Draw Tortilla Chips with a Dip Bowl: Shape Variation and Composition

Object Drawing Lessons

This lesson teaches a repeatable method for drawing tortilla chips with a dip bowl. You will build a small shape plate of three chip variants, construct a dip bowl with an ellipse and side walls, then arrange chips around it inside a composition box. The focus is shape variation and placement, not shading realism or full still-life scenes. All measurements are hypothetical examples; measure your own paper and tools before drawing.

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

Build a chip shape plate

A shape plate is a practice row of the same object drawn in several valid forms. For tortilla chips, use three variants: triangle, curved, and broken-edge. Draw each variant at the same approximate size so you can compare silhouettes. Use light pencil lines first, then firm up the outline.

Triangle chips have three corners and slightly irregular edges. Curved chips bend along one side, so the opposite edge looks shorter. Broken-edge chips keep most of the triangle or curve but replace one corner with a jagged notch. None of these is the single correct chip; they are a defined set of valid alternatives.

1. Draw a horizontal baseline and mark three equal spaces about 4 cm wide (hypothetical example).
2. In space one, sketch a triangle with corners at roughly 60, 120, and 240 degrees; soften each corner with a tiny flat or rounded tip.
3. In space two, draw a curved chip: start with a shallow arc for the top edge, then connect two side edges that taper toward a rounded point.
4. In space three, draw a triangle or curved chip, then replace one corner with a zigzag notch of two or three short segments.
5. Label each variant lightly: triangle, curved, broken edge.

Construct the dip bowl

The dip bowl is a shallow cylinder seen from slightly above. Start with an ellipse for the rim, then add a curved side wall below it. The ellipse should be wider than it is tall; a ratio near 2:1 is a useful hypothetical starting point, but adjust to your composition.

Add a second, smaller ellipse inside the rim to suggest the inner surface. Keep the side wall short so the bowl reads as shallow. A small base curve under the bowl helps it sit on the table line.

1. Draw a light horizontal table line.
2. Draw a rim ellipse about 6 cm wide and 3 cm tall (hypothetical example).
3. Draw a second ellipse inside the rim, offset slightly downward, to show the inner bowl.
4. Connect the outer rim to a short side wall, then add a shallow base curve.
5. Check that the bowl sits on the table line without floating.

Compose chips around the bowl

Use a composition box, a light rectangle that marks the drawing area. Place the bowl slightly off-center, then arrange chips so they overlap the bowl rim, lean against the side, or sit on the table line. Vary the chip variants and rotate them so no two look identical.

Keep at least one chip fully visible and one partially hidden behind the bowl. This creates depth without a full still-life scene. Leave breathing space between chip clusters so the composition does not look crowded.

1. Draw a light composition box on your paper.
2. Place the bowl ellipse slightly left or right of center.
3. Draw two chips overlapping the rim at different angles.
4. Add one chip leaning against the bowl side and one flat on the table line.
5. Check that every chip is either triangle, curved, or broken-edge, and that at least one chip is partially hidden.

Refine edges and check the drawing

Tortilla chips have slightly irregular edges, so avoid perfectly straight lines. Add small bumps or tiny flats along each edge. Keep the bowl rim smooth and clean so it contrasts with the chip edges.

Use the rubric to check shape variety, bowl construction, composition, and edge quality. Remember that letter styles and handwriting vary; the rubric rewards clear, intentional marks rather than a single universal look.

1. Soften any perfectly straight chip edges with small irregularities.
2. Erase construction lines lightly, keeping the final outlines visible.
3. Check that the bowl rim ellipse is wider than tall and the side wall is short.
4. Confirm that at least two chip variants appear and one chip is partially hidden.
5. Sign or date the drawing if required by your class.

Worked example

A composition box is 12 cm wide and 9 cm tall. The bowl rim ellipse is 6 cm wide and 3 cm tall, placed 1 cm from the left edge and 2 cm from the bottom. How much horizontal space remains to the right of the bowl for chips?

Four practice exercises

Common mistakes

• Drawing every chip as an identical triangle. Use the shape plate to include at least one curved chip and one broken-edge chip in the composition.
• Making the bowl rim a circle instead of an ellipse. Flatten the rim ellipse so it is clearly wider than tall, and keep the side wall short.
• Letting chips float above the table line. Check that each chip touches the table line, the bowl rim, or another chip.
• Crowding all chips on one side of the bowl. Spread chips around the bowl and leave breathing space between clusters.

Self-check rubric

• Shape variety: at least two of triangle, curved, and broken-edge chips appear.
• Bowl construction: rim is an ellipse wider than tall, with a short side wall and a base curve.
• Composition: chips are arranged around the bowl with at least one partially hidden and breathing space between clusters.
• Edge quality: chip edges show small irregularities; bowl rim is smooth and clean.
• Grounding: chips and bowl touch the table line or each other without floating.
• Valid alternatives: clear, intentional marks are accepted even if letter styles or handwriting vary.

Questions and answers