Learn how to draw Ellen Ripley, the main character of the Alien film series and one of the most iconic female characters in cinema history.

How to Draw Ellen Ripley: Introduction

If you often read my articles on drawing movie characters or other works of art, you are likely familiar with the method we will use in this lesson on drawing Ellen Ripley. We used this method to draw Terminator and other recognizable characters. If you are not familiar, let me introduce it to you.

This method involves taking a familiar image, in this case, Ellen Ripley, identifying the most noticeable features of the character, and simplifying the entire drawing. The process exaggerates or highlights the most important details to make the image very recognizable.

For example, Ellen Ripley is easily recognizable by her characteristic hairstyle and distinctive clothing. Even these simple features, drawn correctly, are enough to make the image recognizable.

In this lesson, I will show you how to draw Ellen Ripley in a simplified style. However, if this style feels too simple for you, or if you have already studied this lesson and want a more advanced challenge, do not worry. At the end of the lesson, I will share simple yet effective techniques to make your drawing of Ellen Ripley more realistic and detailed.

Ellen Ripley Drawing Tutorial

Materials

Pencil
Paper
Eraser
Coloring supplies

Time needed: 45 minutes

How to Draw Ellen Ripley

Sketch the shapes of the head and torso.
Use a large oval to represent the head of Ellen Ripley, placing it slightly toward the top of your paper. For the torso of the character, draw a smaller, slightly elongated shape beneath the head. The shape of the body oval should resemble a bean, pear, or a rounded hourglass.
Add the facial features.
Sketch Ellen Ripley’s facial features, keeping them simple yet recognizable. First, draw the eyes of Ellen Ripley as two simple ovals or circles. For her nose, use a vertical oval or a tiny curved line in the center between the eyes. Add a simple curved line for her mouth and two ovals for the eyebrows.
Draw the hair of Ellen Ripley.
Ellen Ripley’s hair is one of her most defining features, so this step is important. Start at the top of her head and use wavy, bouncy lines to create her thick, curly hairstyle. Draw the curls outward and downward, framing her face. Ensure the curls are uneven and natural-looking.
Detail the upper part of the jumpsuit.
Draw the upper part of Ellen Ripley’s outfit by adding the collar of her jumpsuit. Use two slightly curved lines around the neck to form a V-shaped collar. Next, draw a vertical line down the center of the torso to represent the zipper of the jumpsuit. Add a small horizontal rectangle for the pocket.
Add Ellen Ripley’s arms.
Now, draw the arms extending from the shoulders of Ellen Ripley’s torso. Draw two straight, slightly tapered lines for each arm. Then, draw the hands with small rounded shapes. Position her arms slightly outward to give the character an active pose.
Draw the legs of Ellen Ripley.
Next, add Ellen Ripley’s legs, starting at the bottom of her torso. Use two long, slightly tapered shapes to represent the pant legs of her For her feet, draw small, oval-shaped shoes at the bottom of the legs. Keep the legs simple and symmetrical.
Detail the jumpsuit of the character.
Focus on adding additional details to Ellen Ripley’s jumpsuit to make her outfit more realistic. Draw two curved lines around the elbows to indicate the sleeves. Then, add small rectangular shapes on each pant leg to represent the pockets.
Finalize the drawing of Ellen Ripley.
Go over the entire Ellen Ripley drawing to refine and finalize the lines. Erase any unnecessary guidelines or rough parts, making the lines clean and smooth. Pay close attention to the details in the hair, facial features, and jumpsuit. Double-check that all the features are symmetrical and polished.
Add colors to the drawing.
Use a dark brown shade for her thick, curly hair and a light skin tone for her face. For the jumpsuit, apply a green shade to match her signature outfit from the films. You can add lighter tones to the pockets and subtle highlights for more realism. If desired, include some light shadows.

Advanced Techniques

To improve your drawing of Ellen Ripley with advanced techniques, start by adding shadows and highlights. Use darker tones to define areas like the folds and creases in the jumpsuit and lighter tones to highlight raised sections, such as her hair or facial features.

Refine the details of her clothing by adding textures, such as stitching or seams, and include additional elements like zippers, patches, or buttons. These details can make her jumpsuit look more intricate and closely resemble the outfit she wears in the movies.

Adjusting the body proportions can help make the Ellen Ripley drawing more realistic. Consider narrowing the waist, elongating the legs, or refining the arms and hands to reflect more natural human anatomy while maintaining the character’s recognizability.

Incorporate requisites, such as a gun or other objects associated with Ellen Ripley from the Alien films. These additions can make the character more recognizable and tie the drawing to her iconic scenes in the movies.

Finally, modify the facial features to add more realism. Focus on adding subtle contours to the face, refining the nose and lips, and giving more definition to the eyes and eyebrows.

Conclusion

This was a lesson on how to draw Ellen Ripley from the Alien movies. If you found the lesson interesting, consider subscribing to my social media accounts to stay updated on new lessons published on my site.

You can also check other lessons from the Movie category to learn how to draw recognizable characters in a simple style. Sharing these lessons with your friends will allow them to learn how to draw Ellen Ripley as well.