Mech Idea Generator

Press the button for one mech to draw: its frame, its job, the cockpit, the paint and one flaw.

Mech Idea Generator: 30 mechs

A mech with two legs, a boxy hull and a spare arm stowed on the back. Built for walking a power line to check every pylon. The pilot rides in a crow's nest on a mast above the hull. Markings: crane yellow with black stripes on every knee. Its flaw: it cannot turn left without stopping first.

Padlock: keep a part. Arrows: change only that part.

The frametwo legs, a boxy hull and a spare arm stowed on the back
Built forwalking a power line to check every pylon
The pilot ridesin a crow's nest on a mast above the hull
Markingscrane yellow with black stripes on every knee
Its flawit cannot turn left without stopping first

History (0)

Every mech you make is kept here, newest first, up to the last 20. The list stays in this browser.

Mech of the day

A mech with two legs, a boxy hull and a spare arm stowed on the back. Built for walking a power line to check every pylon. The pilot rides in a crow's nest on a mast above the hull. Markings: crane yellow with black stripes on every knee. Its flaw: it cannot turn left without stopping first.
A mech with eight thin legs, a small hull and two clamps beneath it. Built for raising the masts of tall ships. The pilot rides facing backward, steering by a row of mirrors. Markings: bare steel worn silver wherever a joint rubs the hull. Its flaw: it sways in any wind strong enough to lift a hat.
A mech with two long legs, a small hull and one folding arm. Built for carrying a mapmaker and her instruments across a desert. The pilot rides in an armchair bolted down behind a screen of wire mesh. Markings: a compass rose on top, where only birds see it. Its flaw: it frightens horses and fascinates cows.
A mech with six stout legs, a wedge hull and a grabber at the front. Built for following a herd of wild horses without scaring it. The pilot rides on a bench at the front, under a canvas awning. Markings: a name in looping letters across the front. Its flaw: one foot always lands harder than the others.
A mech with four legs that fold under it and one arm on a turntable. Built for testing the depth of a marsh for a new road. The pilot rides in a cab hung on springs, so it stays level. Markings: a mural of mountains wrapped round the whole hull. Its flaw: it drifts to the right over any long distance.
A mech with four legs, a hull that swivels and arms on both sides. Built for setting lobster pots along a reef. The pilot rides in a seat on rails that slides from side to side. Markings: signal orange, with white bands round the legs. Its flaw: the fuel gauge reads half full at all times.
A mech with four short legs, a long hull and a grabber at each end. Built for raising a circus big top before the first show. The pilot rides in an armchair bolted down behind a screen of wire mesh. Markings: signal orange, with white bands round the legs. Its flaw: birds nest in it every spring and may not be moved.
A mech with six legs in two rows and one arm that reaches all round. Built for planting full-grown trees along a new avenue. The pilot rides under a dome of scratched glass at the very top. Markings: sun-faded on one side and bright on the other. Its flaw: the heater is either off or far too hot.
A mech with eight legs round a drum hull and one arm on top. Built for pacing out the border between two counties. The pilot rides deep in the hull, steering by periscope. Markings: dust-colored, whatever it was painted before. Its flaw: it cannot turn left without stopping first.
A mech with eight legs round a drum hull and one arm on top. Built for searching dry riverbeds for fossils after rain. The pilot rides facing backward, steering by a row of mirrors. Markings: a compass rose on top, where only birds see it. Its flaw: the heater is either off or far too hot.
A mech with four thick legs, a low hull and one scoop-handed arm. Built for testing the depth of a marsh for a new road. The pilot rides deep in the hull, steering by periscope. Markings: sky blue with a checkered band round the hull. Its flaw: it creaks before rain, a full day ahead.
A mech with two legs, a round hull and arms of unequal length. Built for searching dry riverbeds for fossils after rain. The pilot rides deep in the hull, steering by periscope. Markings: a dented hull hammered smooth and painted with a brush. Its flaw: it drips one drop of oil at every stop, like a signature.
A mech with six legs, the front pair doubling as arms. Built for collecting rock samples from the rim of a quiet crater. The pilot rides behind a low rail at the rear, looking forward. Markings: flames along the legs, done carefully and badly. Its flaw: it leans a little, and nobody can find out why.
A mech with eight thin legs, a small hull and two clamps beneath it. Built for easing stranded whales back into deep water. The pilot rides deep in the hull, steering by periscope. Markings: black, with a yellow chevron on each foot. Its flaw: children follow it through every town, slowing the work.
