How to Draw C-3PO
Use the video and step-by-step drawing instructions below to learn how to draw C-3PO, the humanoid protocol droid from the Star Wars movies. A new drawing tutorial is uploaded every week, so stay tooned!
Intro: Start off with a pencil sketch. In the beginning stages, don’t press down too hard. Use light, smooth strokes for sketching.
Step 1: Start with a big circle near the top of the page. It doesn't have to be perfect. It's just a guide for the top part of C-3PO's head. Leave enough room under it for the lower part of the head.
Step 2: Next, draw a long U-shaped line under the circle as a guide for C-3PO's jaw and chin section. Both shapes together form the guide for the entire head.
Step 3: Draw a vertical line that splits these two shapes in half. This will be a construction line that will help you place C-3PO's facial features later on. Under the head shape, draw two small lines as guides for the neck.
Step 4: Inside the circle, on either side of the vertical construction line, draw two small circles as guides for C-3PO's eyes. The circles should be placed near the bottom of the main circle and near the edges.
Step 5: That’s it for the initial sketch! You have the basic shape of C-3PO, the humanoid protocol droid from Star Wars. Now go in and tighten your drawing. From this point on, press harder with your pencil in order to get darker lines and a more defined sketch.
Step 6: Darken the edges of the smaller circles to create C-3PO's eyes. Inside each eye, draw a big dot for his pupil-like sensors. If you're having a hard time drawing the circles for the eyes, trace the outside edge of a bottle cap or any other circular object of the correct size.
Step 7: Draw a series of vertical lines inside each eye, which act like a protective barrier for C-3PO's fragile eyes. About five lines work well in each eye.
Step 8: Draw a few curved lines around C-3PO's eyes for extra detail. These lines represent the curved metal that is bent around the eyes.
Step 9: Right under the main circle you drew in step 1, draw a line that shaped like an upside-down letter V for C-3PO's nose. Draw another line under each eye for more detail on the metal.
Step 10: Under C-3PO's nose, right in the middle of the U shape that makes up the jaw and chin, draw a small rectangle as a guide for the mouth. Draw a line on either side of the rectangle that stretches to the edges of the head for more detail.
Step 11: Use both the initial circle and U-shaped line as a guide to draw C-3PO's head shape. Follow the basic path as you darken the line. Make the bottom of the shape a bit more flat and add a couple of lines at the bottom to form somewhat of a chin. Draw a tiny circle just above C-3PO's head.
Step 12: Draw a line that goes all around C-3PO's head for the outer edge of the metal. Along the sides of the head, make the line stick out a bit more in different places.
Step 13: On the lower sides of the head, below the lines near the mouth, draw a couple of curved lines that make up the big bolts that are holding C-3PO's head to his neck. Use the two small vertical lines as guides to draw the rest of the neck. Connect the lines with a long, curved line to form bottom of C-3PO's neck.
Step 14: That’s it! You now have a nice sketch of C-3PO. You can stop at this quick drawing for a rough, sketchy look or go for a more finished look by continuing to the step below.
Step 15: For a more finished, inked look, carefully draw over the final sketch lines with a pen or marker. Wait for the ink to dry, and then get rid of every pencil mark with an eraser. You now have a finished inked drawing of C-3PO! You can stop here or go to the final step to complete your 3PO drawing.
Step 16: For a completely finished 3PO drawing, you have to color it. You can use markers, color pencils or even crayons! C-3PO is a metallic golden color, so just use yellow all over the head. You can leave a portion of the head blank to represent glare on the metallic surface. You can also use brown on the sides for a rounder, more three-dimensional look. That’s it! You now have a completed drawing of C-3PO, the humanoid protocol droid from the Star Wars movies.
