A guide to drawing pictures of 'Thomas the Tank Engine'

'Thomas The Tank Engine' is very popular among old and young alike. Drawing 'Thomas the Tank Engine' can be made simple by following these easy steps. Once mastered, why not try drawing another of Thomas' friends?

Basic lines for proportion

First of all, try and obtain a good quality picture of 'Thomas The Tank' in order to copy his shape and facial details. For less confident artists, drawing his face is a simpler option. He is basically rectangular in shape. Therefore, drawing him from the front means that you do not have to worry about the body and the wheels. As a starting point, draw in some horizontal, vertical and central lines in order to create his basic outline and to work out accurate proportions for his face and other details.

The basic shapes

Some basic shapes will now have to be added. Start by drawing a circle for his face, two squares for upper windows, a cylinder shape for his chimney and any other basic shapes that you can see. Ignore any minor details for now. Use your guidelines to help you to place the shapes correctly. Do not worry about rough lines and shapes at this moment as these will be polished in the final step. The guidelines and shapes that you will draw are important so as to ensure that 'Thomas The Tank' is proportionate and accurate.

Thomas' face

Facial and smaller details can now be added to the drawing. His eyes are two big circles, his eyebrows two upside down 'V' shapes and his nose a large 'U'. His bodily details can also be added now. Remember to draw only basic shapes once again as the final step will be for perfecting, colouring and adding minor additions.

Finer details

Your drawing is now nearly finished. All that remains to be drawn are his eyeballs, his mouth, the chain and any other parts that have not yet been added. Once that you have completed these, it is a good idea to retrace the necessary lines in a darker colour. You can then erase any of the guidelines that are no longer required.

Finishing touches

The picture is now ready to be coloured or painted. Once coloured and outlined to your satisfaction, you will possess a professional and accurately drawn picture of
'Thomas the Tank Engine.' Now that you have mastered the basic skills of drawing Thomas, you can attempt to draw the other characters such as Percy and James.