How to Draw a Nissan GT-R

Learning how to draw a Nissan GT-R means working with one of the most distinctive shapes in modern car design.

Beyond its appearance, the Nissan GT-R has become a symbol of Japanese performance engineering, powered by a 3.8-liter twin-turbo engine capable of supercar acceleration.

This tutorial will continue the theme of Japanese sports cars and show you how to sketch one of the coolest looking cars in its category.

How to draw a Nissan GT-R: step-by-step

Step 1 – Sketch the angular silhouette of the GT-R body

The body of this Japanese sports car is very angular, and we need to display this in the first step in the form of light and loose sketch. Start by sketching the angular profile of the coupe with very light lines. The first step is just an initial sketch, but it’s very important for symmetry.

Step 2 – Outline the car wheelbase and window line

Add the essential details that are very important for any car. Draw two identical circles for the wheels of your Nissan GT-R. Sketch a narrow strip of windows on the car cabin. Add the headlight shape on the front of the sports car.

Step 3 – Add the door cuts, wheel arches, and lamp positioning

Now add a few more crucial and essential details. These include the wheel arch, sport bumper, and coupe door. Construct the coupe door as a simple square. Outline the wheels with powerful arches. Position the rim outlines inside the tire shapes.

Step 4 – Draw out the angular Nissan GT-R front

To make your Nissan GT-R drawing look cool and natural, outline all the details with a dark pencil, marker, or ink, starting from the front. Start with the nose, and trace and darken the headlight as polygonal shape to create an aggressive effect on the face of the GT-R. Highlight the bumper with a detailed shape.

Step 5 – Trace the coupe-like roof arc and window divisions

The top of this sports coupe looks quite unique. Outline this section of the Japanese sports car, as we’ve done in the image below. Enhance the roof with smooth, low lines that. Darken the window surround, then divide it into the windshield, side windows, and rear quarter panel.

Step 6 – Draw the Nissan GT-R’s rear bumper and lamp architecture

The rear is also quite unique. It’s very massive and angular. Outline the spoiler and rear bumper to create a clean, beautiful look. Also, draw out the taillight of the Nissan GT-R with a small shape. Add a spoiler in the form of small smooth shape. Highlight the lower diffuser with darker tones.

Step 7 – Trace the door, handles and side intake graphic

In step seven, it may seem like there are too many lines, but that’s not actually the case. Trace the door of the Japanese sports coupe, giving the sketch a clear and professional look. Place the small handle as a barely noticeable recessed block. Add the side air intake with a diagonal graphic cut. Erase unnecessary sketch lines.

Step 8 – Draw alloy rim pattern with multi-spoke geometry

Draw the multi-spoke wheels of the GR-R. The spokes should be thin and numerous, radiating from the very central point to give the car a detailed look. Darken the outer edges of the tires. Also, you can mark patterns of tires with short lines.

Step 9 – Apply shading to the sports car to emphasize volume

Let’s finish drawing the GT-R, add shadows and highlights in the areas indicated in our example below. Apply deep shadows and light hatching to create tonal transitions. Shade the windows diagonally, to indicate highlights.

Nissan GT-R design features

This is far from the first car we have illustrated on our site, but among all the Japanese sports cars, this one stands out with a very different look.

Most often we have worked with a bit different models. For example, previously we showed you how to draw a Toyota Supra – one of the most popular Japanese sports cars, and how to draw a Mazda RX-7, which share smooth shapes and a fairly similar design language.

In contrast, this sharply distinctive Nissan has its own features and a design approach that is not like the others, and now is the right time for you to try using this design language to sketch something new.

For example, you can sketch another version of a Nissan or try depicting this car from a different angle. As we have already mentioned, the Nissan drawing lesson is not the first on our site, and it certainly will not be the last, since we plan to cover many other Japanese cars.

After finishing this guide, you can try to depict other versions of the GT-R. Each generation of this model has its own proportions and design language.

The earlier Skyline GT-Rs had boxier silhouettes with sharper edges and thinner pillars, while the modern GT-R is wider, lower, and much more angular.

By choosing a different generation, you can practice how design details evolve over time while keeping the same recognizable character of the GT-R.

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