All Activities

How to draw a submarine

How to draw a submarine - a free submarine drawing guide

Draw a simple submarine step by step using shapes, add windows, a periscope, and color to learn proportions, shading, and perspective.

Table of contents

Drawing Apps

Photos of submarine drawing examples

Step-by-step guide to draw a submarine

0:00/0:00

Here at SafeTube, we're on a mission to create a safer and more delightful internet. 😊

Learn How to Draw A Submarine | Kids Drawing Lesson | Step By Step

What you need

Paper, pencil, eraser, ruler, colouring materials, black marker

Step 1

Draw a light horizontal guideline across the middle of the page to help place your submarine.

Step 2

Sketch a large horizontal oval centered on the guideline for the submarine's main body about two-thirds of the page wide.

Step 3

Add a rounded nose at the left end by drawing a short curved line to close the front of the oval.

Step 4

Draw a tail fin at the right end by sketching a vertical triangle attached to the back of the oval.

Step 5

Draw a small rectangle on top of the oval slightly forward of center to make the conning tower.

Step 6

Draw a periscope rising from the conning tower by sketching a thin vertical rectangle with a short horizontal rectangle at the top.

Step 7

Draw three round porthole windows along the side of the oval spaced evenly on the guideline.

Step 8

Sketch a small propeller at the back by drawing a tiny circle and two curved blades.

Step 9

Add a curved contour line along the top of the oval to show the submarine's rounded shape and perspective.

Step 10

Shade the bottom half of the submarine lightly with pencil strokes to show shadow and roundness.

Step 11

Draw small rivet dots or short lines along the hull for extra detail and to check proportions.

Step 12

Trace the final outlines and important details carefully with a black marker.

Step 13

Erase any leftover pencil guidelines so your drawing looks clean.

Step 14

Color the submarine's body with your chosen colors and then color the portholes and add lighter highlights on the top.

Step 15

Share your finished submarine drawing on DIY.org

Help!?

What can I use instead of a black marker for the final outlines if I don't have one?

If you don't have a black marker for tracing the final outlines and important details, use a fine-tipped dark pen, a Sharpie, or a dark colored pencil and press firmly when tracing.

My submarine looks unbalanced—how do I fix proportions and evenly spaced portholes?

Redraw a light horizontal guideline, make the large horizontal oval about two-thirds of the page wide as instructed, then mark three evenly spaced dots on that guideline before sketching the portholes to keep proportions correct.

How can I adapt this drawing for younger or older kids?

For younger kids, have them color a pre-drawn large horizontal oval and add sticker portholes and a glued-on paper rectangle for the conning tower, while older kids can follow all steps including shading the bottom half, adding rivet dots, and tracing with a black marker for more detail.

How can we extend or personalize the submarine drawing after coloring it?

Personalize the colored submarine by drawing an underwater scene with waves, fish and seaweed, make the tiny circle propeller movable with a small brad, add lighter highlights on the top as in the instructions, and then share your finished submarine drawing on DIY.org.

Watch videos on how to draw a submarine

0:00/0:00

Here at SafeTube, we're on a mission to create a safer and more delightful internet. 😊

🚢 How To Draw A Submarine | Easy and Fun for Kids | Chiki Art

4 Videos

Facts about basic drawing and perspective

⚓ The first submarine to sink an enemy ship in combat was the Confederate H.L. Hunley in 1864.

🔭 A periscope uses mirrors or prisms to let people see above the surface while staying hidden underwater.

✏️ One-point (linear) perspective was formalized during the Renaissance and helps make drawings look 3D.

🪟 Most military submarines don’t have big windows because deep-water pressure would crush them — tourist subs use thick acrylic viewports instead.

🎯 Artists often start vehicle drawings with simple shapes (ovals, rectangles, cylinders) to get proportions and shading right.

How do I teach my child to draw a simple submarine step by step?

Start with a long rounded rectangle for the hull, then add a smaller rounded tower (conning tower) on top. Sketch a periscope from the tower using two small rectangles and a narrow tube. Add circular portholes evenly along the hull and a propeller at the back. Use light guide lines to keep proportions, erase extra lines, then darken outlines. Finish with simple shading on the underside and color to show light and depth.

What materials do I need to draw a submarine with my child?

