How to Draw a Thermometer

In this tutorial, we will show you how to draw a thermometer with a classic mercury design and give it a volumetric appearance.

However, such thermometers do not always contain mercury, as today other, less hazardous materials are often used instead.

The external shape – a flattened cylinder with a narrowing end – remains typical for these classic thermometers.

When drawing a thermometer, it is important to remember that you are drawing a flattened cylinder, and this defines the structure of the entire drawing.

This understanding allows you to construct a more volumetric form even when the object is depicted strictly from the side.

How to draw a thermometer step by step

Step 1: Outline the main form of the thermometer

First, draw an elongated flattened cylinder with rounded ends. From the side, it looks like a horizontally stretched oval. Make sure that it maintains the same thickness along its entire length.

Step 2: Sketch the central axis line

Next, draw a straight line that runs through the center of this geometric shape and extends slightly beyond the left edge of the thermometer. This auxiliary line will serve as a guide for placing the remaining parts of the thermometer.

Step 3: Draw the narrow tip of the thermometer

On the left side, where the auxiliary line extends past the shape, draw the tip of the thermometer. It should narrow evenly and symmetrically and remain on the same plane as the main body. In other words, make sure that the entire form of the thermometer lies on a straight axis and does not bend upward or downward.

Step 4: Draw the thermometer mercury column

At the very end of the tip, mark a vertical edge that separates the glass part of the thermometer from the container with the liquid inside. Then draw the long inner column of liquid, using the auxiliary line from the previous steps as a guide.

Step 5: Add the measurement marks and shading

Using hatching, darken the container and the part of the column up to the level where the liquid has risen. Add the divisions of the thermometer scale and draw the numerical markings. Finish by applying careful shading to add shadows and highlights so that the thermometer gains a more volumetric appearance.

A thermometer may seem like a simple object at first glance, but it has its own nuances in drawing that are important to remember during practice.

The first point, which we already mentioned, is that despite some slight curves, all parts of the thermometer should lie on the same straight plane.

To achieve this, you need to be able to draw straight lines and place different elements of the object along a single axis. We discussed this in our arrow drawing lesson.

It is also important to remember while drawing a thermometer that it is not a flat object but a volumetric geometric form, as mentioned earlier – a flattened cylinder with a narrowing end.

Try drawing the thermometer in different orientations, carefully maintaining the correct relationships between all its parts.

For further artistic practice, be sure to try drawing more complex medical objects as well. For example, draw a stethoscope, which includes many different details and combinations of forms.

A slightly more complex form to master, but one that develops a deeper understanding of volume and perspective, is our microscope drawing tutorial. In that lesson, you will encounter more combinations of cylindrical and cubic forms joined together.

All of these elements should also be understood as volumetric shapes, and you should try to convey them on paper as three-dimensional rather than flat.

For an even more challenging task, you can try our tutorial on drawing a doctor, where these objects can be combined with a human figure.

Such complex compositions are essentially among the more advanced exercises in drawing and help develop artistic skills more effectively.