If you’re a Star Wars fan who dabbles in drawing, chances are you’ll eventually try your hand at drawing some of your favorite characters from a galaxy far, far away. In that case, you’ll probably be planning on including a lightsaber in your drawing as well.
Lightsabers are an iconic part of the Star Wars franchise and are one of the most well-known fictional weapons in film history. Including a detailed drawing of a lightsaber in your piece will simultaneously show off your art skills as well as your love of Star Wars.
If you don’t know how to draw a lightsaber, then don’t fret—this easy-to-follow guide will have you drawing crackling blades of energy in no time!
We’ve made this guide using this helpful YouTube video, so you can follow along with our in-depth steps as you watch: How to Draw a Lightsaber
Table of Contents
What Supplies Do I Need?
Drawing a lightsaber is relatively easy since it requires few supplies. Since the blade is all one color and the hilt is mostly made up of greys and blacks, you’ll most likely have all the drawing utensils necessary for drawing this awesome fictional weapon.
You’ll need:
- Fine-line or similar thin-tipped markers (in black as well as the color of the blade of the lightsaber)
- Colored pencils or markers (in black, grey, as well s the color of the blade of the lightsaber)
- A ruler or straight edge
So How Do I Draw a Lightsaber?
Just follow these simple steps:
Start With the Hilt
You’ll want to start by drawing the lightsaber’s hilt, or the base of the weapon where it is held. This will give you an idea of how long the blade of the lightsaber should be and the direction it should point. To draw the hilt:
1. Draw the basic rectangular shape of the hilt
The hilt is essentially a long, grey rectangle that is around 6 or 7 times longer than it is thick.
After drawing the outlines of the hilt with a fine-line marker, you can color the inside of the hilt a solid light grey with a marker or colored pencil.
2. Draw the handguard and pommel of the hilt
The handguard is the black trapezoid on the top of the hilt. It prevents the user’s hand from getting harmed by the lightsaber’s blade.
The handguard is slightly thicker than the body of the hilt. Its bottom base is about as long as the thickness of the hilt, while its top base is around twice the length of bottom base. After drawing these two parallel bases with a black fine-line marker, you can connect them and color the trapezoid black.
The pommel is the black rectangle on the bottom of the hilt. It is as thick as the handguard, but is very short. Use a black fine-line marker to draw this detail—for a smaller drawing, one or two strokes of the marker should be fine.
3. Add Details on the Hilt
Now that you’ve drawn the basic shape of the hilt, you can add all the details found on the casing.
To add a little extra touch, start by shading the hilt down one side. Do this by coloring the hilt parallel to its length, making one of its sides darker than the other and blending the colors out evenly.
Next, you can add the lines on the upper part of the pommel. Draw one thick line in the middle of the hilt, up to about a third of the hilt. This is best done with a fine line marker to ensure thin, solid lines.
Next, draw two more lines of the same length and thickness, except on either end of the pommel. Draw them on the outlines of the hilt so they protrude slightly and give a 3D effect.
Now you can add the buttons on the grip of the hilt. The first button is around halfway between the start of the handguard and the end of the pommel. It is one third of the length between these two parts of the lightsaber, and around half as thick as the hilt.
The second button is on the other side of the lightsaber, meaning it won’t be as visible as the first button. Draw it at the same height up the hilt as the first button, but as a line instead of a rectangle.
This button should be as long as the first button, but closer in thickness to the details on the pommel.
Draw the Blade of the Lightsaber
Now that you’ve drawn the hilt of the lightsaber, you’re ready to add the crackling blade of energy that protrudes from it. To draw the blade of the lightsaber:
1. Draw the Basic Shape of the Blade
The blade of a lightsaber is usually around three and a half times the hilt’s length, but is slightly thinner. The blade is the same thickness throughout its whole length but is rounded at the tip in a semicircular fashion.
Outlining the lightsaber’s blade is best done with a fine-line marker as it will help give it a striking outline when you add the light around the blade later on.
2. Draw the Light Around the Blade
Now you’re on the final stretch of drawing your lightsaber! When adding the light, remember only to color outside the outline of the blade.
Doing this will give the lightsaber a “white-hot” effect, making it look more realistic.
First, you’ll want to go around the outline of the blade with a colored pencil. This colored pencil should be the same color as the marker you used to draw the lightsaber’s blade.
Make small back-and-forth motions along the length of the lightsaber, until your outline is around as thick as the hilt of the weapon.
Once you’ve finished that, you can finish the glow effect by going around the outline you made again, but this time with lighter and longer strokes.
These strokes should end up covering an area around the same thickness as the blade of the lightsaber on either side. And just a heads up—don’t forget to add a glow around the tip as well!
Conclusion
No doubt, lightsabers are a big part of the Star Wars franchise, but drawing one might seem like a daunting task. Now that you’ve followed our guide, though, you’ll be able to draw a lightsaber in no time!