Michigan, nicknamed the Great Lakes State for its location next to the five Great Lakes, is a large state bounded by water in most directions. Michigan is one of the more challenging states to draw because of this fact. However, with a little time and patience you can accurately free-hand a drawing of Michigan. Using a map as a guide will help you to draw the state.
Things You'll Need:
- Colored Markers, Including Blue
- Map Of Michigan
- Pencil
- Paper
- Black Pen Or Marker (Optional)
Place a map of the United States in front of you. Locate Michigan in the northern portion of the country.
Pick up your pencil and start with the upper-left portion of Michigan. Starting at the upper-left-hand tip, draw the initial peninsula of Michigan. Draw all the way around the peninsula, leaving space above for Lake Superior and space below for Lake Michigan. Draw the border of Wisconsin once you have gone all the way around this initial peninsula.
Draw the second portion of Michigan, the land mass to the bottom right of the first land mass you have already drawn. Start at the bottom-left-hand tip, where Michigan borders Indiana. Draw upward, leaving space to the left for Lake Michigan. Come around the top of Michigan, the rounded portion of the peninsula, leaving room for Lake Huron and Lake Erie the right. Stop at the tip of where Michigan borders Ohio. Draw essentially a straight, horizontal line from the end point to the where you initially started drawing this second land mass.
Make any necessary corrections to the drawing using the eraser of the pencil. Ensure that proportions are correct before moving on to the next step by comparing your picture to a map.
Use a black marker to go over the pencil lines, if you would like. Erase the pencil lines, if any are showing.
Color the picture. Make the Great Lakes surrounding Michigan blue. Color Michigan any color of your choice. Color the surrounding states gray or beige, to show that they are bordering states and not part of Michigan.
Tip
Look at the map of Michigan more than you draw. Most of the time when art does not look realistic and was intended to be so, the artist did not check the subject of his work frequently enough. People have a tendency to fill in information with what they know; when you start to do this when drawing Michigan, the state will probably no longer look correct.
References
Resources
Tips
- Look at the map of Michigan more than you draw. Most of the time when art does not look realistic and was intended to be so, the artist did not check the subject of his work frequently enough. People have a tendency to fill in information with what they know; when you start to do this when drawing Michigan, the state will probably no longer look correct.
Writer Bio
Kathryn Stanley is a professional writer for various websites, covering fashion, science, the environment, food and baking, crafts and the arts. She studies psychology and creative writing at the University of Maryland at College Park.
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