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How to Draw an Earthquake
Draw an earthquake 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 big crack.
Step 1: The big crack
Start in the middle of your paper. Zigzag down to a point near the bottom, then back up further right.
Tip Keep the 2 sides apart at the top and closer near the point.
Step 2: The ground
From each top corner of the crack, rule a straight ground line out to the edge of your paper.
Tip Leave the top of the crack open.
Step 3: A leaning house
On the left ground, draw a box for the house walls. Lean its sides towards the crack.
Tip The bottom stays flat on the ground. Only the sides lean.
Step 4: The roof
Start just left of the walls' top corner. Draw a pointy roof up and down, then back along the top.
Step 5: Door and window
Draw a tall door standing on the ground and a square window with a cross. Lean them like the walls.
Step 6: A tall building
On the right ground, draw a tall box leaning towards the crack. Add a flat roof slab on top.
Tip It leans the other way from the house, so both tip towards the crack.
Step 7: Windows and door
Draw 4 windows on the tall building, 2 above 2, and a door standing on the ground.
Step 8: Cracked walls
Start at the top of each building's wall. Zigzag a short crack down and stop halfway.
Tip A crack is a zigzag: down left, down right, down left.
Step 9: Cracks in the ground
Start on the ground line under each building. Zigzag a small crack down into the earth and stop.
Step 10: Shake lines
Beside each building draw 2 curved lines, a long one and a short one. They show the shaking.
Tip Curve them like brackets around the buildings.
Step 11: Yellow and blue
Colour the house walls yellow, around the door and window. Colour all 5 windows light blue.
Step 12: Red and grey
Colour both roofs red. Colour the tall building grey, around its windows and door.
Step 13: Brown and black
Colour the doors and all the ground brown, to the paper's edges. Colour inside the big crack black.
Your finished drawing
Follow the steps above and this is where you end up: an earthquake, drawn by you.
Every step in one picture
