Basketball Drawing Step By Step

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This is a tutorial that teaches you how to draw a basketball. You will learn how to draw a simple basketball icon design and a more realistic basketball. Let's begin!

1

Draw a perfect circle. You can use a protractor or a compass to guide you in drawing a perfect circle. Sketch a circle using a pencil first, and then trace the line using a marker.
2

Draw a straight vertical line.
3

Draw two curved vertical lines.
4

Color the draft.

1

Begin with a sketch of a perfect circle outline. Use your pencil to lightly sketch a perfect circle.
2

Add lines to show the actual shape of the ball. You can show a sphere by adding the perspective.
3

Start coloring the draft. Choose the basic color in beginning the coloring.
4

Continue coloring. Choose a color that is lighter than the basic color. Put it where the brighter areas should be shown which means that is where the light is being reflected.
5

Blend the colors.
6

Add the darker shades. To show a more realistic approach to the drawing, add the shades and shadow. This way, the basketball will appear like a sphere.
7

Draw four lines on the ball. Two lines which are a vertical and a horizontal line in the middle simply follow the shape of the ball. The other two lines are curved lines conforming to the shape of the ball.
8

Color the background.

Add New Question

Question

Why is the basketball red?

That's just how they chose to color it. They're usually orange, but can really be any color.
Question

How do I draw a perfect circle?

Trace something that looks like a perfect circle, like the bottom of a cup or anything circular.
Question

How do I make a football?

Start by drawing a slightly curved line. Make another curved line and connect it to the first. Draw a straight line in the center. Add three marks to the line.
Question

How do I draw the lines perfectly?

You can use a compass, protactor, or ruler to help make your lines better. The pictures here are animations, meaning that they can be perfect. It's harder to do the same freehand.
Question

How do I draw etched words and logos on a basketball that look realistic?

Print a picture of the logo the size you want it. Trace around it facing the paper to light. That makes it clearer to see.

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Video

If you want other stuff in the scene, plan your space ahead of time.
You might want to look at an actual basketball or a photo of one.
You can use a compass to make a perfect circle or you can trace around a circular object, such as a cup.
A regulation basketball is 29.5 inches (75 cm) in circumference or about 9.4 inches (23 cm) in diameter. A regulation hoop is 18" (45.7 cm) in diameter.
Experiment with putting the shadow in different spots on the page.

Thanks for submitting a tip for review!

Don't worry if it's not perfect. Part of drawing is interpreting the subject.

Things You'll Need

Pencil
Black marker
Paper
Orange coloring utensil (along with darker and lighter shades of the original color)
stencil, protractor, or compass (optional)

About This Article

Article SummaryX

To draw a realistic basketball, start by sketching a circle and drawing a vertical and a horizontal line down the middle. Next, draw 2 curved lines at the top and bottom halves of the ball. Then, color in the ball with a basic orange, use a lighter orange on areas where light is being reflected, and blend the colors together. Finally, add darker shades to create shadows and make the ball look like a sphere. For more tips, like how to draw a perfect circle, read on!

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