How to Draw a Sports Car

We have already created many tutorials on how to draw a sports car, including guides on models such as Ferrari, Lamborghini, and Audi.

But all these lessons show individual models and their details, so we created a basic guide that collects all the most important points and tips regarding this type of car in one place.

And right now, you see this tutorial in front of you, which contains everything you will need in order to sketch a sports car.

How to draw a sports car: step-by-step tutorial

Step 1 – Sketch the aerodynamic silhouette of the sports car

Start with the general outline of the sports car, using very light and smooth lines to convey an aerodynamic and athletic body. At this stage, it’s important to outline the basic exterior of the future sports car; in our example, it’s a Porsche. Keep the roof low, the overhangs short, and the wheelbase wide to convey the feeling of a mid-engine sports car.

Step 2 – Mark the wheels, glazing line, and lamp guides

Now create the general details of the car. First of all, sketch two large circles that will become wheels in the future steps. These wheels should be very smooth, symmetrical, and proportional. In the front and back, create the lamps, using elongated shapes. Next, create the line of the windows. Sports cars typically have very narrow and elongated window frames. You can make it smooth, like in our example, or give it an angular look.

Step 3 – Sketch the rim circles, windshield, and cabin door

Continue to sketch the general details of the sports car. Inside the wheel guides, add smaller circles to establish rim boundaries, preparing for detail later. Sketch the windshield of the sports car as a steep, continuous curve that flows into the roofline. Outline the coupe door with a long shape. Place the side mirror as a simple form.

Step 4 – Refine the bumper and headlight of your sports car

Once the rough draft of the sports car is ready, it’s time to move on to the finishing details. Using darker lines, draw the sports car “nose,” giving it an aesthetically pleasing and three-dimensional design. Detail the headlight, giving it a sporty look. We’ve constructed soft contours for the headlight, but you could give it a more angular look, like a Lamborghini. Then, detail the bottom of the bumper.

Step 5 – Outline the coupe roof arc and slim window

Using a long and smooth line, trace the roof of the sports coupe. Make all windows and door lines darker and sharper. For greater aerodynamics, the roof should be flat and smooth, and the front and rear windows should be sloping. Using an eraser, remove unnecessary guidelines from the work area.

Step 6 – Detail the rear bumper, taillight, and exhaust pipe

Carefully draw out the rear bumper of the sports car by tracing all details. Then, darken the taillight as a thin, almond-like shapes. Add the exhaust pipe as a short square or rectangle, positioned below the bumper. Reinforce the rear arch with a bold curved line. Sports cars have complex taillight shapes and very noticeable and pronounced spoilers, so you can slightly modify the rear end of your version.

Step 7 – Draw the sports car side intake and coupe door

The side of the performance car contains many complex parts. Draw out the door of your sports car in detail and add the handle. For greater realism, create the air intake and locate it near the coupe door. Nowadays, such high-performance vehicles often have very flat door handles and complex air intakes, so you can reflect this in your sketch. After that, using the eraser, remove all guidelines from the body.

Step 8 – Draw multi-spoke performance rim geometry

Next, find the central part of the rims, and sketch the hubs. Father that, design numerous spokes, evenly diverging from the center to the edges of the sports vehicle rims. Sports cars usually have very complex rim shapes, so you can repeat the design from our example of create your own version. Finish cleaning your drawing by erasing unnecessary guidelines from the wheels and rest of the body.

Step 9 – Give your sports car a 3d look

To make the vehicle look even more three-dimensional, add highlights and shadows. The darker places are the wheel arches and bottom edges of the surfaces. Then, add highlights and glare to the glass surfaces of the car to imitate reflections. These tonal contrasts will make your sketch look more three-dimensional.

Further sports car drawing practice

This sports car drawing tutorial is a fundamental guide that serves as the foundation for all other sports car tutorials on our site.

Designing and sketching sports vehicles is one of the most exciting areas of automotive art. These cars are where designers put all their skills, knowledge, and creativity to the test.

By practicing with these models, you get closer to understanding real design decisions while also improving your own ability to illustrate vehicles.

This is our main sports car drawing lesson on the site. In it, we carefully explain all the key steps while keeping the process simple, so you can learn everything needed for a clean and convincing sketch.

To expand your skills further, it’s worth practicing with individual models. Even though they follow the same general principles, each car has its own unique features. For convenience, we’ve collected all of these in the sports car tutorials category.

We recommend starting with one of the most beautiful examples and try to draw a Lamborghini. In that supercar sketch tutorial, we show the essential design techniques behind almost any model from this Italian brand.

Next, try the Ferrari drawing guide, another showcase of top-level design and one of Lamborghini’s main rivals.

To broaden your perspective, check out our Audi R8 tutorial. This German performance car from the VAG group has its own unique styling choices and proportions worth studying.

If this lesson felt too advanced, or if the models above seem overly detailed, start with our simple sports car guide, where we cover the basics in a clear and simplified form.

Like every individual model, it is itself built on the base of our most essential car drawing tutorial, where we explain the core principles and key techniques for drawing any automobile.

Finally, remember that we regularly post new vehicle sketching lessons and coloring pages. To make sure you never miss anything, follow us on social media and subscribe to our email newsletter to receive updates directly in your inbox.