How to Draw a Rocket Step by Step

This tutorial shows how to draw a rocket in eight steps. It provides simple examples with easy to follow instructions.

The rocket in the example is the kind that goes into space. It’s done in an uncomplicated cartoon style that can be fun to draw in and that can also make for good practice for beginners.

While the tutorial is done in a way where you don’t need to erase any part of the drawing in between the different steps it’s still recommended that you start it in pencil and make light lines. This way you can easily correct any mistakes and quickly adjust the drawing if needed. You can darken your lines later on with a black pen/marker or just by tracing over them with the pencil.

Step 1 – Draw the Shape of the Rocket

Start by drawing the main shape of the rocket. Make it’s shape as shown in the example. Draw the rocket wider around the middle with a fairly pointy tip and flat bottom.

Optionally you can draw a straight vertical line to act as a guide that can help you insure that the rocket drawing does not get skewed to one side and that both of it’s halves are even in width. If choose to use this then keep the line until you add all parts of the rocket and erase it afterwards.

Step 2 – Draw the Fins

On each side of the rocket add a fin. These should mirror one another so that rocket is symmetrical.

Step 3 – Draw the Window

Towards the upper part o the rocket add the window of the cockpit. Draw this as a pair of circles with a smaller one inside a larger one to create the window and a frame around it.

Step 4 – Draw the Exhaust

Onto the flat section at the bottom add the exhaust. Draw it wider as it goes down.

Step 5 – Draw the Tip

Outline the tip of the rocket. In case you can just do it with a straight near it’s top (a little bit above the window).

Step 6 – Draw the Flame

To show that the rocket is flying draw a flame shooting out of the exhaust. Outline the shape of the flame a bit like an upside down flame of a candle where it’s wider around the middle with a pointy tip at the end.

Step 7 – Finish the Line Drawing

Divide the flame into three sections by outlining smaller shapes inside it’s main one as shown in the example. These will be used when coloring.

Once one with the above, look over your drawing to make sure you are happy with the way things are place. Make any corrections if required and then trace over your lines with a black pen or marker (as was mentioned at the start of the tutorial). If you don’t happen to have one of those around then simply darken them by pressing harder on the pencil.

Step 8 – Color the Rocket

To color the rocket you can use any colors you like. In this case it will be a combination of red, white and blue along with some greys. The flame coming out of it will be yellow, orange and red.

Color the rocket as follows:

Red tip
Blue window (leave a small white highlight) with a grey frame
Grey window frame
Dark grey exhaust
Red fins
Grey smoke

To make the rocket look shiny you can leave a few highlights (lighter areas) along it’s tip, fins and window. These will help show light reflecting from it’s smooth surface. At first leave the highlights white (outlined them before coloring if needed). Next, go over the white with a slightly lighter variant of the color main color of that part of the rocket. This way the reflections will not look overly bright.

When coloring the flame you can make it yellow at the base, orange in the middle and red at the end. Once done you should have a finished drawing of a rocket.

Conclusion

A cartoon rocket like the one in this example is fairly easy to draw. Drawing simply things can be good practice if you are a beginner and or a relaxed way to pass some time.

Hopefully you’ve enjoyed the tutorial. For more similar tutorial also see the following: