How to Draw A Shield. Warfare in the past was very different from what it is today. But just because the tools were a little less advanced back then didn’t mean they were any less deadly!
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History is full of devastating weapons; a good shield can often mean the difference between life and death.
They also come in many different shapes and sizes depending on the era and nation they are used in, and learning how to draw a shield is a great way to imagine what yours might look like! This is your guide if you are a fan of old shields and weapons.
How to Draw A Shield
Step 1
The piece we will draw in this is how to draw a shield guide that looks like a Viking shield.
These shields were often small and round, so in this first step, we’ll outline them.
To do this, it would be much easier if you use a tool like a compass to create the outer circle. Make sure you leave a small gap in the top right of the shield for reasons you’ll find out shortly!
Then finish by drawing two more circles in the center of the shield. Then go to step 2!
Step 2
Now we’ll start laying the groundwork for the final details of your shield design. First, draw another circle near the inner perimeter of the shield outline.
Then you’ll see why we left that gap in the outline, as you can use some jagged lines for a hole in the shield, presumably where a sword shattered it!
Next, we’ll draw a grid pattern using straight lines inside the outline of the shield.
Finally, you can draw a shape in the circular center of the sign to show how the light will illuminate it. You can copy the shape directly from the reference image to help you!
Step 3
In the third part of our guide to drawing a shield, you will add more details.
First, draw some slightly jagged lines on the center circle of the shield for some little notches from past battles. This shield has certainly been put to good use!
Finally, draw small black shapes around the perimeter of the central circle between it and the enclosing circle. These act as screws holding the shield together.
Step 4
That shield drawing of yours looks great! We’ll make it look even better in the next few steps with more details.
Let’s add more bolts you drew in the previous part. These go near the outer perimeter of the shield and all around.
Next, we’ll add some shading detail inside the center circle of the shield. These details consist of a thin line at the top and a thicker line at the bottom.
Finally, we’ll add more lines to the grid shape you started in a previous step to make it even more dynamic. So we’ll take care of the final details in the next step, so here we go!
Step 5
Before adding color to your image, we’ll add some final details and elements in this step of our how-to draw a shield guide.
You can do this by adding some small wavy lines on the part of the shield made from wood. This makes it look even woodier!
Then you can add some jagged lines in that area for even more chips and notches. Once you’ve added those details, you can add a few extra elements to top it off!
A fun idea would be to look up some Viking swords or axes and then draw one that goes with this shield. You can also create a background or draw someone holding their shield and ready for battle! Try these ideas, but get creative as you take this design further!
Step 6
This is the final part of your shield design, where you can finish it with some awesome colors.
In our reference image, we chose different shades of gray for the metal parts of the shield. Using different shades, you can make the metal look more realistic!
Similarly, we used more of a brown tone for the woodsy looks. Remember to color in the small bolts and nails too!
Once you’ve chosen all the colors you want to use, you must choose your artistic media.
Your Shield Drawing is Finished!