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How to Draw a Pulley
Draw a pulley 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 wheel.
Step 1: The wheel
A little above the middle of your paper, draw a big round circle for the wheel.
Tip A pulley is a wheel with a rope over it. It makes heavy things easier to lift.
Step 2: Strap and bolt
From the wheel's middle draw a strap straight up past the top, round at the bottom. Add a round bolt.
Tip The bolt is the pin the wheel spins on.
Step 3: Plate and beam
On top of the strap draw a small flat plate. Above it draw a long thick beam across.
Step 4: Inner ring
Inside the wheel draw a smaller circle. Start and stop at the strap.
Step 5: The rope
Start below the wheel's left side. Draw a rope up, over the wheel and down. Stop lower on the right.
Tip Keep the rope the same width all the way, and snug against the wheel.
Step 6: Ring and weight
At the left rope end draw a small ring. Under it draw a heavy weight, wider at the bottom.
Step 7: The floor
Draw a long floor line along the bottom of the weight, from left to right.
Step 8: Knot and tail
At the right rope end draw a round knot with a short tail under it.
Tip Pull down on this end and the weight goes up.
Step 9: Rope twists
Draw 3 short slanted lines across the left rope and 4 across the right. Start and stop on its edges.
Step 10: Rope and middle
Colour the rope, the knot and its tail light brown. Colour the wheel's middle and the bolt grey.
Step 11: Red rim, brown beam
Colour the rim of the wheel red. Colour the long beam across the top brown.
Step 12: Dark metal
Go over your lines, then colour the strap, the plate and the weight dark grey.
Your finished drawing
Follow the steps above and this is where you end up: a pulley, drawn by you.
Every step in one picture
