Easy Wizard Drawing: Robe, Hat, and Staff Construction

Object Drawing Lessons

This guide teaches a reliable way to draw an easy wizard figure by building it from three basic shapes: a trapezoid robe, a cone hat, and a straight staff. You will place the staff first, then the robe, then the hat and arms, so the figure stays balanced. The method uses simple proportions you can measure with a ruler or by eye. A defined convention keeps the drawing checkable: the figure stands upright, the hat points up, and the staff is vertical. Letter styles and small details may vary, but the construction order and shape relationships stay consistent. Each step includes a quick check so you can correct the drawing before adding details. The practice tasks are self-contained and use only the instructions here.

Practice materials: Printable downloads are not available for this lesson yet. Use the instructions and four exercises below.

Set the staff line and ground line

Begin with a vertical staff line. Choose a total figure height of about 12 cm on paper; this is a hypothetical example, so measure your own paper and adjust. The staff should be slightly taller than the figure, so make the staff line about 13 cm. Draw it straight up and down on the left or right side of the page, leaving room for the robe on the other side.

Add a light horizontal ground line at the bottom of the staff. The robe hem will sit on this line. Mark a small dot where the staff meets the ground; this is the staff base. Check that the staff line is truly vertical by comparing it to the edge of your paper.

1. Draw a vertical line about 13 cm long for the staff.
2. Draw a horizontal ground line at the bottom of the staff.
3. Mark the staff base where the two lines meet.
4. Check verticality against the paper edge.

Build the robe as a trapezoid

The robe is a trapezoid: a wide hem at the bottom and a narrower shoulder line at the top. On the ground line, mark a hem width of about 6 cm, centered so the staff sits just outside the robe. This 6 cm is a hypothetical example; keep the hem wider than the shoulders. Draw two slanted sides from the hem up to a shoulder line about 7 cm above the ground. The shoulder width should be about 3 cm, centered over the hem.

Close the trapezoid with a straight shoulder line. The robe silhouette is now a simple trapezoid. Add three short fold lines near the hem: draw them as slight diagonal lines from the hem upward, about 1 cm long, spaced evenly. These fold lines suggest fabric without changing the silhouette. Check that the hem is wider than the shoulders and that the staff stands outside the robe.

1. Mark a hem width of about 6 cm on the ground line.
2. Draw slanted sides up to a shoulder line about 7 cm above the ground.
3. Make the shoulder width about 3 cm, centered over the hem.
4. Close the trapezoid with a straight shoulder line.
5. Add three short diagonal fold lines near the hem.

Place the cone hat and arms

The hat is a cone sitting on the shoulder line. Draw an oval or slight curve for the hat brim, about 4 cm wide, centered on the shoulders. From the brim, draw two lines that meet at a point about 5 cm above the brim. This makes a tall cone. The hat point should be above the center of the robe, not tilted far to one side.

Add two simple arms. The staff-side arm reaches toward the staff: draw a short line from the shoulder to the staff at about chest height, then a small hand shape as a circle or oval around the staff. The other arm hangs down along the robe side, drawn as a short line from the shoulder to about mid-robe. Check that the staff-side hand touches the staff and that the hanging arm stays close to the robe.

1. Draw a hat brim about 4 cm wide, centered on the shoulders.
2. Draw two lines from the brim meeting at a point about 5 cm above.
3. Draw the staff-side arm from shoulder to staff at chest height.
4. Add a small hand shape around the staff.
5. Draw the other arm hanging down along the robe side.

Check proportions and finish

Review the whole figure against the convention: upright stance, vertical staff, cone hat pointing up, trapezoid robe with a wider hem, and arms placed at shoulder level. Use a ruler to compare the hem width and shoulder width; the hem should be clearly wider. Check that the hat point is above the center of the shoulder line.

If a proportion looks off, adjust the slanted robe sides or the hat height before adding any extra detail. Keep details minimal: the fold lines at the hem and the hand shape are enough. A valid alternative is to place the staff on the right instead of the left, as long as the staff-side arm reaches it and the figure stays balanced. Another valid alternative is a slightly shorter or taller hat, provided the cone shape is clear.

1. Compare hem width to shoulder width; hem should be wider.
2. Check that the staff is vertical and outside the robe.
3. Check that the hat point is above the shoulder center.
4. Adjust slanted sides or hat height if needed.
5. Keep details minimal and consistent with the convention.

Worked example

Draw a wizard with a 12 cm figure height, a staff 13 cm tall, a robe hem 6 cm wide, shoulders 3 cm wide, and a hat cone 5 cm tall. Place the staff on the left.

Four practice exercises

Common mistakes

• Drawing the robe as a rectangle with equal top and bottom widths. Make the hem clearly wider than the shoulders so the trapezoid shape reads as a robe.
• Placing the staff through the middle of the robe. Move the staff line outside the robe silhouette and have the staff-side arm reach it.
• Tilting the hat point far to one side. Center the hat point above the shoulder line so the cone reads as upright.
• Making the arms too long or too short. Start arms at the shoulder line; the staff-side hand should meet the staff at about chest height, and the hanging arm should end near mid-robe.

Self-check rubric

• Staff is vertical and stands outside the robe silhouette.
• Robe is a trapezoid with a hem clearly wider than the shoulders.
• Hat is a cone with a brim and a point above the shoulder center.
• Staff-side arm reaches the staff; the other arm hangs along the robe.
• Three short fold lines appear near the hem without changing the silhouette.
• Figure is upright and balanced; valid alternatives such as staff on the right are accepted.

Questions and answers