How to Draw a Taco: A Step-by-Step Guide for Artists of All Levels

Drawing a taco can be a fun and creative project, whether you’re aiming for a realistic depiction or a more whimsical, cartoonish style. Here’s a comprehensive guide to help you bring your taco to life.

Sketching the Taco Shell

To begin, focus on the foundation of your taco: the shell. Start by sketching an arched line, making sure it is longer on the left side and shorter and more rounded on the right. Leave a gap between the left points and join the right points, then connect the two lines at the bottom with a curve. This will give your shell a flat base that curves up slightly on the lower left, creating an opening[1].

For a more playful approach, you can draw a big rainbow line to form the taco shell, ensuring it has a pointy tip and a straight line at the bottom with a small gap to maintain the shell’s shape[4].

Adding the Filling

Next, sketch the filling inside your taco shell. You can choose a variety of fillings such as lettuce, tomatoes, shredded cheese, and ground beef. For a detailed look, start by sketching wavy lines inside the shell to represent the lettuce, following the curve of the shell. Add rough shapes on top for the tomatoes and use wavy, rounded lines on the left side for the ground beef. Finally, add rounded rectangle shapes for the shredded cheese[1].

In a more humorous take, you can draw a bumpy cloud line for the beef and round rainbow lines for the tomatoes. Don’t forget to add wavy lines for additional fillings like lettuce and shredded cheese[4].

Outlining Your Taco

With your rough sketches complete, it’s time to outline your taco. Use a permanent medium like a pen or marker to define the shell and the fillings. Start by outlining the shell, paying attention to gaps where fillings extend past the shell. Then, outline each piece of the filling, beginning with the most visible elements. Add wavy lines between the tomatoes and shredded cheese to break up any large gaps and circles to the ground meat for more definition[1].

Adding Color and Texture

Once you have your outline, it’s time to add color. Use a base color palette that includes beige for the shell, red for the tomatoes, two shades of yellow for the shredded cheese, brown for the ground beef, and green for the lettuce. To add texture to your taco shell, use small dots or a Procreate stamp brush to create a speckled effect. For final details, use darker shades to add depth to your fillings, such as darker brown circles in the ground beef and light and dark red lines on the tomatoes[1].

Adding a Personal Touch

For a more whimsical taco, consider adding a funny face. Draw two circles for the eyes in the corners of the taco shell, add smaller circles inside for the pupils, and color in the larger circles while leaving the smaller ones white. Draw a mustache with a point in the middle and curved lines on either side. This can add a playful and engaging element to your drawing[4].

Most Important Facts About How to Draw a Taco

  • Sketch the Taco Shell: Start with an arched line, longer on the left and shorter on the right, and connect the lines at the bottom with a curve[1][4].
  • Add Fillings: Sketch lettuce, tomatoes, shredded cheese, and ground beef using wavy lines and rounded shapes[1][4].
  • Outline the Taco: Use a permanent medium to outline the shell and fillings, ensuring to include gaps and details[1].
  • Add Color: Use a base color palette including beige, red, yellow, brown, and green for the shell and fillings[1].
  • Add Texture: Create a speckled texture on the taco shell using small dots or a Procreate stamp brush[1].
  • Final Details: Add depth to fillings with darker shades and consider adding a funny face for a whimsical touch[1][4].