How to Draw a Christian Cross

Catholic crosses tend to have extremely elongated vertical slabs, while Greek Orthodox crosses have more even slabs.

After Jesus' crucifixion, Jews who were soon to be Christians adorned cross-like symbols to represent the suffering of Jesus (see Reference 2). They were persecuted for displaying this icon, and it wasn't until a few centuries later that the cross began to be an acceptable form of reverence. The exact device used to crucify individuals during Jesus' time is debated by scholars, but most envision the cross as two slabs that intersect each other, with the vertical slab being longer than the horizontal one (see Reference 1).

Things You'll Need

• ruler
• pencil
• sketchpad

Instructions

1. Sketch a vertical line in the center of the paper (see Reference 1). Keep your marks light, because you will erase them and draw over them later.

2. Separate the vertical line into three equal parts.

3. Draw a line that separates the upper two-thirds of the vertical line. Your horizontal line should be bisected by the vertical line, so that your drawing looks like a plus sign with an elongated bottom portion.

4. Draw a circle around the intersection of your lines (see Reference 1). This will be your basis for making a thicker and more ornate cross.

5. Expand your cross to make it thicker by using a ruler to measure an equal perimeter around your initial lines. You can make the cross as thick or thin as you would like, but you should be sure to measure equal distances around your initial lines to ensure that the cross is proportionate.

6. Use the measurements that you've made around the perimeter of the cross to develop the outline of your cross drawing. You can mark these with darker pens to make them clear (see Reference 3).

7. Erase the initial two lines that you drew.

8. Use the circle in the center of your cross to draw symmetrical decorations within the cross. You can leave the circle as an added form of a decoration, or you can use it to draw even more decorations and erase it later.

9. Color the cross with a pencil, pen or paint. You can keep it simple and use one color, or you can add other Christian symbols such as a dove or alms (see Reference 2).

Tips & Warnings

• Keep in mind that all crosses should be unique, and you don't need to make perfectly straight lines, because crooked lines can add a little personality to your cross (see Reference 2).

References

• DragoArt.com: How to Draw a Cross
• ReligiousTolerance.org: Christian Symbols
• Easy-Drawings-and-Sketches.com: Interesting Cross Drawings