How to Draw Car Tires

As simple as it seems to be, drawing car tires can be difficult for beginning artists. To get the proper look on a car, the tires need to be more than simple circles. A skilled artist knows how to use shading and coloring techniques, as well as 3-D drawing techniques to give tires a realistic appearance. These basic techniques are not difficult to do, and once you have them mastered, you can put realistic tires on all of your automobile drawings.

Things You'll Need

• Paper
• Pencil
• Colored pencils
• Eraser

Instructions

1. Draw a simple circle. Go to the top of the circle and place your pencil on the line as if you are going to draw the circle again. As you begin to draw, come away from the original line just a little and follow the curve of the original circle, bringing the line back to meet the original when you reach the bottom of the circle. This gives a 3-D effect.

2. Draw a smaller circle inside the 3-D circle. This is the rim of your tire. Add a big "X" to the smaller circle, then draw a vertical line down the center of the "X." Make sure each line connects with the inside perimeter of the small circle.

3. Use a silver colored pencil to color the rim. Vary the pressure of your strokes as you color to give the effect of shiny chrome. You also can add a little white color to the mix, then smudge it with the tip of a finger to give the chrome a smoother appearance.

4. Use a black pencil to color in your tire. Color with side-to-side strokes, going over the tire until none of the paper shows through.

5. Use a lighter shade of black for the space between the original circle and the outer line you drew to add dimension. Blend some gray into this area to distinguish it from the rest of the tire.

6. Make the black along the rim line darker to add depth to the tire itself. Go over the tire's face with an eraser to add smudge marks for texture and a rubber appearance on the tire.

References

• Duey's Drawings: Parts of a Car