Broken Glass Drawing: Step-by-Step Tutorial & Easy Ideas
Want to draw a broken glass that actually looks right? Start with a few basic boxes and cylinders and build from there. This page covers the full process — nine steps from first line to finished drawing — followed by broken glass drawing ideas in every style: easy, cute, realistic, and a few you probably haven't tried.
- Difficulty Easy
- Time ~12 min
- Tools Pencil, eraser, paper
- Starts with a few basic boxes and cylinders
How to Draw a Broken Glass Step by Step
Step 1 of 9
Pane and hole
Draw a large light square in the upper middle of the page for the window pane, then a small light circle inside it for the impact hole.
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Pane and hole
Draw a large light square in the upper middle of the page for the window pane, then a small light circle inside it for the impact hole.
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Frame and hole
Trace a thick border on the square for the pane frame, then trace a jagged star-shaped hole on the small circle.
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Main cracks
Draw six long jagged crack lines shooting out from the hole to the edges of the pane.
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Ring cracks
Add two jagged ring-shaped cracks circling the hole, broken into short curved arcs.
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Small cracks
Add several short branching cracks coming off the main crack lines.
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Loose shards
Draw two triangular loose glass shards resting below the pane.
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Shard cracks
Add one short crack line across each loose shard.
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Ink the lines
Go over every kept line with dark ink, then erase the two light guide shapes.
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Color the glass
Fill the pane and shards pale icy blue, the frame dark gray, and leave the hole and cracks white with dark outlines.
Broken Glass Drawing Ideas to Try Next
Once the basic broken glass clicks, run it through these variations — each one practices a different skill while staying on a subject you already know.
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A broken glass pattern sheet
Fill a page with the broken glass at different angles and sizes — sticker-sheet style.
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A tiny broken glass on a big empty page
Miniature drawing with deliberate negative space — composition as the artwork.
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A broken glass as a tiny house
Add a door and windows to the broken glass as if someone tiny lives inside it.
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A worn, well-loved broken glass
Add scratches, patches, and history — aged objects have stories new ones don't.
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Cross-hatched vintage broken glass
Render it in old-encyclopedia pen style: outlines plus patient parallel hatching.
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An exploded view of a broken glass
Separate the parts in mid-air like an instruction manual — deeply satisfying to draw and read.
Tips for Better Broken Glass Drawings
- A contact shadow grounds everything: a soft dark pool where the object meets the surface is the difference between sitting and floating.
- Find the object’s basic solids first (box, cylinder, sphere) and get their proportions right before any detail — detail on wrong proportions is wasted work.
Not feeling the broken glass today?
Let the generator pick your next subject — filtered by mood and difficulty.
🎲 Random Drawing GeneratorBroken Glass Drawing FAQ
How do you draw a broken glass easily?
Start with a few basic boxes and cylinders, keeping your lines light. Refine the outline, add the defining details, then erase the construction shapes. The nine-step method above breaks this down — most people get a recognizable broken glass on their very first try with it.
How long does a broken glass drawing take?
A simple broken glass drawing takes about 12 minutes following this tutorial. A quick doodle version can be done in two or three minutes, while a detailed, fully-shaded study might take an hour. Speed comes with repetition — the second attempt is always faster than the first.
What do I need to draw a broken glass?
Just a pencil, an eraser, and any paper. An HB pencil for construction lines and a 2B for final outlines is a nice upgrade, and colored pencils or markers finish it off — but nothing on this page requires special supplies.
Is a broken glass easy to draw for beginners?
Yes — the broken glass is one of the friendlier subjects for beginners, and this method was written for first-timers. Kids can follow the same steps; just expect wobblier lines and more charm.
