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How to Draw a Cotton Gin

13 steps · Medium · about 10 min

Draw a cotton gin in 13 easy steps, about 10 minutes. Free, with a printable worksheet.

Each picture adds one red line. Draw that line, then scroll to the next picture. Rub out any dashed helper lines at the end. First up: the box.

Step 1: The box
A little left of the middle draw a big wide box, wider than it is tall.
Tip Leave room on the right for the crank and on top for the cotton.
Step 2: Two legs
Under the box draw 2 short legs, one near each end, narrower at the bottom.
Tip Make both legs the same length so the box stands level.
Step 3: Ground line
Draw the ground line from edge to edge, touching the bottom of both legs.
Step 4: The window
In the top half of the box draw a long window: a wide box with a gap all round.
Step 5: The roller
Start on the window's left side. Draw 2 lines straight across and stop on its right side, for a roller.
Tip Leave a gap above the roller and a gap below it.
Step 6: Wire teeth
Draw 7 short spikes sticking up from the roller and 7 sticking down, like the teeth of a comb.
Tip The teeth pull the fluffy cotton away from its seeds.
Step 7: The crank
Level with the roller, draw a short bar out of the box's right side. Add a tall bar going up.
Step 8: The handle
At the top of the tall bar draw a fat handle pointing right, with round ends.
Tip Turning this handle spins the roller inside the box.
Step 9: Fluffy cotton
Start on the box's top edge. Draw 5 big round bumps up and over, and stop on the top edge.
Tip Make the bumps fat and round, like a cloud.
Step 10: A plank line
Below the window draw a line across the box from side to side, for the wooden planks.
Step 11: Cream and grey
Colour the window gaps cream and the 2 crank bars grey. Leave the cotton white.
Step 12: Tan roller
Colour the roller and the handle tan, a light brown.
Step 13: Brown box
Colour the box and both legs brown, going around the window. Your cotton gin is ready to turn!