Scroll Drawing: Step-by-Step Tutorial & Easy Ideas
Want to draw a scroll 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 scroll 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 Scroll Step by Step
Step 1 of 9
Paper guide
Draw one tall light rectangle in the middle of the page for the unrolled paper.
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Paper guide
Draw one tall light rectangle in the middle of the page for the unrolled paper.
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Paper and top rod
Trace the paper outline, then draw a horizontal cylinder shape resting across the top edge.
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Bottom rod
Draw a matching horizontal cylinder shape resting across the bottom edge of the paper.
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Rolled edges
Add a short curled roll of paper just below the top rod and another just above the bottom rod.
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Writing lines and shadow
Draw five short horizontal lines in the middle of the paper, then a soft shadow line down its right edge.
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Hanging ribbon
Hang a narrow ribbon strip down from the middle of the top rod.
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Seal, caps and curl
Add a small round seal at the end of the ribbon, a small ball cap on each rod end, and a curled corner at the bottom right.
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Ink the lines
Go over every kept line with dark ink, then erase the light paper rectangle guide.
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Color the scroll
Fill the paper a warm tan, the rods brown, the ribbon red, and the seal gold.
Scroll Drawing Ideas to Try Next
Once the basic scroll 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 tiny scroll on a big empty page
Miniature drawing with deliberate negative space — composition as the artwork.
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A scroll pattern sheet
Fill a page with the scroll at different angles and sizes — sticker-sheet style.
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An exploded view of a scroll
Separate the parts in mid-air like an instruction manual — deeply satisfying to draw and read.
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Cross-hatched vintage scroll
Render it in old-encyclopedia pen style: outlines plus patient parallel hatching.
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A worn, well-loved scroll
Add scratches, patches, and history — aged objects have stories new ones don't.
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A scroll as a tiny house
Add a door and windows to the scroll as if someone tiny lives inside it.
Tips for Better Scroll 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 scroll today?
Let the generator pick your next subject — filtered by mood and difficulty.
🎲 Random Drawing GeneratorScroll Drawing FAQ
How do you draw a scroll 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 scroll on their very first try with it.
How long does a scroll drawing take?
A simple scroll 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 scroll?
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.
Can kids draw a scroll?
Yes — the scroll 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.
