Learn how to draw a Pagoda, a many-tiered tower building found in India and East Asia. The shape is just about the opposite of most traditional buildings found in the western world.
A pagoda is a kind of tower with multiple eaves, most often found in eastern and southeastern Asia. Most are built for religious purposes, often as Buddhist temples that house religious papers and artifacts.
The modern design for a pagoda comes from the stupas of ancient Nepal built during the 3rd century BC. The influence spread across Asia, taking on many differences as details specific to different regions became a part of the overall design.
For students studying eastern culture, or for those that just want to try some different architecture for a change, a pagoda is certainly a fun project to try out. All those curves and details on the eaves make for great drawing practice, and the finished look is so different from the buildings most students are used to drawing. It’s proof that a roof needn’t always be straight and perpendicular. Curvy and scalloped are possible too!
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How to Draw a Pagoda Step by Step Materials
- Pencil. The Ticonderoga brand are the most reliable, make nice dark lines when you need them, and are the easiest to erase. Buying the pre-sharpened ones will save busy teachers a lot of time.
- Eraser. Large ones you can hold in your hand do a much better job than just the pencil tip erasers, especially when erasing leftover pencil lines after tracing.
- Black Sharpie Marker. These fine point permanent marker pens make nice black outlines, have a good tip for coloring, and never bleed when they get wet. Use them with good ventilation and add extra paper underneath to protect your tables.
- Prang Crayons. These are a bit softer than other crayons so they sometimes look like oil pastels. They also have a some nice brown shades that Crayola does not have unless you buy their larger boxes.
- Crayola Crayons. The reliable brand that always works well. The 24 pack has some of my favorite golden orange and yellow colors that seem a bit richer and warmer than the ones Prang has.
How to Draw a Pagoda Directions
Time needed: 45 minutes.
How to Draw a Pagoda
- Start with the bottom door and walls.
- Draw the curvy sides of the roof.
- Add the roof top and curved lines.
- Finish the roof with a wavy line.
- Start top floor walls and curve sides.
- Draw top of the roof and roof lines.
- Finish with a wavy line and add details.
- Add the windows and a horizon line.
- Trace with a marker and color.
Another Pagoda Project
