How to Draw Icons the Easy Way

Icons are a powerful tool in visual thinking and facilitation. But many people shy away from drawing them, thinking they lack the artistic skill.

The truth is, anyone can draw simple, effective icons—you just need the right approach.

This method to me is the secret sauce to turning drawing into a simple process, which anyone can learn with just a little bit of practice.

We will guide you through how to make drawing simple, and then give you a few icons to practice.

Let’s get into it!

We're going to walk you through the steps here - we'll first explain the concept then give you a few icons to practice. 

This tutorial is better in video form as you get to see each shape being drawn and follow along in real time. We've also included a practice section - want to see it? Click here

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The Foundation: Basic Shapes

When drawing icons, simplicity is key. Think of every object as being made up of three basic shapes:

• Circle

• Square/Rectangle

• Triangle

These are the building blocks of visual thinking. Whether you're drawing something straightforward or complex, breaking it down into these shapes makes the process manageable. 

So keep these in mind as we go through the tutorial!

What to Avoid: Contour Drawing

Most people default to contour drawing—drawing the outline or silhouette of an object first, then filling in the details. While this seems intuitive, it’s much harder. Why?

• You must visualize the perfect silhouette in your mind.

• It’s easy to make mistakes without clear proportions to guide you.

The Solution: Construction Drawing

Instead, use construction drawing, where you build the icon step-by-step using basic shapes.

Example 1: Drawing a Bomb

1. Start with a circle for the main body.

2. Add a rectangle or square for the fuse attachment.

3. Finish with a squiggly line for the lit fuse.

By focusing on one shape at a time, you can break even complex icons down into manageable steps.

How do you do this for complex icons?

Let's look at drawing a Boat!

The boat is a bit more challenging because we can't SEE and simple basic shapes. There's not a clear circle, square or triangle anywhere...

So how do we tackle this?

We want to get to more complex shapes THROUGH using basic shapes.

Here's how you can build the boat:

1. Think of the water as a series of letter "C"s turned on their sides.

2. The boat’s base can be thought of as a rectangle with a curved triangle added to the end.

3. The sail can be a square with curved edges.

So when you can't see a clear basic shape, think "how can I get to this shape THROUGH using a basic shape.

Now Let's Practice!

Have a go at drawing the icons below by:

1. Identifying the basic shapes

2. Building the icon out of those basic shapes

Remember if you can't see any clear basic shapes, think " how can I get to this shape THROUGH basic shapes.

Once you're done - check your answers by scrolling down to the bottom!

While icons are essential, they're only one part of what you need to use visual thinking effectively. Want to learn the rest? Check out our basics course here.

First up we have the mountain!

Next have a go at the present :)

Lightbulb now!

The trusty telescope

A prickly cactus

Check Your Work

Now that you've had a go at drawing these icons (and you better have drawn them btw!) 

Have a look at the images below to see the shapes we used to break these icons down.

An important point: As long as you get to the result, you can use different shapes. Also don't worry about how "pretty" your icons are. Focus on making them CLEAR

The Mountain

Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

A simple one to start!

1. We can break the two mountains down into simple triangle

2. Zig zags for the lines coming down from the peaks

3. straight lines to show shadows

The Present

Another nice and easy one to get us going!

1. The main part of the present is a square

2. A cross for the string going up and across the square

3. Two uneven circles for the bow at the top

The Lightbulb

A classic up next!

1. Use a circle for the bulb

2. A square with a rounded bottom for the base

3. A Z for the lines going through the base

4. An M for the filament

Here we used letters as well to help us build the icon - this is a great thing to do when you see them.

The lightbulb can be built out of the letters UZMO which is the title of Martin Haussmann's book. He created the bikablo method and it's a bible for all things visual thinking - it's one we come back to again and again. Can't recommend it enough!

The Telescope

Getting a little bit trickier now - let's break it down!

1. The barrel of the telecom can be thought of as a rectangle that gets slightly larger at one end

2. We can then curve the small end of the rectangle and add a couple more curved lines along the barrel

3. The lens of the telescope we can draw by using an oval

4. Simple straight lines for the legs

5. A curved line for the ground

The Cactus

Now for the final icon - the cactus!

Icons like this can appear tricky since there's a lot of curves and also some details with the spikes of the cactus.

In situations like this we want to IGNORE the details at first and look for the big basic shapes.

1. Think of the cactus as simple rectangles 

2. A large one for the middle and smaller ones for the arms

3. Make it feel more natural by adding curves to your rectangles

4. Add the lines for the spikes last

Achievement Unlocked!

Well done! You've now learned the secret sauce of how to make drawing simple.

A little bit of practice goes a long way with this!

Try drawing a couple of icons when taking personal notes during your next meeting - you'll be amazed at the difference it makes!

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