How to Create Cubism Drawings (Even If You’ve Never Tried It Before)

Think drawing is all about making things look real? Think again! Cubism turns that idea upside down, and it’s surprisingly fun. Whether you’re a beginner or just curious, learning how to create Cubism drawings opens a new world of creativity. In this post, you’ll know what Cubism is, how to start your artwork, and get simple step-by-step ideas to try today.

What Is Cubism in Art?

Cubism is a modern art style where artists break down objects into shapes, angles, and fragments. Instead of showing just one view, Cubism mixes multiple viewpoints in one picture. Famous Cubist artists include Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque.

Why Try Cubist Drawing?

• It’s perfect for beginners, no need to draw perfectly
• You get to experiment and play with shapes
• It helps you see everyday objects in a new way

How to Create Cubism Drawings: Step-by-Step

Creating a Cubist drawing means thinking outside the box, literally. Don’t worry about getting everything perfect. Instead, focus on breaking things apart and putting them back together in fun, new ways. Here’s how to do it step by step:

1. Choose a Simple Subject

Start with something easy like a face, guitar, fruit, or house. You can even look at a photo or real object for reference.

2. Draw the Object Normally First

Make a simple sketch of your subject in the center of the page. Keep it light—you’ll be drawing over it soon.

3. Break It Into Shapes

Now comes the fun part! Use straight, curved, or zigzag lines to divide the object into multiple parts. You’re creating puzzle pieces that still form the whole.

4. Rearrange and Repeat Elements

Move some of the pieces slightly. You can shift a section of the face, move the neck higher, or draw one part twice—like showing both eyes from different angles.

5. Add More Angles and Overlapping Views

Draw parts of your subject from different sides—front, side, or even top. Let pieces overlap each other. It’s okay if it looks strange—strange is good!

6. Fill In With Shapes and Patterns

Fill the background or parts of the object with fun patterns like dots, stripes, checkerboards, or zigzags. This adds rhythm and visual interest.

7. Use Bold Colors to Make It Pop

Now it’s time to bring it to life with color! Use strong, bright colors that don’t have to match the real object. Cubism Drawing is all about imagination, not accuracy.

8. Outline With Strong Lines

Once your colors and shapes are in place, go over the lines with a thick black pen or dark pencil. This will help all the sections stand out and give your drawing a bold, graphic look.

Cubism Drawing Ideas

Need some inspiration to get started? Here are a few fun Cubism drawing ideas for kids, teens, or beginners of any age:

1. Cubist Face Portrait

Draw a face with eyes in two different places, a nose from the side, and a smiling mouth that stretches in a wild direction. Try these face portrait ideas:

• A face with half shaded in cool colors and half in warm colors
• A sad face with tears on one side, and a smile on the other
• A face split in half by a lightning bolt
• One eye looking left, the other straight at the viewer
• A zigzag mouth that stretches across the whole face
• A patchwork forehead filled with patterns
• Hair made of rectangles and circles
• Eyebrows shaped like triangles
• A nose made of a spiral or cube
• Two different ears drawn from different angles

2. Cubist Musical Instrument

Sketch a guitar or violin and break it into triangles, ovals, and rectangles. Add patterns like stripes or polka dots. Also, you could try one of these Cubist Drawing Ideas:

• A saxophone with swirls of sound
• A broken piano with overlapping keys
• A colorful accordion bent at sharp angles
• A violin with double necks and geometric strings
• A trumpet with zigzag sound waves
• A floating drum set in separate shapes
• Sheet music turned into cubes and symbols
• A record player with a square record
• A harp made of triangles and stars
• A banjo with checkerboard patterns. Add patterns like stripes or polka dots.

3. Still Life with Fruit

Draw a bowl of apples, bananas, and grapes. Then, divide the shapes with diagonal lines and color each piece differently. Or you try one of these:

• An apple sliced into triangles
• A banana peeled into rectangles
• A fruit bowl floating in pieces
• A sliced watermelon with bold patterns
• Grapes drawn as circles with zigzag shadows
• A tablecloth made of cubes and waves
• A knife and spoon twisted through the fruit
• Lemons shown from above and the side
• Fruit falling from the sky in broken shapes
• A bold background of checkered blue and orange. Then, divide the shapes with diagonal lines and color each piece differently

4. Cubist Animal Drawing

Try a cat, dog, or bird drawn with sharp corners, mixed views, and a patchwork of color blocks. Or one of these ten Cubist Drawing Ideas:

