Cinco de Mayo means "fifth of May" in the Spanish language. Not surprisingly, then, the holiday is celebrated on May 5 each year. What is this holiday about?
Cinco de Mayo was originally celebrated in parts of Mexico and the United States as the anniversary of the Battle of Puebla. This battle resulted in a victory over the French army in 1862. The battle became a symbol of Mexico's determination to resist domination by foreign countries.
Today, many immigrants from Mexico celebrate the holiday as a way of "encouraging pride in their Mexican heritage." Many Americans, food companies, and restaurant chains have adopted the holiday as an occasion to party.
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In this drawing guide, we feature the sombrero and maracas, two items iconic of Mexican culture. The sombrero is a wide brimmed hat made of felt or straw. Its name is derived from a word meaning "shade." Sombreros worn on special occasions are often decorated with bright colors and sparkling beads.
Maracas are musical rattles made from gourds filled with seeds, beans, beads, or small stones. The rhythm of the maracas is essential to several musical styles of South and Central America.
Are you ready to fiesta, or party? Doing so is easy when you use our simple, step-by-step drawing tutorial to help you craft your sombrero and a pair of maracas. All you will need is a pencil, an eraser, a sheet of paper, and something with which to color.
If you liked this tutorial, see also the following drawing guides: Fireworks, Cowboy Hat, and Guitar.
Step by Step Instructions for Drawing Cinco de Mayo
1. Begin by enclosing a curved shape, resembling a banana. This shape will form the bottom of the sombrero.
2. Enclose a slightly smaller banana shape inside the first. This forms the inner folds of the hat's brim, giving it dimension.
3. Extend a long, curved line downward from the brim of the hat, then curve it around to follow the shape of the brim. Attach the line to the brim on the opposite side. You've just enclosed the front of the hat's brim.
4. From the interior of the brim, draw a long, curved line, upwards. Curve the line back down, enclosing an irregular shape. This forms the crown, the raised central portion of the hat.
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5. Erase guide lines from the crown, leaving a clean outline of the sombrero.
6. Decorate your sombrero with interesting patterns. Use a series of connected, curved lines to form a wave-like pattern on the front of the brim. Draw a similar pattern at the bottom of the crown, and add an encircling curved line just above it.
7. Begin to outline your maracas. Begin by drawing an oval or egg shape, but leave the line unconnected at the bottom. Extend another curved line downward from the opening. Double it back upon itself to enclose the figure.
8. Draw the second maraca behind and at an angle to the first. Again, begin with an egg shape, but leave it open at the bottom. Extend two curved lines from the opening, to connect with the handle of the first maraca. Complete the second maraca's handle be enclosing a small, rounded shape on the opposite side.
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9. Decorate your maracas. Draw pairs of curved, parallel lines across both the rattle and the handle. Draw a set of parallel zigzag lines as well. Draw small circles between some of the lines.
10. Color your maracas and sombrero. These items are often brightly colored, so be creative.
Don't let the party stop there! Check out our other fun drawing guides, including a cowboy hat, fireworks, and two different types of guitars.
Scroll down for a downloadable PDF of this tutorial.
The Complete Cinco De Mayo Drawing Tutorial in One Image
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