A cape is a sleeveless garment that fastens at the neck. It often drapes over the shoulders, back, chest, and arms. Long capes are called cloaks and capes with hoods are known as chaperons.
Capes can be seen in art dating back thousands of years. In medieval and nineteenth-century Europe, capes were popular functional garments used to combat cold and rain. Today, some police forces and military units, most notably in Italy and France, still use capes as rainwear. Capes are also a part of some ceremonial religious garb.
In popular culture, capes are often associated with superheroes such as Superman and Batman. In the Disney film The Incredibles, capes were maligned as a hazard. Folk and literary characters such as Little Red Riding Hood, Dracula, and the Phantom of the Opera also wear capes. Needless to say, capes are also a part of modern cosplay.
Scroll down for a downloadable PDF of this tutorial.
Would you like to draw a mysterious cape? Now you can, with the help of this simple, step-by-step object drawing tutorial. All you will need is a pencil, pen, or marker and a sheet of paper.
If you liked this tutorial, see also the following drawing guides: Superman, Batman, and Boba Fett.
Step-by-Step Instructions for Drawing a Cape
1. Begin by drawing the collar of the cape. First, draw a curved triangle. Then, draw a second roughly triangular shape beside it. Connect them at the top using a curved line.
2. Draw another curved triangle to begin the other side of the collar. Draw a second, smaller triangle. Allow one of the lines of this triangle to extend past the point and double back upon itself. Connect the two shapes using a curved line.
3. Draw a long vertical line descending from the center of the collar.
4. Draw a second vertical line roughly parallel to the first.
MORE DRAWING TUTORIALS:
5. Draw three curved lines just below the collar, erasing as necessary. Allow them to meet at a gentle point on each end.
6. Draw a long, curved line descending from one side of the collar. This outlines the side of the cape. Draw long, curved lines between the edge of the cape and its center to indicated folds in the fabric.
7. On the opposite side, draw a long, curved line descending from the collar, forming the opposite edge. Then, use long, curved lines to indicate folds in the fabric.
8. Draw a wavy line connecting the edge of the cape with the lines in its center. This forms the bottom of the cape. Use additional curved lines to indicate folds in the fabric.
MORE DRAWING TUTORIALS:
9. Draw a wavy line to connect the remaining side, fully enclosing the shape of the cape. Use curved lines to form folds in the fabric. Connect the central vertical lines with a short, straight line.
Color your cape.
But, who is wearing this mysterious cape? It is Little Red Riding Hood? A Jedi Knight? A mysterious visitor? Learn to draw a complete character or create your own with the help of our people drawing guides.
Scroll down for a downloadable PDF of this tutorial.
The Complete Cape Drawing Tutorial in One Image
Printable Drawing Tutorial
This printable is for members only. Join now!
Learn how to get access to thousands of printable pages!
MEMBER TROUBLESHOOTING
Still seeing ads or not being able to download the PDF?
First, check that you're logged in. You can log in on the member login page.
If you're still not able to download the PDF, the likely solution is to reload the page.
You can do this by clicking the browser reload button.
It is a circular arrow-shaped icon at the top of the browser window, typically found in the upper-left side (you can also use keyboard shortcuts: Ctrl+R on PC and Command+R on Mac).
