When we first stand up on a surfboard and discover how surfing feels, most of us become instantly addicted and begin to incorporate surfing into all aspects of our lives.
Whether it is your long surfer’s hair, the artwork that we create, or simple doodles while we are bored, surfing becomes a part of our life.
Art is an amazing way to express ourselves while we are not in the water.
Whether you are a skilled artist or can barely draw a stick character, there is therapy in drawing, and there is no better way to bring these two activities together than by learning how to draw a surfboard.
Drawing a surfboard can be simple, but can become extremely complex when we start creating 3D images.
For the sake of simplicity, the following will help you with the basics and give you a guide to drawing a simple surfboard.
Table of Contents
Steps to Drawing a Surfboard
1. Collect All Your materials
You can’t begin any new project without the correct set of materials. Just as you wouldn’t begin building a surfboard shaping stand without a hammer and some wood, so will you need some things to draw your surfboard.
Materials you will need:
- Paper or canvas
- Pencil
- Pen
- Ruler
- An eraser
- Brushes, color pens, paint, etc.
You can find them on Amazon.
2. Decide on the Board
Before you begin drawing, you need to decide on the type of surfboard you want to draw.
Is it a longboard, shortboard, fishtail, or a funky-shaped fun board?
Whichever you decide to draw, the following steps will apply, your dimensions will simply be different.
For example, a longboard will have much longer rails than a Mini Simmons
3. Draw the Outline
Starting with a pencil (so you can erase any mistakes), begin outlining your surfboard.
Start at the nose and draw a curved line towards the tail to form the outward curve.
Repeat this in a mirrored fashion to complete the bottom curve (the nose should meet at a point).
Make sure to not connect the bottom lines as this is where you will add in the tail.
4. Choose a Tail Shape
Complete the tail by adding in a straight line for a box tale, or a “W” shape for a fin tale.
5. Add Perspective
In order to expose the fin and show a more realistic surfboard, we need to add perspective (a 3D look).
To do this, draw a line parallel to the bottom curve of your surfboard. This will add depth to your surfboard and provide space for the fins to stick out.
6. Draw the Stringer
Take your ruler and place it between the center of the nose and the center of the tail (running down the middle of the surfboard).
Using your pencil, draw a line down the ruler to create the stringer.
7. Draw the Fins
Drawing a single fin will be easiest, but if you are up for the challenge you can try to create a three-fin combination.
Draw an irregular curved shape below the surfboard (and attached to the rail) to form the fin.
The fin can be any shape but should represent something similar to a longboard single fin.
8. Add Some Art
Now it’s time to be creative. Using your pencil, draw some curved lines, circles, or other shapes to create some artwork on your surfboard.
These shapes are completely up to you, be creative, or perhaps try to mimic some of the surf stickers that you put on your own surfboard.
9. Create Permanent Lines
Once you have completed the pencil version of your surfboard, and are happy with what you have created, you can begin to make the lines permanent.
Using your pen or a marker, trace your board until all the pencil lines have been drawn over.
10. Remove Remaining Pencil Lines
To remove the outlying lines of pencil, take your eraser and rub it over your surfboard (make sure to let the ink dry to prevent smudging).
11. Add Some Color
Once your surfboard has been completed you can choose to add some color.
Using paint, colored pens, crayons, or anything else you can find, add some color to your picture and spice it up.
After all, there’s nothing like a bright vibrant surfboard.
Tips For Drawing a Surfboard
If you are new to drawing, or perhaps not great at it, then drawing a surfboard for the first time might be tricky.
Although there is nothing like practice when we are trying to improve something, there are always a few things we can do to help our learning curve seem so steep.
If this is the case, then the following might help you out.
Use a Reference Picture
Although we all want to be able to draw what’s in our heads, the truth is that it is much easier to draw from a reference picture that constantly remains the same.
When you are learning to draw a surfboard, using reference pictures will help you out with the basics, and as you improve, will provide you with ideas and concepts to combine and use in your creation.
Start Simple
Not everyone is a Picasso, and for most artists, it takes years of practice before they master the basics.
Just as you wouldn’t jump into the ocean and paddle out to 20-foot waves if it was your first time surfing, neither should you throw yourself in the deep end when you draw.
Choose a simple surfboard design to start with, and once you have mastered that, you can move on to something slightly more complex.
Don’t Be Afraid to Make Mistakes
It’s okay to make mistakes. No one does anything perfectly all the time, and it is through mistakes that we learn.
The reason we use a pencil and an eraser is so that when we go off the lines we can correct what we have done.
If you feel like you are not a good drawer you shouldn’t let that stop you. Pick up your pencil and see what happens.
You won’t regret it.
Draw Everything
One of the best ways to improve your drawing is to draw a variety of things.
Just because you want to draw a perfect surfboard, doesn’t mean that you can’t draw anything else.
Not only should you draw a variety of objects, but drawing different surfboards at different angles and with different shapes will help you when creating perspective.
Don’t Become Disheartened
If your first surfboard doesn’t turn out quite the way you had hoped for, then don’t become disheartened and give up.
Just as it took you time to learn how to stand up on your surfboard, so will it take your time to learn how to draw one.
If you feel as though you have messed up your picture, then simply grab a new piece of paper, and start again.
It doesn’t matter how many times you need to try something until you get it right, it is through dedication that we achieve great things.
Conclusion
Drawing a surfboard can be super simple, but can also be so complex that it belongs in an art museum.
Whichever your capability, or goal, drawing is an amazingly therapeutic activity, and as a surfer, combining this with surfing by drawing a surfboard is a great way to stay entertained while there is no swell.