How to Draw a Bank Vault: Easy 10-Step Guide for Kids

Ready to protect your treasures? This tutorial is perfect for young artists ages 6+ looking to practice 3D shapes and perspective. You will need a pencil, an eraser, and a black marker to bring this heavy-duty vault to life. Let’s build a masterpiece!

10 Steps

🎯 Final Result

A finished, colorful drawing of a secure bank vault filled with gold.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Sketching the Vault Body

An irregular hexagon outline representing the front and side view of a bank vault.

Begin by outlining the main shape of the vault. Use six straight or slightly curved lines to create a large, irregular hexagon. Teacher's Tip: Keep your pencil pressure light here; this is just the foundation for your 3D structure.

Step 2: Defining the Door and Hinges

A rectangular door drawn inside the vault shape with two hinge rectangles on the side.

Draw a large rectangle inside the hexagon to form the vault door. Add two smaller rectangles with rounded corners overlapping the vertical edge. Teacher's Tip: These are your hinges—make sure they align perfectly with the door edge.

Step 3: Adding Hinges and the Lock

Cylindrical hinges on the door and three concentric circles forming the vault lock.

Add a curved line across the top and bottom of your hinges to give them a 3D cylindrical look. Near the top of the door, draw three nested circles for the lock. Teacher's Tip: Use a coin or a small circular object as a stencil if you struggle to get perfect circles.

Step 4: Sketching the Handle

A vault handle created with U-shaped lines and a circular base.

Draw the vault's opening handle. Sketch two 'U' shaped lines at diagonal angles, then place a circle behind them. Teacher's Tip: The 'U' shapes should look like the spokes of a wheel.

Step 5: Adding Handle Spokes

Detailed vault handle spokes enclosed in a circular frame.

Use curved lines to draw the spokes of the knob on the opposite side. Enclose them within a large circle. Teacher's Tip: Ensure the spokes are evenly spaced to make the handle look balanced.

Step 6: Refining the Knob

Refined vault knob with concentric circles and spoke details.

Draw a larger circle around the knob and a smaller one inside, partially hidden by the spokes. Teacher's Tip: This layering effect adds depth to your drawing.

Step 7: Creating the Interior

Open vault door revealing stacks of gold bars or money inside.

Erase a portion of the bottom outline to create an opening. Sketch a 3D rectangular shape inside. Divide the front into rectangles to represent stacks of money or gold bars. Teacher's Tip: Use a ruler if you find it hard to keep your lines straight.

Step 8: Adding More Treasure

Additional gold bar added to the stack inside the vault.

Add another gold bar on top of the stack. Draw it as a 3D cube using straight lines for the front and side, connected by an 'L' shaped line. Teacher's Tip: Think of this as drawing a simple box.

Step 9: Adding Texture

Gold bars with added texture lines for a metallic effect.

Add texture to the sides of your gold bars using short, straight lines. Teacher's Tip: This small detail makes the bars look shiny and metallic.

Step 10: Final Coloring

A fully colored bank vault with grey metal and gold bars inside.

Color your vault in shades of grey to mimic heavy steel. Use bright green for cash or yellow for gold bars. Teacher's Tip: Use a darker grey for the shadows on the inside of the vault to create a sense of depth.