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How to Draw a Lift Bridge
Draw a lift bridge 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: two towers.
Step 1: Two towers
Draw 2 tall thin towers, one left and one right, standing on the water with a wider cap on top.
Tip A lift bridge raises its whole road straight up so tall ships can pass.
Step 2: Left tower braces
Inside the left tower draw a column of 4 X braces, one above the other.
Step 3: Right tower braces
Do the same inside the right tower: 4 X braces.
Step 4: The raised deck
High up between the towers draw a long flat box for the road deck. Add a thin railing on top.
Step 5: Cables
Start on the inside edge of each tower, just under the cap. Draw a cable slanting down to the railing.
Step 6: The roads
Start at each edge of the paper. Draw 2 straight road lines, one above the other, stopping at the tower.
Step 7: The ship
Under the deck draw a ship: a long hull, a cabin box, a funnel, 3 portholes and 2 smoke puffs.
Step 8: Water lines
Start at the left side of the paper and draw 2 wavy water lines across to the right side.
Step 9: The sun
Draw a sun with short rays at the top in the middle, above the deck.
Step 10: Yellow sun and funnel
Colour the sun and the ship's funnel yellow.
Step 11: Grey deck and roads
Colour the deck and both roads light grey, right out to the edges of the paper.
Step 12: Blue water, red ship
Colour all the water blue, around the ship, then the hull red. Leave the cabin white.
Step 13: Dark grey towers
Colour the towers and caps dark grey, pressing softly so the braces show. Your lift bridge is done!
Your finished drawing
Follow the steps above and this is where you end up: a lift bridge, drawn by you.
Every step in one picture
