How To Draw a Soccer Ball?

Here’s a step by step process.

Step 1 – Draw the Base Circle and Guidelines

Begin by drawing a large, neat circle. This is the outer boundary of the soccer ball, so take your time to make it as round as possible.
Add a vertical guideline straight down the center of the circle to help keep the design symmetrical.
Draw a horizontal guideline across the middle of the circle, intersecting the vertical line like a cross.
Lightly sketch a second faint circle just inside the first if you want a cleaner edge later—this helps when refining the final outline.
Keep all guidelines very light; they are only there to help place the panels evenly.
Check spacing: the cross should divide the circle into four roughly equal sections, which will guide the placement of the center panel in the next step.
Avoid adding any pattern yet—focus only on a clean circle and centered guidelines.

In the center of the ball, draw a pentagon (5-sided shape). This is the classic central panel seen on many soccer balls.
Angle the pentagon slightly so it doesn’t look perfectly flat; in the reference, it tilts subtly to give a more 3D feel.
From the pentagon’s corners, lightly draw short guiding lines outward to suggest where surrounding panels will connect.
Make sure the pentagon sits comfortably inside the circle, leaving enough space around it for additional shapes.
Refine the pentagon edges so they are straight but still slightly hand-drawn—don’t over-stiffen them.
Recheck proportions: the pentagon should be large enough to be the focal panel, but not so large that it crowds the outer edge.

Around the center pentagon, begin drawing the connected panels—mostly hexagon-like shapes that wrap around it.
Add panel edges segment by segment, using the circle boundary and the faint guide lines to keep spacing even.
Curve the outer panel lines slightly where they approach the edge of the ball to suggest the ball’s round surface.
Continue adding panels across the top and sides, ensuring that each shape connects cleanly at the corners.
Keep line weight light while constructing—this stage is about fitting the pattern correctly without harsh outlines.
Step back occasionally to check symmetry and balance: the pattern should feel evenly distributed rather than clustered on one side.
Once the pattern is complete, lightly erase or soften any unnecessary guide marks inside the panels.

Darken and clean up the final outline of the ball, making the outer circle crisp and confident.
Fill in the center pentagon with a darker tone (solid shading or dense cross-hatching), matching the reference.
Shade a few other selected patches (the dark panels around the sides) to create the classic black-and-white soccer ball look.
Add soft shading on the lighter panels too—especially near edges and overlaps—to give the ball a more 3D, rounded feel.
Draw a cast shadow beneath the ball as a horizontal, slightly oval dark area, heavier directly under the ball and lighter as it spreads outward.
Blend the shadow gently with light pencil strokes so it looks grounded rather than a hard outline.
Erase any leftover construction lines (like the center cross) so only the finished pattern, shading, and shadow remain clean.