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How to Draw an Orrery
Draw an orrery in 12 easy steps, about 9 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 round base.
Step 1: The round base
Low on your paper draw a wide flat oval base, and a smaller oval on top, like 2 stacked coins.
Tip An orrery is a clockwork model of the planets going round the sun.
Step 2: Pillar and hub
From the base draw a short fat pillar straight up, with a small box on top for the hub.
Step 3: Post and sun
From the hub draw a thin post straight up. Stop in a round ball for the sun.
Step 4: The sun's face
In the sun draw 2 round eyes with black dots, leaving a shine, and a smile under them.
Step 5: 3 arms
From the post draw 3 thin arms, one above the other: short up right, out left, long down right.
Tip The arms turn round the sun like clock hands.
Step 6: Stalks and planets
On each arm's end draw a short stalk up to a round planet. The biggest goes on the long arm.
Step 7: Ring and crank
Round the biggest planet draw a thin tilted oval ring. On the pillar draw a short crank with a knob.
Step 8: The table
Draw a table line under the base from well left to well right.
Step 9: Brass stand
Go over your lines, then colour the base, pillar, hub, post, arms and crank ginger brass.
Step 10: Yellow sun, pink cheeks
Colour 2 pink cheeks, then the sun yellow around the face. Leave the eyes white.
Step 11: Red and orange planets
Colour the small planet on the short arm red, and the big ringed planet orange.
Step 12: Blue planet, grey stalks
Colour the left planet blue and the stalks grey. Your orrery is ready to turn!
Your finished drawing
Follow the steps above and this is where you end up: an orrery, drawn by you.
Every step in one picture
