How to Draw a Telescope (Easy Step by Step)
A telescope is a great first object to draw because it is made mostly of tilted boxes and straight lines. The tube is built from sections that slide into each other, the stand is a circle and three lines, and the night sky adds a moon and stars. Once you can tilt a box shape, you can draw the whole thing.
- Easy
- 12 minutes
- 9 steps
You need: paper, a pencil, an eraser, and crayons or markers for coloring.
Start drawingIn this article (7 sections)
How to draw a telescope step by step
How to Draw a Telescope · tinyhandscreate.com
Step 1: Guide shapes
Lightly sketch this oval. It only shows where the big parts go, so press softly. You will erase it at the end.
Step 2: The big tube
Draw a tilted box shape for the wide end of the telescope, pointing up to the right. Leave the bottom-left end open, and add a second line just inside the top end to make the rim of the lens.
Step 3: The middle tube
Next to the big tube, draw a smaller tilted box that starts at the open end of the big tube. Close the joint with a short slanted line where the two tubes meet, and leave the lower-left end open.
Step 4: The small tube
Keep going down and to the left with an even smaller tilted box that starts at the open end of the middle tube. Close the joint with another short slanted line, and leave its far end open.
Step 5: The eyepiece
At the very end, draw a tiny tilted box with rounded corners, where you would look through. It joins onto the open end of the small tube.
Step 6: The tripod joint
Under the middle of the telescope, draw a small circle. This is the round joint that holds the telescope up.
Step 7: The tripod legs
Start at the bottom of the circle and draw one straight line down the middle. Then draw two slanted lines from the same spot that spread out to each side, like an upside-down V.
Step 8: The crescent moon
In the empty space at the top left, draw a curved line shaped like the letter C turned to face left. Make it a big, smooth arc.
Step 9: Little stars
Draw two small stars in the sky, one above the telescope and one at the left. Make each one a tiny rounded five-sided shape with a little hole in the middle.
All done!
Erase the guide shapes, go over your lines, then color it in.
Finished your telescope? Keep the pencils out and learn how to draw a gumball machine or how to draw a trophy next.
Tips for drawing a telescope
- The tube is the trickiest part because it is tilted. Draw a light slanted line first, then build each box shape along it so all the sections point the same way.
- Make each tube section a little smaller than the one before it. This makes the telescope look like it slides open.
- For the tripod, draw the middle leg first and then add the two side legs. Matching the angles on both sides keeps the stand steady.
Free telescope coloring page
Want to go straight to coloring? Open this telescope coloring page at full size and print it. It is the same drawing you just learned, with clean lines ready for crayons or markers.
How to color your telescope drawing
Try a shiny gold or deep blue for the tube sections, with dark gray for the tripod and a pale yellow moon and stars. For a creative twist, color the sky behind it dark purple and add a planet or a shooting star.
Telescope fun fact for kids
Many telescopes have tubes that slide inside each other, so they can be short for carrying and long for looking. In 1610 Galileo used a telescope to see four of the moons of Jupiter.
Questions about drawing a telescope
What shapes do I need to draw a telescope?
You need three tilted boxes of different sizes for the tube sections, a smaller box for the eyepiece, a circle for the joint, and three straight lines for the legs. A curved line and two small stars finish the night sky.
How do I make my telescope look like it is pointing up?
Tilt the whole tube so the wide end is higher than the small end. Keep all the slanted lines going in the same direction, and the telescope will look like it is aimed at the sky.
How do I draw a small star?
Draw a tiny rounded shape with five sides, like a little pentagon. Add a small hole in the middle, and keep both stars about the same size.
