How to Draw a Cartoon Wave

The Wilbur Kookmeyer Way

By Bob Penuelas

If youre like me, then youve probably spent a lot of time in high school class daydreaming and
doodling a thousand perfect cartoon waves on your notebook.

Its safe to say that ninety percent of us surfers have a habit of scribbling perfect waves whenever a
pencil is in our hands.

Hopefully the following pointers will help you change your throw-away wave doodles into actual
compelling artwork that you want to keep forever.

Drawing a Basic Wave

Step 1. Sketch in the basic shape of the curl, spray, foam and base of the wave.

Step 2. Add an extra line running parallel and below the curl line to define the thickness of the
lip.
 Step 3. Add a flow line starting at the lip and curve it around to suggest roundness of the liquid
lip. Continue that same flow line around with a half oval down to the base of the wave to show the
concave curve of the wave face.

Step 4. Add the rest of the flow lines. Gradually make each flow line less steep as you move
away from the curl, to show the tapered shoulder. Continue the flow lines into the tube to show
hollowness.
 Step 5. Add simplified spray with thin wispy lines. Add the foam explosion with a series of
explosion lines getting bigger as they moving away. Maybe add a foam ball in the tube. Round off
the foam at the base of the wave so it wont look flat.

Step 6. Add shading on the wave face with smaller contour lines. Gradually make the lines darker
as you get further into the tube. Use crosshatching to add more depth. Lightly shade foam and base
of the wave. Maybe shade the sky a little, too.
 Tip: Dont get caught up trying to draw every foam bubble, youll go nuts.
Tip: Using a sharp eraser, keep a defined white line under the lip so it looks separate from the
wave face.
Tip: Add white highlights on the lip with your eraser to give it sparkle.

The Importance of Perspective

Drawing a basic wave can be fun, but after a while it can get boring if you are merely following the
same formula over and over again. The key to breaking out of this potential rut is achieved by
drawing waves from different angles. There is only one way to successfully create a variety of
angles and that is by using the basic principles of perspective. The two basic ingredients in
perspective are the horizon line (your eye level) and the imaginary vanishing points. By merely
changing the position of these ingredients in your image youll be amazed at the variety of waves
you can create. (sketches 07 & 08)
 View into the tube. Additional variations can be achieved just by moving the horizon line high
or low and by moving the vanishing point right or left. Give it a try, experiment. (sketches 09 & 10)

View out of the tube. A high horizon line and one vanishing point on the left and its as if your
face is against the tube face and youre racing for daylight. (sketch 11)

Move the vanishing point to the right and more of the face becomes visible. (sketch 12)

View from a pier. A high horizon line with two vanishing points off to the right and left and it
appears as though youre viewing the wave from a pier and youre looking down on the wave.
(sketch 13)
 Paddlers eye view. This view is accomplished by placing the horizon line extremely low. Both
vanishing points are located outside of the image border, one to the left and one to the right.
(sketch 14)

Birds eye view This view is accomplished by moving the horizon line up and completely off the
image. The two vanishing points are positioned way out to the right and left. (sketch 15)
 Other views. A view looking down the point can also be achieved by moving these ingredients
around. (sketch 16)

Various Scenes
With perspective you can now create line-up scenes, with multiple waves. It could be a reef pass, a
beach break or a point break Add land in the background or in the foreground to give the scene
some depth. (sketch 17)
Different Types of Waves
Peaks. Tip: Avoid drawing a peak by merely attaching two mirror image waves together. The right
and the left are the same yet they are drawn differently. (sketch 18)

Variations. Dont forget about hollow waves, freight-trains, slow churning or paper-thin waves.
The possibilities are endless. (sketch 19)
Add Surfers
Dont forget to add surfers to your waves, whether you draw them regular or goofy foot, backside or
frontside and you soon realize that there are endless combinations. (sketches 20,21 & 22)
Remember, there are millions of ways to draw a wave and hopefully with these simple pointers
youll find million more. So, have fun.