How to draw a Good Enough bicycle…two ways!

Jeannel, , ,

Green methods of transportation. Metaphors for staying agile and avoiding hazards in the road ahead. Or maybe they are simply reminders of our youth or an earlier time. However you want to inflate the tires, bicycles are a recurring theme that pop up in conversations around business, transportation, planning/sustainability, and community.
 

Here’s how to draw a Good Enough bicycle of your very own!

 
(… and @TraceyLevasseur, this one’s for you!)
 
How to draw a Good Enough bicycle - tutorial image by Jeannel King
 

Three Tips

 

  • A bicycle basically consists of three “twos”: two circles, two triangles, and two parallel lines. Add a seat and some handles and you’re there!

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  • The first triangle I draw is with the back tire. The “back” corner of the triangle forms the center of the back wheel, the “front” corner comes out the same distance from the tire as the back corner… and it forms the area where the chain and the pedals are. The upper corner of the triangle is where the seat will go, and I usually extend that line through the top corner to create a bit of a seat post (see step three).

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  • Once I have that line from the pedals to the seat post, I can mirror the angle from the center of the front tire to where the handlebars are going to be (step three). The parallel lines that comprise the seat and handle bars sweep away: low in front and high in back. (I think it’s these two sweeping lines that really let a drawing “read” as a bicycle.)
     

    Penny-Farthing for your thoughts

     
    Of course, in this age of home-brewed beers and handlebar mustaches it wouldn’t be right to leave out this classic Victorian bicycle: the Penny-Farthing, or Hi-Wheel. So here’s how to draw a Penny-Farthing that’s Good Enough to twirl your mustache to!
     
    How to draw a Good Enough Penny-Farthing or Hi-Wheel Bicycle - tutorial image by Jeannel King
     
    Now you’re ready to tour the streets of London or the trails of your local woods!
     
    … and that’s it! What does YOUR bicycle look like? Draw yours up, Tweet it out to @jeannelking #goodenough, and let’s take it for a spin!
     
     
     
    Want to have fun drawing AND inspire others to pick up the pen at the same time?  Got something you wish you could draw, but you’re not sure how to approach it? Tweet your drawing or idea to @jeannelking and tag it with #goodenough: it could be featured in an upcoming “how to draw good enough” blog post!
     
    Looking forward to seeing what you draw forth!
    (… and thanks for sharing your comments below!)
     
     
     

    • About Jeannel

    - INFJ - Strategic | Activator | Connectedness | Relator | Intellection - Scorpio - Cat Person - Movie Buff - Modern-Day Johnny Appleseed - Creative who Specializes in Organizational Culture Change - Painfully Aware of Her White Privilege

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