How to Draw a Tugboat (Easy Step by Step)
A tugboat is a small, strong boat, and it is fun to draw because it is made mostly of simple shapes. You will use a big smile shape for the hull, two straight walls and a flat roof for the cabin, and lots of circles for the windows, portholes and smoke. The wavy water at the bottom makes it look like it is floating.
- 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 tugboat step by step
How to Draw a Tugboat · tinyhandscreate.com
Step 1: The boat hull
Draw a long flat line across the page, then curve a big smile shape underneath it, starting and ending at the two ends of the flat line. This is the body of your boat.
Step 2: The cabin walls
In the middle of the flat top of the hull, draw two short straight lines going up, standing side by side. These are the walls of the little room where the captain sits.
Step 3: The cabin roof
Draw a long, flat rounded rectangle across the top of the two walls. Let it stick out a little on both sides like a hat brim.
Step 4: The funnel
On the middle of the roof, draw a short chimney with a rounded top, a little narrower at the top than at the bottom. Add a straight line across the middle of it.
Step 5: Puffs of smoke
Draw a tiny stub on top of the funnel, then a small circle sitting on it. Add a slightly bigger circle floating up and to the left of the first one.
Step 6: Cabin windows
Draw two round circles side by side inside the cabin walls. Try to make them the same size.
Step 7: Round portholes
Draw three big circles in a row along the hull, spaced evenly. Keep them empty for now.
Step 8: Porthole centers
Draw a smaller circle inside each big porthole. Then add a tiny dot in the very middle of each small circle.
Step 9: Wavy water
Under the boat, draw a long wiggly line that goes up and down like a snake. Draw a second wavy line just below it.
All done!
Go over your lines with a marker, then color it in.
Finished your tugboat? Keep the pencils out and learn how to draw a double-decker bus or how to draw a space shuttle next.
Tips for drawing a tugboat
- Draw the hull's flat top line first and make it long. Then the curve underneath is easy, because you just connect the two ends with a smile.
- The three portholes are the trickiest part. Draw the middle one first, then put one on each side so they stay evenly spaced.
- For the waves, keep your pencil moving in a steady up and down wiggle without stopping. Start the second wave a little further in so the two lines do not match.
Free tugboat coloring page
Want to go straight to coloring? Open this tugboat 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 tugboat drawing
Try a red hull, a white cabin and a black funnel with a red stripe, with blue water below. For a creative twist, color each porthole a different color, or make the smoke puffs rainbow.
Tugboat fun fact for kids
Tugboats are small but very powerful. They push and pull huge ships into harbors, because big ships cannot turn easily in tight spaces.
Questions about drawing a tugboat
What shapes do I need to draw a tugboat?
You need a smile shape for the hull, straight lines and a flat rounded rectangle for the cabin walls and roof, a small chimney, and circles for the windows, portholes and smoke. Wavy lines finish it off.
How do I make my tugboat look more like it is floating?
Draw the wavy water lines close under the hull. Adding a second wave line below the first makes the water look deeper.
How do I draw circles that look round?
Draw them slowly in one smooth turn, and do not worry if they are a little wobbly. You can also trace around a coin or a bottle cap for practice.
