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The Fixes / How to Draw / Camera
All year · Grades 6–8 · 15 steps

How to Draw a Camera

Retro Camera from The Drawing Fix™. An easy step-by-step drawing for Grades 6–8. Draw it with your class in about 20 minutes, one step at a time. Free to use and print. No sign-up.

By Christopher Allen · Ontario elementary educator15 stepsAbout 20 minutesUpdated Nov 5, 2026
Run it on the projector →Printable step sheet (PDF)

A challenge drawing for older students. Structure first, detail last. Good practice for line control, proportion and slowing down.

Before you start: a pencil, an eraser, a sheet of paper and something to colour with.

Draw lightly at first. Dark lines come at the end, once the shapes look right.

Step-by-step: how to draw a camera

  1. Step 1. Camera body

    Draw the main front body shape.

  2. Step 2. Top housing

    Build the top plate and prism shape.

  3. Step 3. Lens

    Add the four concentric lens rings.

  4. Step 4. Side depth

    Add the angled side face of the camera.

  5. Step 5. Top controls

    Place the viewfinder, dial and shutter controls.

  6. Step 6. Grip texture

    Build the side grip and texture lines.

  7. Step 7. Small controls

    Add the small buttons and label plates.

  8. Step 8. Lens reflections

    Add two curved lens-reflection lines.

  9. Step 9. Strap

    Draw the looping camera strap.

  10. Step 10. Base

    Add the base line and two small feet.

  11. Step 11. Body seams

    Add the two short body seam lines.

  12. Step 12. Spark marks

    Add two small graphic shine marks.

  13. Step 13. Shadow

    Add the soft shadow under the camera.

  14. Step 14. Side texture

    Add the short lines on the side face.

  15. Step 15. Create

    Make one part completely yours.

The pink line is the new part in each step.

Make it theirs

  • Add a background that tells a story. Where is it?
  • Give it a name and write it underneath.
  • Try it again tomorrow from memory.
  • Colour last. There is no wrong colour for a camera.

Teaching it with the projector

The projector version draws each step slowly on the board, pauses while students copy it, then checks in before the next step. Nobody has to talk, so you are free to walk around and help.

Quick Fix: 10 steps, about 10 minutes. Good for a brain break or the last few minutes before recess. Full Focus: all 15 steps, about 20 minutes, with the extra detail.

Open Retro Camera on the projector → It works on any classroom screen. No accounts, no student names, no ads.

Curriculum connections

Visual arts: the elements of design (line, shape, space and proportion) and creating art for a purpose. Language: listening to and following multi-step directions. Directed drawing also builds fine motor control and focus.

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