How to Draw a Beer Bottle

Try sketching this versatile container, empty or full.

Less cliche and traditionally romantic than a wine bottle, but equally intriguing as a subject for a drawing, the beer bottle can be rendered in a realistic, recognizable way without a great deal of trouble, materials or time. As they come in many different shapes, some squat and bulbous, some taller and more elegant, beer bottles can add particular character and context to your drawing, as their type alone tells something about their origin and contents.

Things You'll Need

• Paper
• Pencil
• Eraser
• Tape
• Drawing board
• Beer bottle

Instructions

Drawing the Bottle

1. Tape your paper to the drawing board. Prop the drawing board securely on an easel, a table or your lap. Place your chosen beer bottle in front of you at arms-length.

2. Draw the left outline of the bottle in the center of your paper using a single smooth, curving line. The beer bottle should be slender in the neck and should then slant out to the left and down at an angle of roughly 120 degrees from the bottle neck (this angle might vary depending on the type of beer bottle you use). The line should then go straight down, parallel with the vertical side of the paper. The bottle should be approximately 6 inches in height.

3. Draw a thin oval approximately 1 inch wide at the top of the bottle's neck. This is the bottle opening. From the right side of this oval, draw a line that mirrors that of the left side of the bottle that you have already drawn. Again, use a single, fluid line. End the line so that it is level with the previous one. Connect the bottom of both lines using a slightly curved line, so that the middle of the curved line is lower than the level at which it meets the two sides of the bottle, like a smile. This is the base of the bottle.

4. Shade the right outline of the bottle using firm, short lines that curve around the bottle to the left. Darken the bottom right of the bottle, along the base in particular. Smudge the lines with your finger to create the illusion of shadow.

5. Draw a small, apostrophe-shaped bubble on the left side of the bottle, just below the neck, where the bottle flares out to its widest point. This will create the illusion of light hitting the bottle.

Tips & Warnings

• Place a light source to the left of the bottle to create interesting highlights and shadows.

References

• North American Soda & Beer Bottles: Beer Bottle Shapes

Resources

• Graphite, Charcoal, Carbon Pencil Drawing Tutorial