How To Draw A BMW M5 Competition - Realistic Step-By-Step Tutorial

In this tutorial, I'm going to show you how you can draw a realistic BMW M5 Competition.

I explain every step in detail so you can easily follow along and create your own BMW M5 drawing.

Let's get started!

Disclaimer: In the name of full transparency, please be aware that this blog post contains affiliate links and any purchases made through such links will result in a small commission for me (at no extra cost for you).

How Do You Draw A BMW M5?

To make a realistic drawing of a BMW M5, I first looked for a reference photo I liked.

After that, I created a sketch of the outline of the car using the grid method.

Next, I color the car with alcohol markers starting with the black and the grey parts, before moving on to the main body of the car.

Lastly, I added some details with colored pencils and highlights with a Posca paint marker.

Step 1: Find A Reference Photo Of A BMW M5 You Like

I chose this photo as a reference for the BMW M5 I'm going to draw.

Step 2: Pick The Colors You'll Need To Draw The BMW M5

To make drawings like this one, I like to use alcohol markers.

I used the Ohuhu Honolulu markers in the colors Colorless Blender (0), Cool Grey II 0 (CGII00), Cool Grey II 2 (CG2), Cool Grey II 4 (CGII04), Cool Grey II 9 (CGII09), Black (120), Green Grey 06 9GG060), Light Jade Green Grey (GG040), Green Grey 02 (GG020), Red Grey 03 (RG030), Warm Grey 07 (WG070), Warm Grey 09 (WG090), Neutral Grey 3 (NG03), Neutral Grey 07 (CG070), Neutral Grey 6 (NG06), and Antwerp Blue (B290). (Get a 10% discount here.)

I may have gone a little overboard with all the different grey tones... You don't need all of them to create a realistic drawing. If you have a light, mid, and dark grey, you're fine.

I also used a white and a black Derwent Chromaflow colored pencil and a white Posca PC-3M paint marker for the highlights.

I made this drawing on Canson Illustration Manga paper.

Step 3: Sketch The Outline Of The BMW M5

The first thing you'll need to do if you want to draw a BMW M5 is to sketch the outline of it.

This can be difficult, but to make it easier, I like to use the grid method.

If you're not sure what the grid method is or how to use it, I recommend checking out this guide I wrote about it.

To use the grid method, I first added a grid overlay on the reference photo.

Next, I recreated that grid on my paper. I only sketched the squares I marked out in red on the reference.

Next, I sketched the outline.

I broke each section up into simple lines and marked the points where each of those lines crosses any of the grid lines.

I started with the vertical line on the left as that is an easy line and I always start on the left.

After that, I worked my way up to the hood, the A-pillar, the roof, and the rear of the car.

Lastly, I sketched the wheel arches, the bottom edge on the side, and the lower edge on the front.

Step 4: Sketch The Details Of The BMW M5

After the outline was done, I sketched all the other parts of the BMW, starting with the bigger parts on the front.

I again broke each part up into simple lines and marked where they crossed grid lines before sketching them.

I first did the front bumper.

Then the body lines on the side and the outline of the windshield.

Then, the body lines on the hood and the roof, and the side windows.

Lastly, I sketched the interior and the inside of the headlights.

Step 5: Sketch The Wheels Of The BMW M5

Next up, I sketched the wheels.

I started by sketching the right outline of the tire as you can't really see the left edge of it.

I again looked at where the edge crosses grid lines on the ref and then I marked those points on my sketch.

Next, I sketched the outer rim of the wheel and the center.

After that, I sketched an ellipse that's taller than it is wide in the center of the outer rim. Meaning there is an equal amount of spacing to the left as there is to the right and an equal amount of spacing above as there is below.

As the center of the wheel is a little inset into the wheel it overlaps with this ellipse shape.

Then, I sketched the start of each of the spokes.

The wheel consists of 7 pairs of spokes.

I carefully looked at the reference photo to see what direction the spokes are pointing in and then I sketched them, pair by pair.

I sketched them from the center of the wheel to the small ellipse.

Next, I sketched the remainder of the spokes.

I again carefully looked at the direction the spokes were pointing in, then marked the points where they would attach to the outer rim, and then I sketched them.

Lastly, I added some width to the spokes by sketching a line to the left of the spokes, and I added another rim line you can partially see on the right half of the wheel.

After I did the front wheel, I repeated these steps for the rear wheel.

Step 6: Sketch The Reflections On The BMW M5

To finish the sketch off, I like to mark out where the reflections are going to be.

This makes coloring the body a lot easier later on.

Step 7: Color All Black Parts Of The BMW M5

Now that the sketch is done, the sketch looks a bit intimidating (at least it does to me).

So I like to start with the simplest thing I can do that is hard to mess up: coloring all pure black parts.

I look at the reference photo and look for the pure black parts. When I found one I color that part in my drawing.

Step 8: Color The Wheels Of The BMW M5

After that, I like to get the wheels done.

Now that all the black parts of the wheels are already done, they are a lot easier to color.

I first colored both wheels with CGII08.

