Ravan is a prominent character in the ancient Indian story of the Ramayana. He is the ten-headed king of the demon race called Rakshasas and ruled over the kingdom of Lanka. Today, in this tutorial, we will learn to draw Ravan.
In India, Ravan is burnt in effigy during the festival of Dussehra (also known as Vijayadashami). This festival symbolises the victory of good over evil (Ravana). We will learn to draw a cartoon version of Ravan using the easiest step. By the end of this guide, you will fully learn to sketch Ravan perfectly. Let’s start our tutorial.
Art Materials & Equipment
- Drawing Paper – High-quality sketch pads you can buy in bulk at a great price.
- Colors of Your Choices
- Prismacolor Pencil Color – 150 Color set best for artists.
- Prismacolor Pencil Color – 72 Color set best for small artists.
- Pencil Color – 120 Color set for kids.
- Crayons – 64 Crayons set for Kids.
- Watercolor Paint – 100 Colors set.
- Acrylic Paint – 10 Brushes and 24 Colors Set.
- Pencil – Premium quality drawing pencil.
- Eraser – Premium quality drawing eraser.
- Sharpener – Premium quality drawing sharpener.
- Marker – We use it a lot in our tutorial.
- Pen – We use it a lot in our tutorial.
Note: All the above are Amazon affiliate links.
Steps To Draw Ravan
From the image below, we’ll guide you through sketching Ravana, the ten-headed king, one detail at a time. You’ll bring this iconic character to life on paper by following the instructions. Here’s a quick preview of today’s drawing tutorial.
Please follow the steps carefully to complete your sketch of Ravan successfully. This process is designed for both kids and beginners, so anyone can learn to draw Ravan with our simple guide.
Step 1: Sketch The Head and Helmet
Draw a small diamond-like shape with a curved bottom for the helmet shape. Create an oval shape beneath the helmet, keeping it smaller and proportional to the body. Then, again add an overlapping small rectangular shape on the top middle of the helmet for the details.
Step 2: Draw The Shoulders
Firstly, sketch the neck adding two parallel lines. Following the shape of the neck extend two slightly curved lines from each side to represent the shoulders.
Step 3: Refine The Upper Body
For the upper body, start by drawing a somewhat narrow rectangular shape just below the shoulders to represent the chest. Then, refine it by drawing two lines extending upward from the rectangle.
Step 4: Draw the Arms
For each arm, draw two curved lines that represent the sleeves. At the end of the left sleeve, draw a small fist as shown in the image below. For the right hand, draw a round shape to represent the holding of a shield.
Step 5: Sketch the Skirt-like Garment
Start by sketching a square-like figure extending from the bottom to represent Ravana’s traditional garment. Add a curved line at the bottom to create the hem, which will define the edge of his skirt. This step adds depth and reflects Ravan’s cultural attire.
Step 6: Add Legs and Shoes
Draw the legs extending down from the bottom of the attire. Make sure they are proportional to the body. Below the feet, sketch small crescent-like shapes to represent traditional footwear.
Step 7: Add Details To The Ravan’s Dress
Draw lines within the skirt to create folds or pleats, adding depth to the attire. Also, sketch two C-shaped curves on the shirt for added detail.
Step 8: Refine With Circles
In this step, sketch circular shapes into the belts and neck jewellery to enhance the overall design, adding more detail and depth to the attire.
Step 9: Draw Ravana’s Heads
Starting from the top of the helmet, draw five smaller oval shapes on the left side. We will simply follow the steps with the head to get the perfect shape.
Step 10: Add the Shape of The Head
Following the same process above, sketch four more oval shapes from the right side. This will complete the shape of the ten heads of Ravan.
Step 11: Draw The Shape of Helmet
To the left side of the head, sketch the helmet’s shape. The helmet is somehow shaped like a half diamond, as in the first step we followed.
Step 12: Right Side Helmet
Now, following the same step as 11, draw the shape of the helmet to all four heads on the right side, as shown in the image given.
Step 13: Add Details to The Shield
Next, add details to the shield in the right hand. Start by drawing a small circle in the center and then create a horizontal section as shown in the image.
Step 14: Draw the Sword
In Ravana’s left hand, add a sword by drawing a long, curved shape for the blade. Ensure the blade extends upwards to give a natural touch.
Step 15: Add Facial Features
Start by drawing his eyes, which can be slightly almond-shaped, with eyebrows above them to give expression. Add a well-defined curved mustache. Just below it, add the oval shape to represent the nose. Finally, include a wide smile to capture his character. Following the same process, sketch the facial features to the one of the right side head.
Step 16: Draw The Facial Details
Following the same process above, sketch the eyes, nose mustache, and the shape of the mouth of the two left-side heads. This will add a detailed look into the Ravan character.
Step 17: Facial Features
With the same process, add facial features in the third head towards the left and the second on the right side. In this process, you need to carefully add the details, as half of the face is covered with the sword.
Step 18: Add Facial Details
Draw facial features to the fourth head of the left side and the third to the right side following the same process above. The facial features must look the same as others to add a natural look.
Step 19: Complete Drawing The Facial Features
Now, add the final touches to the facial features of the last two heads, and complete the drawing process. Ensuring to include details of eyes, nose, mustache, and mouth. If you’ve missed any steps, take a moment to review them and ensure your drawing is perfect. Clean up the drawing by erasing any unnecessary lines and move to the coloring process.
Coloring The Ravan
After finishing the drawing process, we added some color to the drawing of Ravan. We have used pencil color, you can use any of your preferences like watercolor, crayons, and more.
Now, let’s color Ravana. For his skin tone, we have used skin color to reflect his character. For his eyes, apply a dark shade. Color his helmet in vibrant shades of gold or yellow to symbolize royalty.
For his traditional attire, uses bright orange and deep red to the border to highlight its cultural significance. Add yellow to the details of the clothes for intricate designs on the clothing to make it look bold. For the sword, use metallic gray for the blade, and a darker color for the hilt. Then, in the shield we used green and yellow colors. Finally to complete the look add brown color to the shoe of Ravan.
Color Details
- Cream/Skin Color
- Yellow
- Orange
- Red
- Gray
- Dark Gray
- Green
- Brown
Finally, we have also completed the coloring process. If you like, you can add any color as you wish to complete the process enjoying it fully.
Our ArtWork Is Ready
After carefully following each step, we have completed the drawing Ravan. We hope you enjoyed the both drawing and coloring process.
If you enjoy the whole process feel free to share your experiences with us. Hope to see you soon with another simple drawing tutorial. Also, feel free to suggest some new drawing ideas and tutorials. Enjoy the process and let your creativity shine!
