How to Draw Bean — Free Practice Sheets

Drawing a bean is a small exercise in observation: the outline curves unevenly, one side dips inward, and the surface looks smooth rather than flat. This page explains how to trace a reference outline, then practise the contour independently. You will learn to keep the kidney shape, thicken the outer edge, add an inner line that suggests roundness, and place two small oval dimples. Compare your finished drawing with the separate full reference sheet.

Start with the kidney outline

A bean's silhouette is not a circle or an oval. It is a curved shape with a concave indentation, usually on the upper left side. Begin by looking at the reference outline and finding that dip before you draw anything else. The dip controls the whole proportion: if it sits too high, the bean looks like a bent oval; if it sits too low, the shape loses its characteristic kidney curve.

Trace the reference outline first. Keep your pencil moving in one continuous line where possible, and let the curve change direction gradually. The lower edge should bulge outward, while the upper edge rises toward the indentation. Do not rush to add details; the outline is the foundation.

1. Locate the concave indentation on the upper left side of the reference.
2. Trace the outer curve in one continuous line, starting near the indentation.
3. Check that the lower edge bulges outward and the upper edge returns toward the dip.
4. Compare your traced outline with the reference before adding anything inside.

Build a thick outer contour and a smooth inner line

Once the outline is in place, add a thick outer contour line to define the bean's edge. This line is not a second shape; it is the same edge drawn with more weight. Keep the thickness even, and do not let it wander away from the original outline. A heavy, consistent edge makes the bean read as a solid object rather than a flat sketch.

Next, draw a smaller inner line that follows the outer contour. This line suggests a smooth, rounded surface. Leave a narrow gap between the inner line and the outer edge, and keep the gap roughly even around the shape. The inner line should echo the kidney curve, including the indentation, without crossing the outer contour.

1. Draw a thick outer contour directly over the traced outline.
2. Keep the line weight even around the whole edge.
3. Draw a smaller inner line that follows the outer contour at a narrow, even gap.
4. Check that the inner line echoes the indentation instead of cutting across it.

Place the two oval dimples

The bean's surface has two small oval dimples that indicate its characteristic spots. Place them on the interior surface, inside the inner line, not on the outer edge. Their position matters more than their exact size: they should sit apart from each other and away from the indentation, so the smooth surface remains visible around them.

Draw each dimple as a small oval with a soft edge. Avoid making them perfectly circular or identical; a bean's spots are slightly irregular. Keep them light so they read as surface marks rather than holes. When you finish, compare your drawing with the separate full reference sheet and check the kidney curve, the smooth contour, and the small dimple placement.

1. Choose two positions inside the inner line, apart from each other and away from the indentation.
2. Draw each dimple as a small, slightly irregular oval.
3. Keep the dimple lines light so they suggest surface marks.
4. Compare the finished drawing with the full reference sheet.

Check your work

• The outline shows a kidney curve with a concave indentation on the upper left side.
• The thick outer contour follows the traced outline with even weight.
• The smaller inner line echoes the outer contour at a narrow, even gap.
• Two small oval dimples sit on the interior surface, apart from each other and away from the indentation.
• The surface reads as smooth and rounded rather than flat or angular.

Worked example

bean: Trace the reference outline, then practise the contour independently. Compare with the separate full reference sheet.

Common mistakes

• Drawing a symmetrical oval instead of a kidney shape with a concave indentation. Find the dip on the upper left side first, then build the outline around it so the curve changes direction gradually.
• Letting the thick outer contour drift away from the traced outline. Draw the thick line directly over the original edge and keep its weight even around the whole shape.
• Placing the two oval dimples on the outer edge or too close together. Move both dimples inside the inner line, apart from each other and away from the indentation.

Questions and answers