How to Draw a Hot Air Balloon (Easy Step by Step)
A hot air balloon is a happy drawing made mostly from curves and straight lines. You only need a big round shape for the balloon, two bendy lines for the panels, and a little box for the basket. Add some puffy clouds and it looks like it is really floating.
- Easy
- 12 minutes
- 8 steps
You need: paper, a pencil, an eraser, and crayons or markers for coloring.
Start drawingIn this article (7 sections)
How to draw a hot air balloon step by step
How to Draw a Hot Air Balloon · 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 balloon
Sketch a big round shape near the top of your page, a little wider than it is tall. Finish the bottom with a short flat line, like cutting off a tiny slice.
Step 3: Curved panel lines
Start at the very top of the balloon and draw one curved line bending out to the left and back in to the flat bottom. Do the same on the right so the two lines make a lemon shape in the middle.
Step 4: Basket sides
From each end of the flat line under the balloon, draw a short slanted line going down. The two lines should lean a little toward each other.
Step 5: The flame
Between the two basket lines, draw a small teardrop with its point facing up.
Step 6: Rim bar
Near the bottom of the slanted sides, draw a long, skinny rounded shape, like a pill lying on its side. It joins the two sides together.
Step 7: The basket
Under the pill shape, draw a box that gets a bit narrower toward the bottom, with rounded bottom corners. Add one straight line across the middle to make the weave.
Step 8: Fluffy clouds
Draw a flat line for the bottom of a cloud. Then add a few bumpy humps on top, joined together like a bumpy hill. Make a second cloud on the other side of the balloon.
All done!
Erase the guide shapes, go over your lines, then color it in.
Finished your hot air balloon? Keep the pencils out and learn how to draw a tractor or how to draw a lighthouse next.
Tips for drawing a hot air balloon
- Draw the big round balloon first and give it plenty of room. The basket needs space underneath, so start near the top of the page.
- For the curved panel lines, start both at the same point at the top. Then bend them out and back in so they match, like the sides of a lemon.
- Make the basket a little narrower at the bottom than at the top. That small slant makes it look like it is hanging.
Free hot air balloon coloring page
Want to go straight to coloring? Open this hot air balloon 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 hot air balloon drawing
Try bright red, yellow, and blue panels on the balloon, and a light brown basket with an orange flame. For a creative twist, give each section of the balloon a different pattern, like dots, zigzags, or stars.
Hot air balloon fun fact for kids
The first passengers in a hot air balloon were a sheep, a duck, and a rooster, in France in 1783. The flight lasted about eight minutes and they landed safely.
Questions about drawing a hot air balloon
What shapes do I need to draw a hot air balloon?
You need a big round shape with a flat bottom for the balloon, two curved lines for the panels, and a box that gets narrower toward the bottom for the basket. Clouds are a flat line with a few bumps on top.
How do I make my hot air balloon look like it is floating?
Leave empty space around it and add a cloud on each side. Drawing the balloon high on the page also helps.
How do I make the two curved lines match?
Start both curved lines at the same spot on top and end them at the two ends of the flat bottom. Keep the bend about the same on each side.
