How to Draw a Guitar Step by Step
Draw lightly in pencil first. The new part in each picture is shown in red, so you always know what to add next.
Step 1: Draw the Figure-8 Body Outline
Draw a large figure-8 shape in the lower half of your paper. Make the bottom curve wider than the top curve, and pinch the sides in at the middle to make a “waist.”
Tip: lightly draw a vertical line down the middle first. It helps you keep both sides the same.
Step 2: Add the Round Sound Hole
Draw a circle in the top half of the body, just above the waist. This is the sound hole. On a real acoustic guitar, the sound comes out of this opening.
Step 3: Draw the Bridge
Near the bottom of the body, draw a thin rectangle with rounded corners. This is the bridge, where the strings are held in place.
Step 4: Add Six Bridge Pins
Draw six small circles in a row inside the bridge. A standard guitar has six strings, so it needs six pins, one for each string.
Step 5: Draw the Long Neck
Use your ruler to draw a long, narrow rectangle coming up from the top of the body. Make it almost as long as the body itself.
This is the step people most often get wrong. A short, wide neck makes your guitar look like a ukulele.
Step 6: Draw the Six Strings
Draw six straight lines from the bridge pins up to the top of the neck. They pass over the sound hole. Space them evenly, with a little extra room at the bridge and a little less at the top of the neck.
Use your ruler here. Straight strings instantly make the drawing look more real.
Step 7: Shape the Headstock
At the top of the neck, draw the headstock. It’s a slightly wider shape with a curved or pointed top edge. Make it tall enough to fit three tuning pegs on each side.
Step 8: Add the Tuning Posts
Draw three small circles down each side of the headstock, six in total. Then continue each string up to its own post. The three strings on the left go to the left posts and the three on the right go to the right posts.
Step 9: Draw the Six Tuning Pegs
Next to each tuning post, draw a small oval knob sticking out from the side of the headstock. These are the tuning pegs that guitar players turn to tune each string.
Step 10: Add the Frets
Draw short lines across the neck. These are the frets. On a real guitar, the frets get closer together as they move toward the body. Copying that small detail makes your drawing look much more accurate.
Step 11: Add the Fret Markers
Add a small dot between the strings in the 3rd, 5th, 7th and 9th fret spaces. If your neck is long enough, add two dots at the 12th fret. Now trace over your final lines with a black marker and erase the pencil marks.
Method 2: How to Draw a Cartoon Guitar
Want something quicker and cuter? This version has fewer details and rounder shapes. It’s great for younger kids.
- Draw a chubby body. Make a rounded figure-8 shape that’s a bit wider than a real guitar.
- Add a big sound hole. Draw a large circle in the middle. Big shapes look friendlier.
- Draw a short, thick neck. A cartoon can break the rules, so the neck can be shorter here.
- Add a rounded headstock. Draw a simple oval or rounded square on top, with three dots on each side for pegs.
- Draw the strings. Draw 4 to 6 lines from the bottom of the sound hole to the headstock. Exact counts matter less in cartoon style.
- Add personality. Use bright colors, little music notes floating around it, or even a smiling face on the body.
Method 3: How to Draw an Electric Guitar
An electric guitar uses the same idea, with a few key differences:
- The body is solid. There’s no sound hole. Draw a body with two pointed “horns” at the top, curving in toward the neck.
- Add pickups. Instead of a sound hole, draw two or three small rectangles across the strings in the middle of the body.
- Draw a pickguard. This is a flat shape under the strings, often in a contrasting color.
- Add knobs and a switch. Draw two to four small circles near the bottom edge for the volume and tone knobs.
- Use a thinner neck and a pointed headstock. Many electric guitars have all six tuning pegs on one side.
Want the full version? See our step-by-step How to Draw an Electric Guitar tutorial.
Parts of a Guitar
Knowing the parts makes drawing much easier, because you know what each shape is for.
[IMAGE NEEDED: parts-of-a-guitar-labeled-diagram.webp — alt: “Labeled diagram of the parts of an acoustic guitar”]
| Part | What it is | Where to draw it |
|---|---|---|
| Body | The large hollow wooden shape | Bottom of the guitar |
| Sound hole | The opening that lets the sound out | Upper middle of the body |
| Bridge | Holds the strings on the body | Lower half of the body |
| Neck | The long piece you hold to play | Between the body and headstock |
| Frets | Metal strips across the neck | Along the neck |
| Headstock | The top end of the guitar | Top of the neck |
| Tuning pegs | Knobs used to tune the strings | Sides of the headstock |
| Strings | Six strings on a standard guitar | From the bridge to the headstock |
5 Common Guitar Drawing Mistakes (and How to Fix Them)
- Wrong number of strings or pegs. A standard guitar has 6 strings and 6 tuning pegs. Four strings and four pegs make it a ukulele.
- The neck is too short. The neck plus the headstock should be roughly as long as the body.
- Crooked strings. Freehand strings often wobble. Use a ruler.
- A lopsided body. Draw a light center line first, then mirror one side onto the other. Turning your paper upside down helps you spot uneven curves.
- Frets that are all the same distance apart. Real frets get closer together toward the body. Even a small change looks more realistic.
How to Color Your Guitar Drawing
Try one of these three color schemes:
| Style | Body | Neck & headstock | Extras |
|---|---|---|---|
| Classic wood | Light tan or honey | Dark brown | Black sound hole, silver strings |
| Sunburst | Yellow-orange center fading to dark brown edges | Dark brown | Black bridge |
| Bright & fun | Red, blue or purple | Black | Music notes and stars around it |
For a more realistic look, add a few thin, curved lines across the body to suggest wood grain. Then shade the edges slightly darker than the center.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the easiest way to draw a guitar?
Start with simple shapes: a figure-8 for the body, a circle for the sound hole and a long rectangle for the neck. Add the strings and headstock after that. Breaking the guitar into basic shapes is the easiest approach for beginners and kids.
How many strings should a guitar drawing have?
A standard acoustic or electric guitar has six strings, so draw six strings, six tuning pegs and six bridge pins. A bass guitar usually has four strings. A ukulele also has four, which is why a four-string drawing often looks like a ukulele.
How do you draw guitar strings straight?
Use a ruler. Mark six evenly spaced dots on the bridge and six at the top of the neck, then connect each pair with a ruler. Draw lightly in pencil first and trace over them at the end.
What are the main parts of a guitar?
The main parts are the body, sound hole, bridge, neck, frets, headstock, tuning pegs and strings. Electric guitars replace the sound hole with pickups, and they usually add volume and tone knobs.
What is the difference between drawing an acoustic and an electric guitar?
An acoustic guitar has a hollow figure-8 body with a round sound hole. An electric guitar has a solid, often pointed body with no sound hole. Instead it has pickups, a pickguard and control knobs, and its neck is usually thinner.
How do you draw a guitar from the side or at an angle?
Draw the body as a stretched oval instead of a flat figure-8, and turn the sound hole into an oval too. Show the side of the body as a thin band along one edge. Keep the strings parallel to the neck so it still reads as a guitar.
What colors should I use for a guitar drawing?
For a realistic look, use light brown or orange for the body, dark brown for the neck, black for the sound hole and grey for the strings. For a fun drawing, any bright color works.
How long does it take to draw a guitar?
Most beginners finish this 12-step tutorial in about 15 to 20 minutes, plus a few more minutes for coloring. The cartoon version takes about 10 minutes.
Is this guitar drawing tutorial good for kids?
Yes. Every step adds just one shape, and each one has its own picture. Kids aged 6 and up can usually follow all 12 steps. Younger kids can stop after Step 6 and color.