How to Draw French Fries

Finished French fries drawing with a paper package and pencil shading.

In this drawing tutorial, we will show you how to draw French fries – one of the most famous fast food dishes.

Earlier, the team of Drawingforall.net has shown you how to draw a wide variety of food. You can find these tutorials in our Food category.

Dishes are very different from each other, which means that different dishes are drawn differently.

This French fries tutorial will be useful not only for those who want to sketch this very dish, but also for those who want to draw a still life with food.

How to draw French fries step by step

Step 1: Sketch the package

As always, let’s start with the most basic outlines. First of all, sketch the outlines of the package of fries with a few light lines. Do not try to make the packaging too perfect in the beginning, because later we will refine its shape and give the French fries drawing a more finished look.

Sketching the basic outline of the French fries package with light lines.

Step 2: Add the fries

Now let’s add the most important part to our drawing – the fries. Sketch the outlines of the French fries with simple light lines. These pieces should not be too identical, as in reality we rarely see perfectly cut fries.

Adding individual French fries above the lightly sketched package.

Step 3: Refine the outlines

Now it’s time to give the French fries drawing a more finished look. First, draw the outlines of the fries with clearer and darker lines. Give them a cleaner appearance. Remember that the fries should vary in both shape and size. Now, using the same dark and crisp lines, carefully draw the package of French fries, giving it a neater look.

Refining the French fries and package with clean, dark outlines.

Step 4: Add shadows with hatching

To give the French fries drawing a more three-dimensional look, you need to draw shadows using hatching. Start with the darkest areas, gradually working toward the lighter ones. Leave the lightest areas of your French fries drawing untouched. To give your drawn fries even more volume, try adding additional layers of hatching to make the drawing more contrasting and lively.

Adding pencil hatching and shadows to the French fries and package.

As we said, this drawing tutorial can come in handy if you want to draw a still life with fast food. Try sketching fries next to a drawn hamburger and drawn pizza, and draw a cup of coffee or soda.

If you place all these objects correctly on a piece of paper, you will get a very beautiful still life. By the way, in our article on composition, we talked about what composition consists of and how to build it correctly on a piece of paper.

You can make your drawing of French fries even more realistic. For example, you can draw some logos on the packaging or add a cast shadow on the surface. This will give the whole illustration a more convincing look.