Would you like to learn how to draw an anchor? This easy, step-by-step cartoon drawing tutorial can help you draw this enduring symbol and naval tool.
"Anchors aweigh, my boys, anchors aweigh.
Farewell to foreign shores, we sail at break of day, of day.
Through our last night ashore, drink to the foam.
Until we meet again, here's wishing you a happy voyage home."
- "Anchors Aweigh," Song of the U.S. Navy
Anchors are used to keep boats or ships in place. They are heavy devices, usually made of metal or stone, that attach the boat to the seabed or riverbed.
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Anchors have been in use for thousands of years. Early anchors for small boats were sometimes baskets of rocks or bags of sand.
The weighted item utilized friction to hold the boat in place. Today, large boats use anchors with teeth called flukes that dig into the seafloor.
Did you know? The maxim "anchors away" is actually spelled "anchors aweigh." "Aweigh" means "just free of the bottom." So, the term doesn't mean that the anchor is tossed away from the boat. Rather, it refers to the anchor being lifted so the boat can travel on!
If you liked this tutorial, see also the following drawing guides: Kayak, Sailboat, and Canoe.
Step-by-Step Instructions for Drawing an Anchor
1. Begin by drawing the outline of the anchor. Draw a long curved line with a partial circle at its top, forming a "j" shape. The circle forms the ring at the top of the anchor to which the rope or chain is attached.
The curved line outlines the side of the shank or central shaft as well as the top of the arm, the anchor's horizontal portion.
2. From the top of the arm, extend a curved line to form the bottom of the anchor. Draw another curved line to form the bottom of the opposite side. The lines should connect at a downward-facing point. This is called the anchor's crown.
3. Complete the outline of the shank and arm using a long curved line. Draw a circle in the center of the ring at the top of the anchor.
4. Draw parallel horizontal lines across the shank and erase between them. On one end, connect the lines by drawing a small rectangle with rounded corners.
Enclose another rectangle shape beside it using a curved line. This forms the stock, the anchor's upper horizontal bar.
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5. Draw a rectangle with curved corners to connect the lines on the opposite side. Then, enclose a rectangular shape on its outer side using a curved line. Next, sketch a curved triangle around the tip of one arm. This is called the fluke.
6. Draw the triangular fluke around the tip of the remaining arm. Then, draw a straight, vertical line down the shank of the anchor and a curved line across one of the arms.
7. Draw a long curved line down the remaining arm and two short curved lines above the crown. Then, begin drawing the rope twined around the anchor.
Begin the long, curved line at the point where the shank meets the stock. Curve the "S" shaped line through the ring, across the stock and shank, and let it disappear behind the anchor.
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8. Draw another curved line parallel to the first. Extend two curved lines opposite where the line disappears behind the shank and across the arm. Connect them with a short zig-zag line. Erase between the long lines to complete the rope.
9. Texture the rope with many short curved lines.
Color your cartoon anchor. Typically, the anchor is gray and the rope is brown in color.
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The Complete Anchor Drawing Tutorial in One Image
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