How to Draw a Viking Ship (Easy Step by Step)
A Viking ship looks brave and a little silly with its dragon head, and it is easy to draw. It is built from a big curved bowl, straight lines for the mast and sail, and a row of circles. Once you have the shapes, you can sail it across any page.
- Medium
- 15 minutes
- 10 steps
You need: paper, a pencil, an eraser, and crayons or markers for coloring.
Start drawingIn this article (7 sections)
How to draw a Viking ship step by step
How to Draw a Viking Ship · 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 curvy hull
Draw a big smile-shaped curve, like a bowl or a half circle, for the bottom of the ship. Let the left end curl up high and finish in a little swirl, and let the right end turn up a bit.
Step 3: The top rail
Draw a gently curved line across the top of the bowl, from the left side to the right side. This is the edge of the deck where the sailors walk.
Step 4: The tall mast
Start at the middle of the top rail and draw a straight line going up to the sky. Make it nice and tall.
Step 5: The big sail
Near the top of the mast, draw a long flat line across it. Add two straight lines down from its ends, then connect them at the bottom with a wavy line to make a square sail.
Step 6: Sail stripes
Draw two straight lines down inside the sail, one on each side of the mast. They make the sail look striped.
Step 7: The dragon head
On the right end of the ship, draw a long curvy neck that goes up from the rail. Finish it with a rounded head shape with a little chin, and add a small curved horn on top.
Step 8: The dragon eye
Draw a round dot inside the round part of the dragon's head and color it in.
Step 9: Round shields
Draw five small circles in a row inside the hull, just under the rail. Make them about the same size with a little space between each one.
Step 10: Ocean waves
Under the ship, draw a long wavy line with up and down bumps, like a snake lying on its side.
All done!
Erase the guide shapes, go over your lines, then color it in.
Finished your Viking ship? Keep the pencils out and learn how to draw a kid singing or how to draw a kid dancing next.
Tips for drawing a Viking ship
- Draw the bowl-shaped hull first and make it wide. Everything else sits on top of it, so a good curve makes the rest easier.
- The dragon neck is the trickiest part. Draw it as a wavy letter S going up, then add the head as a round bump on top.
- For the shields, draw the middle circle first, then one on each side. That helps keep all five evenly spaced.
Free Viking ship coloring page
Want to go straight to coloring? Open this Viking ship 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 Viking ship drawing
Try red and white stripes on the sail, brown for the wooden hull, and bright colors for each shield. For a creative twist, make the dragon head green or add a Viking flag at the top of the mast.
Viking ship fun fact for kids
Viking ships were built to be shallow, so they could glide up rivers and onto beaches. Many carried round wooden shields hung along the side, just like the circles in this drawing.
Questions about drawing a Viking ship
What shapes do I need to draw a Viking ship?
You need a big curved bowl shape for the hull, straight lines for the mast and sail, and five circles for the shields. A wavy line makes the sea.
How do I draw the dragon head on a Viking ship?
Draw a wavy S-shaped neck going up from the end of the ship. Put a round head on top, then add a dot for the eye and a small curved horn.
How do I make my Viking ship look like it is floating?
Draw a wavy line under the hull for the water. Let the bottom of the ship sit just above the waves so it looks like it is riding on top.