A mech with six padded legs and arms that fold away into the hull. Built for counting the trees of a forest too steep for roads. The pilot rides far at the back, with a long view over the whole hull. Markings: fresh paint only where the inspector looks. Its flaw: its lamps draw every moth in the county.
A mech with six legs in two rows and one arm that reaches all round. Built for standing in a river as a bridge until a new one is built. The pilot rides in a sidecar bolted to one flank. Markings: three old colors showing where the newest has chipped. Its flaw: it takes a full minute to sit down.
A mech with two legs set far apart and a grabber on each side. Built for unloading crates from ships too big for the dock. The pilot rides on a bicycle seat between two long handlebars. Markings: safety yellow below, bare metal above. Its flaw: it starts on the fourth try, never the first three.
A mech with two slim legs, a tall hull and arms folded like a mantis. Built for carrying anchors from the forge to the slipway. The pilot rides in a cab reached by a rope ladder nobody likes. Markings: one checkerboard foot, the other feet left plain. Its flaw: it settles overnight and is never quite where it was parked.
A mech with four legs, a hull that swivels and arms on both sides. Built for setting the glass in the roof of a botanical dome. The pilot rides in a basket hung from the front, like a balloonist. Markings: fresh paint only where the inspector looks. Its flaw: it is slightly too tall for its own shed.
A mech with four thin legs, a high hull and arms that reach down. Built for standing in a river as a bridge until a new one is built. The pilot rides in a basket hung from the front, like a balloonist. Markings: chalk notes all over it from the last repair crew. Its flaw: the manual is for another model, two sizes smaller.
A mech with ten small legs like a caterpillar and two arms up front. Built for towing broken-down trains to the next station. The pilot rides in a crow's nest on a mast above the hull. Markings: the pilot's dog, in profile, on one flank. Its flaw: it settles overnight and is never quite where it was parked.
A mech with two long legs, a small hull and one folding arm. Built for dredging silt from a harbor mouth between tides. The pilot rides on a bicycle seat between two long handlebars. Markings: fresh paint only where the inspector looks. Its flaw: an arm answers half a second after the lever moves.
A mech with four legs bent like a spider's and two short claws. Built for towing broken-down trains to the next station. The pilot rides in a cab hung on springs, so it stays level. Markings: crane yellow with black stripes on every knee. Its flaw: it climbs well and has to be talked down.
A mech with six legs, the front pair doubling as arms. Built for counting the trees of a forest too steep for roads. The pilot rides standing at a ship's wheel on an open deck. Markings: flames along the legs, done carefully and badly. Its flaw: it has no reverse, only a long way round.
A mech with four legs, a flat deck on top and a small arm beside it. Built for counting the trees of a forest too steep for roads. The pilot rides on a tractor seat with an umbrella clamped beside it. Markings: small white tick marks, one for each job done. Its flaw: it frightens horses and fascinates cows.
A mech with four legs with split feet and one arm out front. Built for raising a circus big top before the first show. The pilot rides under a dome of scratched glass at the very top. Markings: white all over, with a blue ring round every joint. Its flaw: the compass points at the engine.
A mech with four short legs, a long hull and a grabber at each end. Built for unloading crates from ships too big for the dock. The pilot rides in a seat that swivels to face whichever way it walks. Markings: mud to the knees and clean above. Its flaw: the compass points at the engine.
A mech with eight legs round a drum hull and one arm on top. Built for setting the glass in the roof of a botanical dome. The pilot rides behind a low rail at the rear, looking forward. Markings: cream and dark green, like an old delivery van. Its flaw: it creaks before rain, a full day ahead.
A mech with four legs, a hull that swivels and arms on both sides. Built for righting overturned trucks on an icy highway. The pilot rides in a narrow cab lined with switches labeled by hand. Markings: sun-faded on one side and bright on the other. Its flaw: the fuel gauge reads half full at all times.
A mech with four legs that end in wheels and a pair of working arms. Built for walking buoys out to their moorings at low tide. The pilot rides in a cab that lowers to the ground on its own small crane. Markings: sky blue with a checkered band round the hull. Its flaw: children follow it through every town, slowing the work.

Next step Design the pilot Pick a palette for the paint

The frame: all 36 frames

Two legs 12

two backward-bending legs and a pair of long arms The knees point backward. Start each leg as a Z.
two bowed legs and one arm much heavier than the other It leans away from the heavy arm to stay upright. Draw that lean.
two legs on snowshoe feet and a hook on a boom Feet as broad ovals. The boom swings out sideways, past the line of the feet.

