I have a deep passion for cupcakes. They not only look incredibly appealing but also taste absolutely delightful. Moreover, cupcakes serve as fantastic subjects for both paintings and drawings. That’s why I thought it would be a great idea to create a detailed yet straightforward step-by-step guide on how to draw a cupcake.
As someone with experience in drawing cupcakes, I can assure you that this guide is comprehensive and perfect for beginners who want to gain valuable drawing skills. Drawing a great cupcake involves various shapes, lines, and curves, and I am thrilled to share my own approach with you below.
Reference
To begin our cupcake drawing, it would be helpful to use a reference image that offers various elements. I found this image, which I believe provides a perfect balance of challenge and fun for our tutorial.
Based on this design, it would make sense to start from the base and work our way up. We will begin with the cupcake itself, followed by the icing, candle, and decoration.
Steps for Drawing a Cupcake
Step 1
Let’s commence this cupcake drawing with two slanted vertical lines that are straight and parallel. These lines should appear as though they would meet at a center point if extended further, even though we won’t be doing that.
Step 2
When the two lines reach a length of approximately 5-8 cm, connect them with a slightly rounded horizontal line. This completes the cup portion of the drawing.
Step 3
As shown in our reference image, the paper cup holding the cake has a triangular fence-like design. Fill the space with as many mini triangles as possible until you reach the opposite end.
Step 4
From the endpoint of each triangle, draw straight lines that connect to the horizontal baseline. Continue this process until all triangle points are connected.
Step 5
In this drawing, we’ll use an eye-level perspective to make it easier and more realistic. To achieve this effect, draw rounded and curved lines on either side of the cup, each approximately 2 cm in length. Then, draw two more curved lines connected to the initial lines. These additional lines should not extend beyond the first set. Finally, connect these lines with a wavy or curvy horizontal line until they meet. The first layer represents the cake, and the second layer will be the icing.
Step 6
Repeat the previous steps to add another layer. Each subsequent layer should be shorter in length, creating a mountain or triangular shape.
Step 7
On top of the icing layer, add one more layer of similar size but leave an empty space at the top.
Step 8
Between the last layer of icing, let’s add the candle. Draw two parallel lines, approximately 4 cm in length, and connect them at the top with a slightly curved line. To decorate the candle, create a swirling effect by drawing slanted parallel lines that curve like waves or reversed ‘S’ shapes.
Step 9
Complete the candle by drawing a triangle at the top. Add a short straight line at the tip to represent the twig.
Step 10
Now, let’s fill in the top two layers of icing with decorations. Start by drawing a small triangle to fill the empty space near the candle. Then, draw small rectangular shapes with rounded corners to resemble sprinkles commonly used on cupcakes and biscuits.
Step 11
Once you have added a few sprinkles to the cupcake icing, all that’s left is to color it in. The first layer represents the cake, which can be colored with cream or different shades of brown for a chocolate or bran cupcake. The cup can be any color of your choice, so feel free to experiment. In my drawing, I opted for two shades of lilac for the icing. To create an appealing effect, I filled in the wavy shapes of the candle with color while leaving alternate ones white.
Conclusion
I hope you enjoyed this tutorial on how to draw a cupcake. Drawing something from a picture may initially seem intimidating, but with careful planning, everything falls into place. Please leave a comment and let me know which drawing tutorial you would like me to cover next.
Also, be sure to check out some of my other fun and easy drawing tutorials:
- How to draw a violin
- How to draw an eggplant
- How to draw a pot plant
- How to draw a starfish
