When it comes to movies that have made huge impacts on pop culture, Star Wars is definitely at the top of the list. With several films, books, animated series, TV shows and video games, it is safe to say that the influence Star Wars has in popular media isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. One of the most iconic symbols of this beloved franchise is the lightsaber, with fans of all ages and backgrounds instantly recognising the humming and buzzing sound effects the energy sword makes.
This powerful weapon is something many fans of the franchise wish to own in real life, and thanks to modern technology, high-end replica lightsabers like the Darth Revan Neopixel lightsaber are now easily available to fans.
In addition to replica lightsabers, lightsaber customisation has also created a way for fans to immerse themselves in the world of Star Wars while adding their own creative touches to their lightsabers.
In order to create your very own personalised lightsaber, you will need to have an idea of what you want the saber to look like, and one of the first steps to bringing your idea to life is to actually draw the saber you want. Below is a step by step guide on how to draw a lightsaber and recreate the amazing weapon you want.
Step 1- Drawing the Laser Blade of the Lightsaber
Start by drawing a straight line that will serve as one side of the lightsaber’s blade. You can draw this with a solid black line to give the drawing some definition or you can create the line with a light pencil and colour the outline later. Draw a second straight line parallel to the first line you drew. This will form the opposite side of the blade.
Once you are satisfied with the way both parallel lines look, proceed to connect them at both ends (top and bottom) using short curved lines. This way, the blade of the saber is fully enclosed. To add an emitter shroud to the blade, draw a small trapezoid at the bottom of the blade.
Step 2- Drawing the Saber’s Hilt/Handle
The lightsaber’s hilt serves as both its handle and housing for its electronics. Each lightsaber from the Star Wars universe has its own unique handle and if you want, you can look up a picture of your favourite character’s lightsaber and add some of its details to your drawing.
To draw a basic lightsaber hilt, start by extending a straight line from the saber’s emitter shroud to form one side of the hilt, then draw another parallel straight line and connect it to the first line with a short curved line that will enclose the hilt.
Step 3- Adding Details to the Hilt
Now that you have a basic outline of your saber’s hilt, you can proceed to add some details to it. You can draw a line across the lower base of the hilt and enclose a partial triangle right outside of the hilt below that line. To add the saber’s activation lever or switch, draw another small trapezoid or rectangle on top of the hilt. You can also draw more curved lines across the hilt to serve as ridges and a small sharp or knob shape at the bottom to form the pommel.
Finish Off With Some Colour
The final step of lightsaber drawing is the addition of colour. As you probably already know, there are deeper meanings behind the different colours that lightsabers have, so you would want to choose your colours carefully. If you’re modelling your lightsaber after a specific character, it may be a good idea to colour your lightsaber’s blade with the appropriate colour. Colours you can use for your blade include; blue, red, green, purple, orange, yellow, magenta, cyan, and black. Lightsaber hilts are typically black, grey or silver, but you can really pick any colour that matches your preferences.
If you’ve been using a pencil to draw the outline of your lightsaber, using a darker version of whatever colour you choose would be best for colouring the centre of the blade. Progressively using lighter colour shades around the area surrounding the blade can also make the blade look like it’s giving off light.
Alternatively, you can use a harsh art medium-like coloured marker for the blade’s centre and a soft watercolour for the outer edge.
To really make your lightsaber drawing stand out, get creative with colours. You can also add an inscription to the hilt to make it unique.
Conclusion
Part of the process of creating your own personalised lightsaber is visualising what you want it to look like in your mind and on paper. However, as simple as the structure and shape of lightsabers are, drawing them can be tricky. Hopefully, this guide has been able to simplify things for you.