom and the left and right sides of the jaw with short curved lines.

Form two long curved lines down the belly and along the tail. Add claws using thick comma-shaped figures and curved V-shapes. Finish the forefinger on your left with a short line.

Step 4: For eyelids, use two check marks. Draw pupils and irises using four lines. Connect U-shapes along the back of the head. Place a curve under these fins. Draw U-shaped teeth.

Form J-shaped, U-shaped, and W-shaped scales. Draw lines along the belly and tail. Connect the tail to the leg on your right with a line. Use two squiggly lines for the knees.

Step 5: Darken the pupils, eyebrows, and nostrils. Add shadow lines to the palms of the hands.

Your dragon looks like he's ready to fly. And handsome too! By now you should be a bit more confident with your drawing skills.