How to Draw Cranes

This handy vehicle, which needs supports to keep it from tipping over, can reach really high to help move things from place to place. Unlike other construction vehicles, a crane can swing up and down, and from side to side.

When drawing a crane, examine the illustration of the crane before proceeding to the first step.
Learn how to draw this crane.
In this section, we'll show you how to draw the above crane. You can draw this construction vehicle freehand while looking at your computer monitor or print out this page to get a closer look at each step.

Follow the red lines in each illustration to learn exactly what to draw in that step. The lines drawn in previous steps are shown in gray. Here, we'll show you an illustration of each step and then give you a description of how to draw it.

To draw a crane, start by drawing the side of the crane.
Step 1: Draw the side of the crane. It is a long shape with rounded cutouts where the wheels will go and a peak near the front for the cab.

When drawing crane, draw the wheels.
Step 2: Draw four ovals inside the cutouts for the wheels. Within each oval draw two more ovals, one inside the other, so they look like rings.
When drawing the wheels of a crane, finish by drawing the hubs.
Step 3: Make the tires look real by adding width to the outside. Finish the wheels by drawing the hubs. Also draw the line in each tire that adds depth to the inside of the wheel.

Draw a short horizontal line on the side of the crane body behind each second tire.

To draw the crane, draw the body of the crane.
Step 4: To build the body of the crane, draw the lines shown. Be sure to make the lines curved or straight where shown.
When drawing a crane, add the windshield, windows, and headlights.
Step 5: Draw a rectangular shape for the front windshield and two odd shapes for the side windows. Then draw and outline two squares for headlights on the front of the cab. The front bumper is a long, curved rectangle.

Use a ruler to draw evenly spaced diagonal lines on the bumper. Near the back of the truck draw a triangle with a rounded top. Draw a matching line to add depth.

When drawing a crane, draw the crane arm, which is called the boom.
Step 6: Draw the crane arm, which is called the boom. It is made up of three rectangular shapes. Each rectangle is a little shorter and smaller than the previous one. Use your ruler to get the lines straight.

Round the end of the top rectangle. Draw the lines that add depth.

To draw the crane, draw four lines from the tip of the rounded end of the boom.
Step 7: Draw four lines from the tip of the rounded end of the boom. Draw an upside-down triangle at the bottom of the lines. Add the line to the side of the triangle for depth. Draw the hook below the triangle.
To finish drawing the crane boom, draw two hydraulic cylinders and add safety lights on the cab.
Step 8: To finish the boom, draw the two hydraulic cylinders that raise and lower it. Draw the circle that connects the front cylinder to the boom, adding the circular line to provide depth.

Draw a taillight extending from the triangular shape. Draw a back triangular arm support. Add the safety light on the cab's roof.

To finish drawing the crane, draw the special supports which keep the crane from falling over when lifting heavy objects.
Step 9: Draw the special supports a crane needs to keep it from falling over when it lifts heavy objects. The supports are rectangular shapes, with pyramid shapes at the ends, near the ground.
When drawing the crane is complete, trace the permanent lines with a felt-tip pen, and erase pencil lines.
Step 10: Use a felt-tip pen to trace over the lines you want to keep, and erase the extra pencil lines.

That's it, you're done! Ready for another? The next construction vehicle may be much shorter than a crane, but it is wide and able to lift heavy loads and deposit them into other heavy-duty construction vehicles.

Continue to the next page to learn how to draw the bulky, yet precise, front loader.

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