Gather plain paper or a sketchbook, a pencil and eraser for sketching, and a sharpener. Add colored pencils, markers, or watercolors for coloring, plus a ruler for straight edges and a blending stump or cotton swab for soft shading. Optional items: tracing paper or printable shape templates for younger kids, stickers for portholes, and a reference photo of a submarine to inspire details.

What ages is this submarine drawing activity suitable for?

This activity adapts well across ages: preschoolers (4–6) can trace or draw basic shapes and color; early elementary kids (7–9) can add portholes, periscope, and simple shading; older children (10+) can work on perspective, proportions, and refined shading techniques. Provide guidance and templates for younger kids and challenge older kids with layered backgrounds or technical detail to keep the activity engaging and developmentally appropriate.

What are the benefits of drawing a submarine with my child?

Drawing a submarine teaches proportions, spatial awareness, and basic perspective while strengthening fine motor skills and hand–eye coordination. It encourages observation, creative problem solving, and art vocabulary like shading and contour. Coloring and shading also promote focus and patience. Working together supports communication and confidence, and discussing underwater scenes can spark interest in science and storytelling.

Ready to create?

All Activities

How to draw a submarine

How to draw a submarine - a free submarine drawing guide

Draw a simple submarine step by step using shapes, add windows, a periscope, and color to learn proportions, shading, and perspective.

Table of contents

Drawing Apps

Photos of submarine drawing examples

Step-by-step guide to draw a submarine

0:00/0:00

Here at SafeTube, we're on a mission to create a safer and more delightful internet. 😊

Learn How to Draw A Submarine | Kids Drawing Lesson | Step By Step

What you need

Paper, pencil, eraser, ruler, colouring materials, black marker

Step 1

Draw a light horizontal guideline across the middle of the page to help place your submarine.

Step 2

Sketch a large horizontal oval centered on the guideline for the submarine's main body about two-thirds of the page wide.

Step 3

Add a rounded nose at the left end by drawing a short curved line to close the front of the oval.

Step 4

Draw a tail fin at the right end by sketching a vertical triangle attached to the back of the oval.

Step 5

Draw a small rectangle on top of the oval slightly forward of center to make the conning tower.

Step 6

Draw a periscope rising from the conning tower by sketching a thin vertical rectangle with a short horizontal rectangle at the top.

Step 7

Draw three round porthole windows along the side of the oval spaced evenly on the guideline.

Step 8

Sketch a small propeller at the back by drawing a tiny circle and two curved blades.

Step 9

Add a curved contour line along the top of the oval to show the submarine's rounded shape and perspective.

Step 10

Shade the bottom half of the submarine lightly with pencil strokes to show shadow and roundness.

Step 11

Draw small rivet dots or short lines along the hull for extra detail and to check proportions.

Step 12

Trace the final outlines and important details carefully with a black marker.

Step 13

Erase any leftover pencil guidelines so your drawing looks clean.

Step 14

Color the submarine's body with your chosen colors and then color the portholes and add lighter highlights on the top.

Step 15

Share your finished submarine drawing on DIY.org

Help!?

What can I use instead of a black marker for the final outlines if I don't have one?

If you don't have a black marker for tracing the final outlines and important details, use a fine-tipped dark pen, a Sharpie, or a dark colored pencil and press firmly when tracing.

My submarine looks unbalanced—how do I fix proportions and evenly spaced portholes?

How can I adapt this drawing for younger or older kids?

How can we extend or personalize the submarine drawing after coloring it?

Watch videos on how to draw a submarine

0:00/0:00

Here at SafeTube, we're on a mission to create a safer and more delightful internet. 😊

🚢 How To Draw A Submarine | Easy and Fun for Kids | Chiki Art

4 Videos

Facts about basic drawing and perspective

⚓ The first submarine to sink an enemy ship in combat was the Confederate H.L. Hunley in 1864.

🔭 A periscope uses mirrors or prisms to let people see above the surface while staying hidden underwater.

✏️ One-point (linear) perspective was formalized during the Renaissance and helps make drawings look 3D.

🪟 Most military submarines don’t have big windows because deep-water pressure would crush them — tourist subs use thick acrylic viewports instead.

🎯 Artists often start vehicle drawings with simple shapes (ovals, rectangles, cylinders) to get proportions and shading right.