Step-by-step plan

Sumo wrestler

Sumo is an ancient Japanese form of wrestling. This traditional sport is known worldwide for their heavy-bodied participants. Since sumo, unlike western wrestling, does not have any weight restrictions or classes, the athletes tend to bulk up to make sure they aren’t outweighed by their opponent. The biggest wrestler is not guaranteed to win, however. Though sumo mostly revolves around physical strength, smaller wrestlers may have an advantage due to their speed and agility.

Sumo wrestlers radiate strength and power. In this step-by-step plan, we show you how to draw a mighty sumo wrestler using water colours. Although water colour paintings are usually seen as soft and delicate, there are several ways to create some impressive imagery using differences in colour intensity, contrasting colours and some bold line work. Let’s get into it!

What you need

Step 1

Make a sketch of the wrestler’s face using the mechanical pencil.

Step 2

Using only one shade of dark blue, colour in the face. Apply the colour with the included Koi Water Brush. This brush allows you to add water straight from the water reservoir in the barrel to the tip of the brush just by applying a little pressure. Add more water to create beautiful light blues and less water to create deep, almost black blues.

Step 3

Add more definition and detail to the face using the same light and dark blue shades. Deepen the shadows underneath the chin and at the back of the neck by applying the dark blue shade without a lot of water.

Step 4

Create a background using a red shade. Red radiates power and offers a wonderful contrast with the calm blue.

Step 5

Emphasise the contours of the face using the Pigma Brush Pen. Draw the features of the wrestler’s face using one uninterrupted line drawing. This method offers your drawing hard contrasts and more cohesion.

Did this tutorial inspire you to create your own sports-inspired drawing? Great! Share your results online or join Sakura’s art contest! Sakura celebrates their 100th anniversary in 2021 with an online art contest. June’s theme is Japanese sports, so start drawing today!

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