How to Draw a Bracer

Finished bracer drawing with clasps, overlapping plates, and hatched shadows.

How about drawing some elements of warrior armor? We have already created quite a few drawing tutorials about warriors from different historical periods.

We have learned to draw Roman legionnaires, medieval knights, and video game heroes. And here we will show you how to draw a bracer – an element that can be found in many illustrations of these characters. It is an element of armor that you might have noticed on a realistic knight or on Sub-Zero from Mortal Kombat.

How to draw a bracer step by step

Step 1: Sketch the bracer shape

Block in the bracer as a shape that looks like a truncated cone. This is essentially a three-dimensional form that surrounds the forearm, with a wider opening at one end and a narrower opening at the other. The visible edges of these openings should follow the curvature of the bracer. You can position this shape completely horizontally or vertically if you prefer.

Sketching the basic tapered shape of the bracer with simple straight lines.

Step 2: Draw the bracer clasps

Now, draw the short transverse lines across the armor. After that, draw rectangles that are slightly rounded toward the edge. Note that the short transverse lines have no vertical borders.

Adding short transverse lines and rounded rectangular clasps to the bracer.

Step 3: Add the bracer armor plates

Pay attention to the sizes of the plates. The largest plate is at the top, and the smallest is at the bottom. Draw the plates as separate forms attached to the curved surface of the forearm armor. Their contours should follow its direction. This will help making the whole drawing look more three-dimensional.

Adding three overlapping rectangular armor plates along the left edge of the bracer.

Step 4: Add shadows to the bracer

On the inner side of the armor, draw broad, sweeping strokes. Make this area noticeably darker to show the depth inside the bracer. Along the right edge, add light hatching where the outer surface turns away from the light. Let the direction of the strokes follow the tapered volume of this piece of armor.

Adding broad hatched shadows inside the bracer and lighter shading along the edge.

Drawing individual pieces of armor

This tutorial was a small experiment for us. We have drawn many warriors in armor, but this time we focused on a single piece and looked at its construction in more detail.

Try drawing a bracer of another design. You can change the number and shape of the plates, add different clasps, or make the armor more elaborate. Whatever design you choose, remember that the bracer surrounds the forearm, so all of its parts should follow this three-dimensional form.

After drawing the bracer separately, you can see how the same type of armor works as part of a complete figure in our tutorial on how to draw a knight.