Then, I used CGII09 to color the tires and darken some bits of the spokes that looked darker in the reference.

Step 9: Color The Shadow Of The BMW M5

After that, I decided to color the shadow.

I first colored the outer edge with CG2.

Next, I colored the middle part with CGII04 and the inside bit with CGII08.

Lastly, I blended all these greys together.

I blended the dark grey into the black by coloring over the edge of the 2 colors with CGII09.

I blended the CGII08 into the CGII04 by coloring over the edge of these 2 colors with CGII04.

I blended the CGII04 into the CG2 by coloring over the edge of the 2 colors with CG2.

Lastly, I blended the CG2 into the white of the paper by "coloring" over the edge with the colorless blender.

Step 10: Color The Grills Of The BMW M5

Next, I colored the iconic grills of the BMW M5.

I started by coloring the top bit of the vertical lines and the top left corner of each grill, with CG2.

Next, I colored the remainder of the vertical lines in the grills with CGII09.

After that, I colored the top edge of the grills with CG070 and blended that into the lighter bit on the left.

And I darkened the top right edge of both grills with NG06.

Step 11: Color The Headlights Of The BMW M5

After that, I colored the headlights.

I first colored the whole left headlight with CGII00 and the hexagonal-shaped bits on the right headlight.

Next, I added some light shading to the left headlight with CG2 and I colored the light parts of the right headlight.

Then, I added some darker details to the left headlight and colored most of the right headlights except for a few light details with CGII04.

Lastly, I used CGII09 to add 2 thin dark lines above the hexagonal shapes in the left headlight and the inside of the right hexagonal of the right headlight as well as some details on the right and top.

Step 12: Color The Interior And The Windshield Of The BMW M5

Next up, I colored the windshield and the parts of the interior you can see through it.

I started by coloring the side windows with GG040.

Then, I colored the left A-pillar and the rear window with GG060.

After that, I colored the darkest parts of the interior with NG06.

Then, I colored the headrest of the left front seat and the seats in the rear with WG090.

Next, I colored the rest with CG070 except for the left front seat.

Lastly, I used CGII09 to color the bit of the seat and I used it to add some darker shadows all around the interior and windshield.

Step 13: Color The Door Mirrors Of The BMW M5

Then, I colored the door mirrors.

I first colored both mirror caps with CG2.

Next, I colored a darker shape to the right and top of the left mirror and I colored most of the right mirror, except for a thin line around the top and right, with CGII04.

Lastly, I used CGII09 to darken the center of the dark shape on the left mirror cap and I darkened almost the whole right mirror but I again left a light line around the top and right edges.

I also colored the window triangle next to the right mirror with CG070 and the darker line with CGII09.

Step 14: Color The Side Windows Of The BMW M5

Next, I colored the window sills with NG03.

And I colored the bottom right and the bottom left of the side windows with RG030 and a little bit of WG070 in the left corner.

Next, I colored the side window on the right with GG020 and the one on the left with GG040.

Step 15: Color Some Miscellaneous Parts

Next, I colored the dark grey edge above the windshield on the top right.

I transitioned from CG070 to NG03.

Then, I colored the BMW logo on the hood.

I first colored the blue triangles with B290.

Then, I colored the dark grey edge around it with CGII09 and I darkened the white triangles with CG2.

Lastly, I colored the air vent just behind the front wheel with CGII09.

Now everything except for the body is done.

Step 16: Color The Main Body Of The BMW M5

Now onto the last part which is also the biggest: the main body of the BMW M5.

I first lightened the sketch.

Then I colored the lightest parts with CGII00. These are just a few spots on the hood next to reflections and body lines, a bit to the left of the side air vent, the reflection above the rear wheel, and the top edge of the roof.

Next, I used CG2 to color the remainder of the hood and the roof as well as some parts below the grills on the front and some light parts on the side of the M5.

After that, I used CGII04 to color the darker parts on the hood, the lower half of the roof, a few reflections on the side, and the front bumper.

Next, I used WG070 to color the warm grey reflections on the side of the BMW.

And I used WG090 to add the darker warm grey reflections.

Then, I colored the rest of the car with CG070.

To finish it off, I used NG06 to add some dark shading on the parts I just colored with CG070.

I also used CGII09 to add the dark reflections on the top left of the hood.

Step 17: Add Some Details To The BMW M5 With Colored Pencils

Next, I used a black and a white colored pencil to add a few details.

I used the black pencil to add panel gaps around the headlights, the bonnet, etc.

And I used the white pencil to add highlights on the body edges.

Step 18: Add Some Final Highlights To Your BMW M5 Drawing

Lastly, I used my white Posca paint marker to add a few white highlights to the BMW M5.

I added a few in the center of the wheels, and some body edges, but most importantly, I highlighted the hexagonal shapes in the headlights.

And that's how I made this simple yet realistic BMW M5 drawing.

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial as much as I did creating it!

If there were any parts you got stuck on, let me know in the comments or by sending an email to hello@luukminkman.com.

Thank you!

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