How to Draw a Volkswagen Beetle
This tutorial will teach you how to draw a Volkswagen Beetle, one of the most legendary cars ever produced.
This car was created as a car for everyone and conquered the world with its simple design and low price.
Here, the team at DrawCarz.com will show you how to replicate the legendary design of this car and demonstrate on each element how the car can be simple and stylish at the same time
How to draw a Volkswagen Beetle: step-by-step tutorial
Step 1 – Create the car’s curved retro body framework
The Beetle was originally a compact car, and its body is quite compact. In this step, lightly draw the Volkswagen Beetle iconic silhouette. Use wide, rounded lines to convey the shape. The hood and trunk should be smooth and have an almost symmetrical look.
Step 2 – Mark the iconic bug-eyed lamps, wheels, and windows
Integral parts of any car are its wheels and headlights. Sketch these features as in our drawing, along with the window line. First, lightly draw two perfect circles for the Volkswagen Beetle wheels, positioning them close to the corners. Draw the lights as ovals, these “scare eyes” are one of the car’s most recognizable features. Then add the window line.
Step 3 – Sketch the door and rims of the Volkswagen Beetle
No less important details on any car are the wheels and doors. Let’s mark all of these details, as well as the wheel arches. Firstly, outline the door with a smooth rectangle. Then, lightly draw the wheel arches of the Volkswagen Beetle as rounded contours. Inside the wheels, lightly outline the rims with smaller circles.
Step 4 – Draw out the Beetle’s front bumper and nose section
In step three, we completed the sketch, and now it’s time to trace and detail it to give the compact German car a finished look. Let’s start with the front end, as shown in the image. Strengthen the nose by outlining the bumper with a thick, bold line. Outline the headlights, giving them a finished outline.
Step 5 – Outline the arched roof, slim windows, and mirror
Notice how the roof and contours are generally similar to a Porsche 911. Draw out the roof and window line of the Volkswagen Beetle, using a smooth and sweeping stroke. Refine the window openings by dividing them into the windshield, side windows, and rear quarter panels with thin pillars. Add a simple oval or rectangular mirror mounted on the side.
Step 6 – Draw the oval taillight, trunk, and rear wheel arch
The back of the Volkswagen Beetle is not particularly complicated. So work on the rear by shaping the trunk with a rounded rectangular outline. Add the taillight as a vertical oval on the side of the fender. Trace the rear wheel arch with a soft curve.
Step 7 – Depict the single coupe door and clean extra lines
Since the Volkswagen Beetle is a two-door car, we’ll be drawing one door on this side of the body. Therefore, outline the contours with smooth, continuous lines, created in the first steps. Add the handle as a small horizontal shape near the beltline. Then erase all unnecessary strokes to clean up the drawing and leave the main contours.
Step 8 – Add the large retro-style rims and darken the tires
We could have drawn small, discreet rims, but we decided to go with large, stylish ones. But you can choose any other style. To illustrate them, inside each rim, draw a retro-style pattern, simple circular cutouts or radial spokes are a nice nod to the Beetle’s heritage. In addition to the rims, at this stage we need to outline the tires with dark lines.
Step 9 – Shade the Volkswagen Beetle body to add volume
Shadows and highlights are all that is left to draw. These details will make your German car drawing look more voluminous and give it a complete look. Add hatching to the darkest places of the body, and illustrate hatching with short simple strokes.
Drawing German cars after Volkswagen Beetle
The Volkswagen Beetle has been produced for an incredible number of years, and is rightfully the most popular and recognizable car in the world (it’s not for nothing that Volkswagen is translated from German as “people’s car”).
And we hope that our guide about how to draw a Volkswagen Beetle will become as popular as the car itself.
In this tutorial we recreated the design of the Volkswagen Beetle using very simple drawing methods. The goal was not to complicate the process with advanced design schemes or unnecessary details, but to highlight how a few basic elements define the character of such an iconic car.
Even a modest vehicle like the Beetle can look confident and appealing once its proportions and signature lines are drawn correctly.
German cars as a whole have always stood out for their influence and design clarity. Across decades, they consistently set standards in both engineering and styling. Looking at other classic and modern German models is a natural way to build on what you’ve learned with the Beetle.
A good place to continue is to draw a BMW E30, a model that represents German design from another era. Its straight lines, boxy silhouette, and balanced stance make it a useful study for drawing sharper forms while still preserving the spirit of a sports sedan.
From there, you can move on to the Mercedes G-Class drawing tutorial, and sketch a vehicle whose tall, squared body has hardly changed for decades.
For a modern fastback, open the Audi A7 drawing tutorial. Long wheelbase, low roof that runs into a smooth rear deck (Sportback). This car is a great example of how strict German design remains so even in the era of ultra-modern and technologically advanced cars.
And for the reference point of German sports design, go to the Porsche 911 drawing tutorial. Rear-engine proportions, smooth front, long sloping rear, round headlights, wide rear arches; the silhouette continues the line of thinking that began with the Beetle.