Show all 36 frames (33 more)

Two legs, continued

two legs set far apart and a grabber on each side Draw the gap between the legs first: a doorway other things can pass through.
two legs, a boxy hull and a spare arm stowed on the back The spare is strapped on like a ladder on a van. Show the buckles.
two legs, a hunched back and hands with three fingers The hull tips forward over the toes. Three fingers read as a tool, five as a person.
two legs, a round hull and arms of unequal length The long arm reaches and the short one steadies. Give them different hands.
two long legs, a small hull and one folding arm Mostly leg. Show the arm folded flat against the side, like a wing.
two pillar legs and arms that hang past the knees An ape's stance. Keep the hands near the ground and the weight low.
two short legs under a hull as wide as a barn door A wide box on two stubs. Stand a person by one foot to give the scale.
two slim legs, a tall hull and arms folded like a mantis Forearms tucked up under the front, elbows out. A thin shape against the sky.
two telescoping legs and arms that end in clamps Draw it twice beside the same doorway: legs short, then legs long.

Four legs 12

four legs as straight as fence posts and two front arms Straight legs and square corners. It looks like furniture until an arm moves.
four legs bent like a spider's and two short claws Knees stand higher than the hull, and the hull hangs between them.
four legs that end in wheels and a pair of working arms It rolls on roads and steps over walls. Lift one leg with its wheel still spinning.
four legs that fold under it and one arm on a turntable Show it kneeling, belly on the ground, with only the arm at work.
four legs with split feet and one arm out front Each foot spreads into two toes for grip. Press the toes into soft ground.
four legs, a flat deck on top and a small arm beside it The deck carries the load. Pile it with crates and rope them down.
four legs, a hull that swivels and arms on both sides Twist the top half a quarter turn from the legs to show the swivel.
four legs, the back pair longer, like a hare The hull tilts nose down at rest. Coil the back legs as if about to spring.
four short legs, a long hull and a grabber at each end A dachshund's proportions. Neither end is the front until it starts to walk.
four splayed legs and a crane arm on the back Feet land at the corners of a wide square. The crane rides folded over the hull.
four thick legs, a low hull and one scoop-handed arm Built like an ox. Thicken the lines of the legs and keep the hull near the ground.
four thin legs, a high hull and arms that reach down A water tower that walks. Leave a lot of sky between the legs.

Six legs and more 12

eight legs round a drum hull and one arm on top Seen from above it is a clock face with eight hands. Try that view.
eight legs, a hull in two jointed halves and two arms Bend it round a street corner, like a bus with a joint in the middle.
eight thin legs, a small hull and two clamps beneath it The load hangs under the hull. Draw the legs as a cage round it.
six legs in two rows and one arm that reaches all round The arm sits in the middle of the roof. A dotted circle shows how far it reaches.
six legs that lock straight and one heavy lifting arm Locked legs are plain columns. Draw it mid-lift, with every knee a straight line.
six legs that step three at a time and two fine hands Three feet down, three in the air. Give the hands something small and breakable.
six legs, the front pair doubling as arms When the front pair is busy it rears up on the other four, like a horse.
six long legs, a tiny hull and arms as thin as fishing rods Nearly all line and hardly any mass. Use the thinnest pen you own.
six padded legs and arms that fold away into the hull Round the feet like cushions. With the arms shut it is a smooth pod on legs.
six short legs, a long deck and a pair of loader arms A walking flatbed. Keep the deck dead level, whatever the legs are doing.
six stout legs, a wedge hull and a grabber at the front A wedge points where it is going. Lower the nose and raise the tail.
ten small legs like a caterpillar and two arms up front Let a ripple run along the legs: bunched at one point, spread at another.

How this list was compiled: Original list written for Draw This Next on 2026-10-16. Made up for this list: walking frames with two, four, six or more legs, every one with at least one arm or grabber, so any job on the page can be done by any frame. No frame is a machine from a show, a film, a game or a model kit, and none carries a weapon. One statement was read on 2026-10-16 in English Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): in science fiction, mechs are giant robots or machines, typically walking vehicles, and they differ from robots in being piloted from a cockpit (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mecha). The notes are our own drawing advice. Licence: own work

Built for: all 48 jobs

Rescue 12

bringing cats down from the tallest trees in the county A huge hand cupped under a branch, and a very small, unimpressed cat.
bringing stranded climbers down from a ledge An open palm held against the rock face, and a small figure stepping onto it.
carrying a doctor and her bags across washed-out roads She rides on one forearm and holds on to her hat. The road ends in a ragged edge.

