How to Draw a Soccer Ball
A soccer ball may look simple at first, but its panel pattern takes some planning. In this tutorial on how to draw a soccer ball, you’ll practice placing straight-edged shapes across a curved surface.
Prepare to Draw a Soccer Ball
The outer circle is usually the hardest part for a beginner. It does not have to be exact, but a noticeably uneven outline can make the panel pattern look tilted.
The shapes inside the ball need less accuracy than you may expect. Their sides appear slightly different because the pattern follows the curved surface rather than lying flat.
Pay most attention to the spaces between the panels. If one shape becomes too large, the nearby sections will have little room left, and the pattern may feel crowded.
Soccer Ball Drawing Tutorial
Materials
- Pencil
- Paper
- Eraser
- Compass or circular object
- Coloring supplies (black)
Time needed: 30 minutes
How to draw a soccer ball step by step
- Outline the soccer ball.
Start with one large circle for the outer edge of the soccer ball. Draw it freehand, trace a circular object, or use a compass if you want a cleaner outline.
- Draw the first soccer ball panel.
Inside the upper part of the circle, sketch a five-sided panel. Use short straight lines and leave enough space between this pentagon and the ball’s outer edge.
- Add a panel on the left.
Extend several straight lines toward the left side of the ball and join them into another panel. Its outer side follows the circle, helping the pattern suggest a drawn three-dimensional sphere.
- Sketch the right soccer ball panel.
Repeat a similar group of straight lines on the right side. Place this panel across from the previous one, but allow small differences caused by the ball’s curved surface.
- Add the lower-left pentagon.
Move to the lower-left area and outline another five-sided panel. Connect its upper lines to the existing pattern and leave a small gap near the outer edge.
- Complete the central ball panel.
Use a curved line to close the lower part of the central panel. Let this line follow the direction of the soccer ball’s outline instead of making it completely straight.
- Finish the lower-right pentagon.
Close the panel in the lower-right section with one gently curved line. Join it to the nearby straight edges so this part of the soccer ball pattern is complete.
- Finish the soccer ball pattern.
Add the curved panel edge near the bottom of the ball. Complete the remaining gaps with short straight lines that connect the inner shapes to the outer circle.
- Color the soccer ball drawing.
Fill the selected pentagonal panels with solid black. Leave the surrounding sections white, and erase any stray pencil marks outside the ball’s main outline.
Soccer Ball Drawing Printables
I have prepared a free PDF with the soccer ball drawing steps in a shorter format. Save it on your device or print it when you want to practice away from the full page.
The printable also gives you space to repeat the panel pattern or test a different color design.
FAQs
The outer circle and the panel spacing usually cause the most questions in this drawing. These short answers may help if one part of your soccer ball does not look right.
- How many pentagons and hexagons are on a soccer ball? A traditional 32-panel soccer ball has 12 pentagons and 20 hexagons. You do not need to show every panel in a simple drawing because some are hidden on the far side.
- How can I draw straight lines without a ruler? Move the pencil toward yourself rather than pushing it away. For longer lines, you can also use the edge of a book or a piece of cardboard as a guide.
- Can I use colors other than black and white? Yes. Modern soccer balls use many color patterns, so you can replace the black panels with any color that remains clear against the lighter sections.
- My ball does not look circular. How can I fix it? Check the outer outline before changing the panels. Smooth any flat or narrow area, then adjust the nearby pattern so it follows the corrected edge.
- Do all the pentagons need to be the same size? They should be similar, but those near the outside may appear narrower because they follow the ball’s curved surface. Small differences will not spoil the drawing.
If the pattern looks crowded, erase only the nearest panel and make it a little smaller. There is usually no need to redraw the entire soccer ball.
Conclusion
The main challenge in this soccer ball drawing is fitting the panel pattern inside one clear circle. Slight differences between the inner shapes are fine because the curved surface changes how they appear.
To place the ball into a sports scene, you can continue by drawing a soccer player. Leave some open space near the feet so the ball does not become hidden by the figure.
For another circular subject, try drawing a golf ball. Its outline is simpler, but the small dimples require a different kind of spacing.
You can also practice a larger piece of sports equipment by drawing a basketball hoop. Straight supports and the oval rim provide a useful change after working with the soccer ball’s panel pattern.