• A cat with two tails and eyes in different places
• A bird flying sideways and forward at the same time
• A dog split into colorful blocks
• A fish with cube-shaped scales
• A horse made of rectangles and zigzags
• A butterfly with mismatched wings
• A lion with a spiky mane made of triangles
• A snake twisting through cube-shaped grass
• An owl with one round and one square eye
• A fox with a spiraled body and star-shaped nose, mixed views, and a patchwork of color blocks

5. Cubist Cityscape

Draw buildings with slanted rooftops, uneven windows, and overlapping angles. Add bright colors and textures to make it pop. Here are ten more Cubism Drawing Ideas to explore:

• Skyscrapers twisted into spirals
• A skyline reflected in jagged water
• Buildings floating in colorful boxes
• Windows that overlap and change size
• A street seen from above and the side
• Trees made of triangle leaves and square trunks
• Streetlights glowing in different directions
• Roads bending into geometric curves
• Rooftops turned into checkerboards
• A Cubist moon or sun rising over the city, uneven windows, and overlapping angles. Add bright colors and textures to make it pop.

6. Abstract Self-Portrait

Use only shapes and colors to describe how you feel. No rules, just emotion and imagination.

• Blue circles for calm, red triangles for energy
• A stormy swirl to show confusion
• Bright sunbursts for happiness
• A square heart surrounded by lightning lines
• A split face with two moods
• Wild zigzags for excitement
• Soft curved lines in your favorite colors
• Eyes shaped like stars and moons
• A brain made of puzzle pieces
• A background full of question marks or exclamation points.

You can also visit my article about 30 Self Portrait Drawing Ideas to Express Yourself Like Never Before!

7. Cubist Nature Scene

Break a tree, the sun, and the mountains into flat geometric shapes. Use a limited color palette for a bold effect. Your next Drawing Project can also be one of these ideas:

• A sun made of layered triangles
• A mountain with striped shadows
• A tree with rectangular leaves and spiral bark
• A river flowing in zigzag lines
• Clouds drawn as broken ovals
• A flower split into shards of color
• Grass as rows of angled green shapes
• A campsite with a cube-shaped tent
• A forest from both top and side views
• An animal walking through a fractured forest. Use a limited color palette for a bold effect.

8. Mixed Media Collage

Cut shapes from magazines, arrange them into a Cubist-style image, and glue them down for a fun 3D look. Here are ten more ideas for your mixed media collage:

• Magazine eyes and noses on a Cubist face
• Different colored papers for buildings
• Maps torn and used as clothing or backgrounds
• Old photos cut into stripes and rearranged
• Newspaper text layered into a sky
• Fabric or ribbon as a texture in the scene
• Painted paper scraps as Cubist fruit
• Color swatches forming a guitar or violin
• Stamps and stickers turned into windows
• Collage letters spelling a broken word, arrange them into a Cubist-style image, and glue them down for a fun 3D look.

9. Favorite Toy in Cubist Style

Take a stuffed animal, game controller, or bike and break it into quirky angles and colorful chunks. Maybe one of these ideas is also a great fit for you sketchbook:

• A teddy bear with square arms
• A spinning top shown from three sides
• A bike with triangular wheels and split handlebars
• A game controller with mismatched buttons
• A LEGO build seen from above and the side
• A puzzle scattered into bold patterns
• A toy truck with glowing cube headlights
• A bouncing ball made of jagged lines
• A robot toy with spiky gears and open panels
• A dollhouse shown cut open in geometric layers and break it into quirky angles and colorful chunks.

10. Cubism-Inspired Letters

Choose your name or a fun word and draw each letter with angles, twists, and intersecting lines. Color each section differently. Maybe it’s a great idea for the next Birthday Card (also, you can take a look here for more Easy Birthday Card Drawing Ideas For Heartfelt Cards 2024):

• Letters filled with mosaic patterns
• Tilted and layered characters
• Words with broken, scattered pieces
• Bold lines intersecting each letter
• Colors changing halfway through each shape
• Overlapping letters in different views
• One word drawn in cubes, another in curves
• A name with stripes and dots in each part
• Shadows and highlights drawn in angles
• Letters that form a picture when combined and draw each letter with angles, twists, and intersecting lines. Color each section differently.

Pro Tips for Beginner Cubism Drawings

• Don’t erase too much. Mistakes can add character
• Use a mirror to see your subject in a new way
• Cut up photos and glue them down to create collage-style Cubism
• Try black and white first, then add color later

FAQ: How to Create Cubism Drawings

Ready to Try Your First Cubist Drawing?

Get out your pencils and start breaking the rules (in a good way). Use these tips on how to create Cubism drawings to spark your creativity. Don’t forget to follow my Pinterest board for art inspiration, explore more drawing tutorials on the blog, and share your artwork in the comments!