How to Draw a Football Ball in 5 Simple Steps for Beginners
Let me tell you something about learning new skills - whether it's coaching a basketball team or learning to draw, the process always reminds me that nothing is ever truly final until you put in the work. Just like how Coach Chua mentioned that nothing is final yet regarding Tenorio's position after the FIBA Under-16 Asia Cup happening from August 31 to September 7 in Ulaanbaatar, drawing too requires patience and the understanding that your first attempt doesn't have to be perfect. I've been drawing sports equipment for about seven years now, and if there's one thing I've learned, it's that the football - or soccer ball as some call it - presents one of the most interesting challenges for beginners. The distinctive pattern of pentagons and hexagons might seem intimidating at first, but trust me, with these five straightforward steps, you'll be creating realistic-looking footballs that would make any sports enthusiast nod in approval.
Starting with the basic circle might sound too simple, but here's where most beginners mess up - they rush this fundamental step. I always use a compass for this initial stage because hand-drawn circles rarely achieve the symmetry needed for what comes next. If you don't have a compass, tracing around a circular object works perfectly fine. The size isn't too important, but I'd recommend working with about a 4-inch diameter to give yourself enough room for the detailed patterns later. I remember my early days when I'd skip this proper foundation and end up with lopsided balls that looked more like deformed fruits than sports equipment. Take your time with this step - about 2-3 minutes to get that perfect circle will save you frustration later.
Now comes the interesting part - creating that iconic pattern. The traditional football features 12 regular pentagons and 20 regular hexagons arranged in what's known as a truncated icosahedron pattern. But here's my personal shortcut that I've developed over years of teaching beginners: start with a central pentagon positioned slightly above the center point of your circle. From each of this pentagon's five sides, draw hexagons extending outward. This creates what I call the "flower pattern" that makes the rest of the design fall into place naturally. I typically use a ruler for these straight lines, but some of my students prefer freehand drawing for a more organic look - either works fine depending on your comfort level. The key is maintaining consistent angles and ensuring your shapes are proportional.
The curvature illusion is what separates amateur drawings from professional-looking ones. This is where I see most beginners struggle, but it's actually simpler than it appears. Each panel needs to follow the spherical curvature of your initial circle. Imagine your football is actually a 3D sphere - the patterns should appear to wrap around it. I achieve this by slightly curving the lines of my pentagons and hexagons, making them bulge outward from the center. My personal trick is to add shadows along two opposite edges of each shape - typically the bottom and right edges if my light source is coming from the top left. I use a medium-soft pencil like an HB or 2B for this shading, applying slightly more pressure on the shadowed areas.
Coloring brings your football to life, and here's where you can inject some personality. Traditional footballs feature black pentagons and white hexagons, but I've seen incredible variations using team colors or even rainbow patterns. If you're going for the classic look, I recommend using a fine-tip black marker for the pentagons and leaving the hexagons white against your paper's natural color. For the white sections, I sometimes add very light gray shading to suggest texture and dimension. My personal preference is adding subtle grass stains or scuff marks near the bottom to make the ball look like it's actually been used in a game - it adds character and tells a story.
The final step involves refining and adding those small details that elevate your drawing. This is where I spend about 40% of my total drawing time - it makes that much difference. I carefully erase any stray pencil marks, strengthen the outlines where needed, and add final shadow work beneath the ball to ground it. I typically create a soft shadow extending about an inch from the bottom of the ball using a blending stump or even just my finger to smudge the graphite. Looking at your drawing from different angles helps spot areas that need adjustment. Sometimes I'll add subtle stitching lines along the panel edges - this extra touch makes the drawing incredibly realistic.
Just like Coach Chua's situation with Tenorio where decisions remain fluid until after the tournament, your drawing journey will have its own evolution. I've probably drawn over 300 footballs in my career, and each one taught me something new. The beauty of art, much like sports, is that there's always room for improvement and adaptation. Don't get discouraged if your first few attempts don't match what you envisioned - even professional artists create multiple sketches before achieving their final piece. The most important thing is that you've started, you're learning, and with each drawing, you're developing skills that will serve you well beyond this single subject. Remember that every artist has their own style - while I've shared my preferred methods here, feel free to experiment and discover what works best for your unique approach.
