How to Draw Excavators

Though it may look like a creature from outer space, this versatile construction vehicle is useful for everything from demolition and digging up dirt to open-pit mining and placing pipes.

When drawing excavators, examine a complete illustration before the first step.
Learn how to draw this excavator.
In this section, we'll show you how to draw the above excavator. 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 the excavator, start by drawing the shapes that make up the excavator's cab and platform.
Step 1: Draw the shapes that make up the excavator's cab and platform.
When drawing an excavator, add windows and a roof.
Step 2: Add windows on the cab. There are two in front of the cab and four on the side. Add a roof by drawing two rounded rectangular shapes side by side.
When drawing an excavator, draw a safety light and a muffler.
Step 3: Draw two circles on the front of the roof and a safety light on top. Draw a muffler, which is oblong with a curved pipe running through it. Draw a circle at the end of the pipe.
To draw the excavator track, you must draw circles, triangles, and rectangles.
Step 4: To draw the track, start with a rounded triangle. Draw another triangle just inside the first one. Inside the triangle, draw a rectangle and add part of a circle at each end. Draw three more circles above the rectangle, adding lines for depth.
To finish drawing the excavator tracks, use a ruler to draw evenly spaced lines.
Step 5: Draw the track on the far side, where only some of the parts can be seen. Finish the tracks by using a ruler to draw evenly spaced lines around the outside of each one for tread.
When drawing an excavator, draw the arm of the boom.
Step 6: To draw the arm of the boom, draw a long rectangle with a slight boomerang bend. Just above the bend, draw a rounded triangle. At the top of the boom, draw a long oval shape. Outline all parts of the boom arm to add depth.
To draw the excavator boom bottom, create a long, skinny oval with a bump.
Step 7: Draw the shape that makes up the bottom of the boom -- a long, skinny oval with a bump on one side. Outline it to add depth.
When drawing an excavator, draw the bucket.
Step 8: To draw the bucket, draw a crescent shape and connect the tips with an almost-straight line. On top of the bucket, draw two rounded triangles; outline them to add depth. Add lines to create the triangle behind the bottom of the boom.

To draw the final parts of the excavator, draw pivot joints and hydraulic cylinders.
Step 9: Add circles for the pivot joints, which allow the boom and bucket to move up and down. Outline each circle for depth. Draw the two hydraulic cylinders using long rectangles and cylinders.
When drawing the excavator's final part, draw the line behind the cylinders to complete the platform.
Step 10: Draw the two hydraulic cylinders that attach the boom to the body of the cab. Draw the line behind the cylinders to complete the platform.
When drawing the excavator is complete, trace the permanent lines with a felt-tip pen, and erase pencil lines.
Step 11: Use a felt-tip pen to trace over the lines you want to keep, and erase the extra pencil lines.

All done, but there's just one problem. Once the excavator scoops all of the materials up and out, what on earth will they use to move it all? You guessed it -- a bulldozer!

In the next section, learn how to draw the massive bulldozer.

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