How to Draw a Bikini

Draw a bikini with triangles of different shapes and sizes.

Bikinis are a popular style of women's swimwear that emerged in the 1930s. In 1934, Delores Del Rio wore the first bikini shown in a Hollywood movie. Bikinis have continued to evolve and are now much smaller and simpler than when they first appeared. Once you learn the basic shape of a bikini you can draw it easily. Bikinis are formed mostly by cloth cut in triangles of various shapes and sizes. The top is formed with two triangles placed side by side, while the back is formed with larger, wider inverted triangles.

Things You'll Need

• Paper
• Pen or pencil

Instructions

1. Draw a small triangle for one side of the top. If you prefer, make the triangle tall to cover more skin. A smaller triangle will be more revealing. If you are drawing the bikini on a woman, make sure the triangle is rounded on the outside edge as it would be if it were supporting her chest.

2. Draw a matching triangle next to the first one. Leave a small gap between the two triangles.

3. Connect the two triangles by drawing a little horizontal line from the right corner of the left triangle to the left corner of the right triangle.

4. Draw a line from the top of one triangle upward. This is the strap that goes behind the neck. It should end about halfway between the two triangles, where the back of the neck would be.

5. Draw another line from the top of the second triangle. Connect it to the line from the previous step and draw a bow where the two straps meet. If you are drawing the bikini on a model, you don't need to draw the back of the straps. Instead, they should disappear behind the neck.

6. Draw a half circle going from the left corner of the left triangle to the right corner of the right triangle. It should look like a loose strap hanging below the two triangles. Draw a little bow in the middle of the strap to make it look tied.

7. Draw an upside down triangle below the top. This will be the front of the bikini bottom. To make it more realistic, let the horizontal line be the longest and the other two lines shorter.

8. Make a half circle that starts on the left corner of the upside down triangle, touches the bottom point of the triangle, and ends at the triangle's right corner. This will be the back panel of the bottoms. Skip this step if you are drawing the bikini on a figure.

9. Add embellishments such as bows on the hips, stripes, polka dots and other patterns on the fabric.

References

• Drago Art: How to Draw a Girl in a Bikini
• Bikini Science: 1930's