How to Draw A Cartoon Lightning

Learn how to draw a cartoon lightning made from simple effects. Of course, this lesson is not based on an actual lightning, but a graphic representation of it. Not only will you draw a simple version to illustrate lightning, but you will also learn how to add some simple effects to end up with a cool cartoon illustration like the one below.

Step 1

First, draw the lightning using straight lines. You can draw something similar to the shape below or simply create a more complicated shape (or something simpler). 

Step 2

Next, remove the outlines and fill in the shape with a bright yellow color. The result so far is already quite interesting, but making this cartoon illustration even better is an easy task! Let's proceed with the third step. 

Step 3

Duplicate the lightning and place the new shape behind the original one. Change the color to a light brown color and make sure that this new shape is slightly lower so that it can be visible on the bottom part of the illustration. 

Step 4

Using the gradient tool from your vector application, add a second color on the bottom of the shape. This color can be a light orange one. Cool! This version is also enjoyable, but once again we can make it even better ...

Step 5

On the left of the object, add a new shape like the one shown below with the pink outline. This outline is added only for readability purposes and will be removed in the next step. This new shape can be darker and you can use transparency to partially hide the right part of it. 

Step 6

Next, create another additional shape like shown below. This new shape must not touch the right side of the lightning. You can color this shape in white. Use transparency to partially hide the left area of this simple shape. 

This is the final version of this cartoon lightning!

Nice work! As you can see, the cartoon lightning is now visually more interesting with the addition of a darker shape on the left and a brighter one on the right. The object has more depth and volume and it's now easier to read this illustration. I hope you had fun working on this drawing lesson and don't hesitate to practice as often as needed!

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