How to Draw a Roller Coaster: Easy 10-Step Guide

Ready to bring the thrill of the amusement park to your sketchbook? This tutorial is designed for young artists ages 7+ to practice perspective and structural drawing. You will need a pencil, an eraser, and a steady hand to create your own looping coaster track.

10 Steps

🎯 Final Result

A vibrant, finished drawing of a roller coaster with a car and passengers, ready for coloring.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Sketching the Track Base

Pencil sketch showing three sets of parallel curved lines forming the base of a roller coaster track.

Begin by sketching the base of your track using three sets of parallel, curved lines. Tip: Keep your pencil pressure light; these are just guidelines to help you map out the coaster's path.

Step 2: Extending the Track

Drawing showing the extension of the roller coaster track with intersecting curved lines.

Extend the track by adding more curved, parallel lines that meet at sharp points. Tip: If your lines overlap, use your eraser to clean up the intersections so the track looks like one continuous piece.

Step 3: Adding More Curves

Drawing showing additional curved track sections being added to the roller coaster.

Continue the track by adding three more sets of curved lines. Tip: Vary the height of your curves to make the coaster look more exciting and dynamic.

Step 4: Creating the Support Structure

Drawing showing V-shaped support beams added between the roller coaster track sections.

Draw pairs of straight, parallel lines between the track sections to form 'V' shapes. Tip: These represent the structural steel beams, so keep them straight and evenly spaced.

Step 5: Adding Vertical Supports

Drawing showing vertical support legs added to the base of the roller coaster.

Draw vertical legs extending from the track to the ground. Tip: Use a ruler if you want your supports to look perfectly straight and sturdy.

Step 6: Sketching the Coaster Car

Drawing showing the outline of a roller coaster car placed on the track.

Draw the outline of the coaster car sitting on the track. Tip: Focus on the rectangular shape of the car body first, then add the curved top.

Step 7: Adding Car Details

Drawing showing the addition of wheels, a safety bar, and car details.

Add the safety bar, wheels, and decorative details to the car. Tip: Draw the wheels as small circles tucked just beneath the car body to make them look realistic.

Step 8: Drawing the Passengers

Drawing showing two cartoon children riding in the roller coaster car.

Sketch two happy figures inside the car. Tip: Use simple shapes like ovals for heads and lines for arms to keep it manageable.

Step 9: Final Touches

Drawing showing the addition of headlights and motion lines to the roller coaster car.

Add headlights to the car and draw motion lines around it. Tip: Curved motion lines behind the car help create the illusion of speed.

Step 10: Coloring Your Coaster

Final colored drawing of a cartoon roller coaster with passengers.

Bring your drawing to life with bright colors! Tip: Use bold colors for the car and metallic grays or blues for the track to make it pop.