The Somerset.... British Man-of-War

Guided Drawing Activity

A British Man-of-War was the most fearsome fighting ship of its time. Along each side of its hull were guns and cannons. The Somerset had 84 cannons, and must have been a frightening sight to Paul Revere as he silently rowed across the Charles River to begin his midnight ride.

You can draw the Somerset in silhouette... as Paul Revere must have seen it. With the moon behind it, the masts and spars will look like prison bars.

Draw just the BLACK part in each step. Proceed carefully and you will be proud of your end product.

 

FIRST...

Make a simple background using watercolor, markers or colored pencils (crayons are hard to draw on).

Include:

-A large moon (yellow or white)

-A land shape representing Boston

-Some moon reflection in front.

You will draw the silhouette of the Somerset on top of this background.
  

 Step 1

Draw the hull of the Somerset.

 Step 2

Draw the 3 masts and the bowsprit. Be sure these parts get smaller as they go away from the hull.

 Step 3

Draw the sails. When ships are anchored, their sails are rolled up.

 

  Step 4

Add the spars at the top of each sail and the crow's nest..

 Step 5

Add the rigging. Work carefully! These details will make your ship come alive!

 The British Man-o-War, Somerset.

Then he said good-night, and with muffled oar
Silently rowed to the Charlestown shore,
Just as the moon rose over the bay,
Where swinging wide at her moorings lay
The Somerset, British man-of-war:
A phantom ship, with each mast and spar
Across the moon, like a prison-bar,
And a huge, black hulk, that was magnified
By its own reflection in the tide.

HALL 4