Step-by-Step: How to Draw Ice Skates

Ice skates were first made from wood or bones strapped to the feet.

Ice skates are the boots with blades ice skaters wear on the ice. Early ice skates were made from bones or wood in which hunters used to follow animals onto the ice. According the the National Ice Skating Association of Great Britain, the first mention of ice skates where around 1190 by William Fitzstephen. Today, ice skates consist of a boot with a single metal blade that is used to glide upon the surface of the slippery ice. Draw a pair of ice skates by observing its contour or outlining shape.

Things You'll Need

• Drawing paper
• Pencil
• Eraser

Instructions

1. 

   Ice skates are boots with a blade.

   Draw a vertical rectangle for the top of the ice skate boot with a pencil on drawing paper. Add a 90 degree, or right, triangle at the bottom of the rectangle with the hypotenuse facing the left and the 90 degree angle on the right. Overlap the top of the triangle slightly with the bottom of the rectangle. These two shapes will help you draw a basic boot shape.

2. Round out the toe of the boot and combine both shapes with one pencil outline. Erase any unwanted lines. You should have a basic boot shape, where the toe of the boot is facing to the left.

3. Draw another boot facing the same direction to the left and just behind the first boot you drew. It should be slightly smaller due to perspective, and you will not see the heel area of the second boot because the first boot will overlap it.

4. Add horizontal ovals along the left edge of each boot to look like laces. At the top left of each boot, draw a bow-tie.

5. Draw a thin rounded horizontal rectangle under the front of each boot. Draw the same shape underneath the heel of the larger boot to the right. You do not need to do this to the boot on the left since you cannot see it in your picture.

6. Add a thin stick coming out from under the toe of each boot. Draw a thin horizontal rectangle-shape underneath and attached to the stick to form a blade. It should be the length of the entire boot bottom. Add another thin stick from the heel of the skate on the right side, so the blade connects to the boot. The boot on left will have a blade that is only partially seen and drawn.

Tips & Warnings

• The side view of ice skates is easier to draw. To draw the front view, draw a rounded, mound shape directly under a vertical, horizontal rectangle. Combine both shapes to form a boot with the toe facing forwards. Add laces to the front of the boot and the blade will look like a thin, small vertical rectangle.

• To add a skater to your ice skates, draw legs coming out of the ice skates along with the rest of the body.

References

• DragoArt: How To Draw Ice Skates
• NISA; NISA History; Denis L. Bird

Resources

• NYC Department of Parks and Recreation: The Start of Parks' Ice Skating