Show all 48 jobs (45 more)

Rescue, continued

clearing rockfalls from a pass before the mail comes through A boulder at arm's length over the drop, and a mail van waiting with its lamps on.
digging paths through deep snow to cut-off villages A trench behind it with walls taller than a person, and chimney smoke ahead.
easing stranded whales back into deep water A sling of wet canvas, a rising tide, and the mech leaning back against the weight.
holding up a sagging roof until everyone is out Arms straight overhead, braced. Put a doorway and a few small figures in the gap below.
lifting fallen trees off mountain roads after storms One trunk held level in both hands, and a line of waiting cars below.
righting overturned trucks on an icy highway The truck is halfway up, at a steep tilt. Scatter grit under the mech's feet.
standing in a river as a bridge until a new one is built It stands still while planks cross its back. A cart is halfway over.
towing broken-down trains to the next station A rope over one side, a whole train behind, and passengers leaning out to watch.
towing stalled cars out of flooded streets Water to the ankles, a tow chain pulled taut, and ripples spreading from each step.

Building 12

carrying a telescope mirror up a mountain unscratched The mirror rides face up in a padded cradle and reflects the clouds. Draw the clouds twice.
cutting canal locks through a chalk hill White walls of cut chalk on both sides, and the mech pale with dust to the knees.
hanging the bells in a clock tower A bell lowered through the open top of a tower. Size the bell against a person.
laying railway track across a salt flat A dead-straight line of rail to the horizon, and a stack of ties under one arm.
moving whole houses to higher ground A house carried whole, curtains still in the windows and the porch lamp left on.
planting full-grown trees along a new avenue A tree held upright by the trunk, its root ball in burlap, and a row of holes ahead.
raising a circus big top before the first show A center pole going up, canvas billowing, and performers watching in costume.
raising barn frames in a single afternoon A wooden frame tipped halfway up, with long shadows to show it is late in the day.
setting bridge girders across a river gorge A girder balanced over empty air, and a worker on the far cliff guiding it by hand signal.
setting the glass in the roof of a botanical dome A pane carried flat, catching the sky. Palm leaves press at the glass from inside.
stacking the stones of a seawall one by one One block in the grip, a gap that exactly fits it, and spray coming over the top.
swapping the scenery of an opera house between acts A painted castle in one hand and a painted forest in the other, seen from backstage.

Survey 12

carrying a mapmaker and her instruments across a desert A brass tripod set up on the hull, and a sun shade made from a map.
charting caves too wide for ropes One lamp beam crossing a huge dark space. Leave most of the page black.
collecting rock samples from the rim of a quiet crater Rows of labeled sample tins along one flank, and a little steam drifting behind.
counting the trees of a forest too steep for roads The canopy hides all but the hull, which moves through the leaves like a boat.
following a herd of wild horses without scaring it Place it far back and low, mid-step, with the herd calm in the foreground.
following a river from its mouth to find the spring The river narrows up the page to a thread. Put the mech at the thread.
hauling a weather station up a ridge each autumn Spinning cups and a wind vane strapped to its back, and yellow leaves blowing past.
measuring a glacier by walking its whole length Blue ice, long crevasse shadows, and one tiny mech shape to show the size of the ice.
pacing out the border between two counties A line of stakes with small flags behind it, each a stride from the last.
searching dry riverbeds for fossils after rain It kneels, one hand brushing gravel off a spiral shape the size of a cartwheel.
testing the depth of a marsh for a new road One leg sunk, one arm holding a striped measuring pole, and reeds bent flat behind.
walking a power line to check every pylon Draw it face to face with a pylon of its own height, like two strangers meeting.

