Drawing Of A School Bus

school bus drawing

School Bus Directed Drawing Activity in 6 Easy Steps!

A back to school bus drawing art activity for kids with easy step by step instructions that teachers can use in the classroom.

Back to School Bus Drawing Activity

Kids love to draw, and that's why this back to school bus drawing will be the perfect activity during the first days and weeks of school. Practice following directions, important hand-eye and fine motor coordination skills, and learn a few fun tricks in artistic drawing. Use the drawings to decorate your bulletin board or walls for a cheerful scene. This is just one of the many directed drawings available for teachers – make sure you check out all of them!

Materials for School Bus Drawing

This school bus directed drawing can be adapted for any primary classroom or completed at home with a few simple materials. You will need white art paper, a pencil, an eraser, a fine black marker or Sharpie pen, watercolor paints, and larger paintbrush. I recommend proper paper meant for painting because it can handle the water and shouldn't tear the paper if used properly.

When teaching this art lesson to a class I recommend standing front and center and using a large easel and chart paper to draw on. Students can sit at tables with their supplies. I take things slow and draw each step and give each instruction one at a time. I give my students plenty of time to follow along and ask questions. You will have the most success if you model the lesson this way and take your time.

School Bus Drawing Directions

Below are all the steps for the back to school bus directed drawing art lesson.

Step 1:

Place a large white piece of art paper in landscape orientation. Starting by drawing a curved line at the top of the page that comes straight down on both sides to the middle of the page. Draw a curve and straight line down from the side. Repeat on the other side. Do not come too far down the page to leave room for the bumper and wheels. Connect both sides with a line going across.

Step 2:

Draw two straight lines going across. One near the top of the bus and one near the middle. To complete the bumper, draw another line at the bottom and connect with curved lines on the sides.

Step 3:

Draw two large eyes in the center of the top part of the bus. Draw the eyes one at a time so that they can connect. Add a smaller circle inside each eye. Draw a line going across the middle so it connects both sides. Erase any lines that may have been drawn into the eyes. For the window, draw a curved line going up from the middle on both sides and around the top.

Step 4:

Now add the details. Draw a U shape about an inch wide under the bumper on both sides of the bus for the wheels. Draw a few circles for lights on the front of the bus. Add a smile to the front of bus to give it a mouth. Give the bus ears by drawing a curved line on both sides. Write the word SCHOOL along the top of the bus and draw two more circles for lights.

Step 5:

Use a fine point black marker or Sharpie pen to trace all the lines of your school bus directed drawing. Erase the pencil lines with a good white eraser.

School Bus Drawing Finishing Touches

I usually complete the activity over two days or periods of time. On day one we complete the drawing and the tracing with a black marker. One day two we paint. If your class hasn't used watercolor paints before, you should demonstrate how to make proper brush strokes with a paintbrush and the water to paint ratio. I usually use larger paintbrushes instead of the small ones that are normally included with watercolor paint sets.

Step 6:

Use watercolor paints to paint the body of the school bus first, starting in the center and working your way outward.

I used yellow for the main parts of the bus and other fun colors for the details. Bright colors really pop! Use one color completely before moving on to the next color.

You could continue to paint the background a different color or leave it as is. You could also cut the school bus out and glue onto construction or other special paper.

Once everyone completes their back to school bus directed drawing, place them somewhere to dry completely. Don't make the mistake to hang them or place them upright. Paint and water would drip down onto the pictures. Once dry, I recommend hanging them up or creating a fun bulletin board display for back to school time.

Free School Bus Directed Drawing Printable Instructions

You can download and print the instructions for the back to school bus directed drawing to use in your classroom during your art lesson by clicking the image below.

Directed Drawing Mats

Add directed drawings to your weekly lesson plans to help children follow directions and build drawing skills. There are 5 different directed drawings included each month of Drawing Mats!

Looking for more drawing resources?

The ultimate guide to teaching directed drawing in the classroom. Directed drawing art activities help kids produce masterpieces and build confidence. This guide provides a listing of directed drawing resources, suggested materials, and FREE step by step tutorials. Click HERE to check it out!

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