How to Draw Viking Boat — Free Practice Sheets

A Viking boat drawing is easiest to control when you build it in layers: the long shallow hull first, then the planking, mast, rigging, oar ports, and finally the curled posts at each end. The practice sheets let you trace, copy onto a grid, place the silhouette with a frame and center guide, or complete a partly blank drawing. Each version trains the same core skill: keeping the hull curve and the spacing of details consistent.

Start With the Hull Curve

The hull is the anchor of the whole drawing. Draw a long, shallow curve for the bottom of the boat, then close the shape with a gentler curve along the top edge. Keep the boat wider than it is tall so it reads as a longship rather than a round bowl.

Inside the hull, add several parallel curved lines that follow the outer shape. These suggest planking. Keep the gaps between lines fairly even, and let each line bend with the hull rather than running straight across it.

1. Draw a long shallow curve for the bottom of the hull.
2. Add a gentler top edge to close the hull shape.
3. Draw two or three parallel curved lines inside the hull for planking.
4. Check that the hull is longer than it is tall.

Add the Mast, Rigging, and Oar Ports

Place a tall central mast rising from the middle of the hull. Two diagonal rigging lines can run from near the top of the mast down to the hull, one on each side, giving the boat a balanced look.

Along the upper part of the hull, draw a row of five evenly spaced circles for oar ports. Space them by eye before drawing: mark five light positions first, then draw the circles. Even spacing matters more than perfect roundness.

1. Draw a vertical mast at the center of the hull.
2. Add two diagonal rigging lines from the mast down to the hull.
3. Mark five evenly spaced points along the upper hull.
4. Draw a circle at each point for the oar ports.

Finish the Prow, Stern, and Water

At both ends of the hull, add posts that curve upward and curl into a spiral. These curled ends are the feature that most clearly signals a Viking boat, so give them enough height to stand out above the hull.

Finish with a wavy water line beneath the boat. Keep the waves shallow so they support the drawing without competing with the hull. Compare your result with the separate full reference sheet and check the visible features and proportions rather than expecting a pixel-perfect match.

1. Draw an upward-curving post at the front of the hull.
2. Curl the top of the post into a spiral.
3. Repeat at the back of the hull.
4. Add a shallow wavy water line under the boat.

Check your work

• The hull is a long shallow curve, clearly wider than it is tall.
• Two or more parallel curved planking lines follow the hull shape with fairly even gaps.
• A tall central mast is present with two diagonal rigging lines running to the hull.
• Five circular oar ports sit in an evenly spaced row along the upper hull.
• Both ends of the hull have upward-curving posts that curl into visible spirals.
• A shallow wavy water line sits beneath the boat without overlapping the hull details.

Worked example

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

Common mistakes

• Drawing the hull too deep or too round, so the boat looks like a bowl. Flatten the bottom curve and lengthen the hull until it is clearly wider than it is tall.
• Spacing the five oar ports unevenly or in a drifting line. Mark five light points along the upper hull before drawing any circles, then check the gaps.
• Making the spiral posts too short to read as curled ends. Raise each post above the hull line and curl the tip inward so the spiral is visible.

Questions and answers