Harbor work 12

carrying anchors from the forge to the slipway An anchor over its back like a pickax, one fluke still glowing dull red.
dredging silt from a harbor mouth between tides A scoop streaming muddy water, and gulls following for whatever turns up.
holding ships steady while their hulls are scraped Both hands flat against a tilted ship, and workers on planks scraping below.
lifting fishing boats out of the water for winter A boat cradled like a loaf, dripping, with the keel and propeller in full view.
mending the breakwater after every winter storm A gap in a long stone arm, waves coming through, and a block lowered into place.
raising the masts of tall ships A mast held upright beside the mech and taller than it is. Riggers wait on deck.
setting lobster pots along a reef A string of pots dangling from one arm like charms on a bracelet.
stacking shipping containers in a crosswind One container swinging off true, its cables at an angle. Flags show the wind.
swinging cargo nets aboard before the tide turns A bulging net at the top of its swing, and a harbor clock in the background.
towing barges through a canal too narrow for tugs It walks the towpath like a horse, rope over one side, the barge low in the water.
unloading crates from ships too big for the dock It stands in the shallows beside the ship and passes crates ashore over its own hull.
walking buoys out to their moorings at low tide A buoy under one arm, chain trailing, and wet sand that mirrors the legs.

How this list was compiled: Original list written for Draw This Next on 2026-10-16. Made up for this list: civilian work for a large piloted machine, in rescue, building, survey and harbor work. No job is a battle, a duel or a patrol, nobody is hurt in any entry, and no place, company or service is named. The notes are our own drawing advice. Licence: own work

The pilot rides: all 36 pilot's seats

Inside the hull 12

behind a round porthole at the front of the hull One circle with a face in it. Light the face from the instrument panel below.
behind a windshield with one hand-cranked wiper A clean fan shape wiped on a dirty pane, and the pilot's eyes in the fan.
deep in the hull, steering by periscope No window at all. A thin tube sticks out of the top with a glint at its tip.

Show all 36 pilot's seats (33 more)

Inside the hull, continued

far at the back, with a long view over the whole hull From the pilot's seat the machine fills the lower half of the window. Draw that view.
in a cab hung on springs, so it stays level Tilt the hull on a slope and keep the floor line of the cab flat inside it.
in a cabin with a kettle, a bunk and one small window A lit window with a curtain. A cutaway view would show a whole tiny room.
in a glass cab on top, like a crane driver's A small glass box, with the seat and the back of a head showing through it.
in a narrow cab lined with switches labeled by hand Strips of tape with handwriting under each switch, a few of them crossed out.
in a seat that swivels to face whichever way it walks Windows all round. Turn the pilot's back to the direction the hull points.
in an armchair bolted down behind a screen of wire mesh Crosshatch the mesh lightly and leave the pilot a soft shape behind it.
low at the front, close enough to read road signs Set the window at the height of a street lamp and put a sign beside it.
under a dome of scratched glass at the very top Curved highlights on the dome, and fine scratches that catch the light.

Out in the weather 12

behind a low rail at the rear, looking forward A figure seen from behind, elbows on the rail, and the land opening ahead.
in a basket hung from the front, like a balloonist A square basket on four ropes. Sandbags along the rim finish the joke.
in a crow's nest on a mast above the hull A barrel on a pole with a head and a telescope showing. It sways as the mech walks.
in a sidecar bolted to one flank Goggles and a leather cap. The sidecar has a tiny windshield of its own.
in a wicker chair bolted to a platform on the back Woven texture against plate steel. A blanket hangs over one arm of the chair.
in an open saddle on top, in all weather An oilskin coat, a scarf blown flat, and both hands on a pair of tall levers.
on a bench at the front, under a canvas awning The awning sags with rainwater. A lunch pail sits on the bench.
on a bicycle seat between two long handlebars Knees up, elbows out. From a distance the pilot looks like a cyclist in midair.
on a plank across the top, boots dangling A relaxed pose in a high place. Add a thermos and a folded newspaper.
on a tractor seat with an umbrella clamped beside it A striped umbrella, very small, on a very large machine.
standing at a ship's wheel on an open deck Feet apart, wheel at chest height, and a rail all round with a life ring on it.
strapped into a harness slung beneath the hull Boots hang free above the ground. The view is forward and straight down.

Odd arrangements 12

beside a second seat that nobody has ever used Two seats, one worn and one still wrapped. Hang a coat on the wrapped one.
facing backward, steering by a row of mirrors Five mirrors on stalks, each with a slice of road in it.
in a cab reached by a rope ladder nobody likes A long ladder swinging free, and a pilot a third of the way up, looking down.
in a cab shared with the engine, earplugs on a string Pipes run past both elbows. Heat shimmer rises from the roof vent.
in a cab that can unhook and walk off by itself A small walker beside its big body, like a chick beside a hen.
in a cab that lowers to the ground on its own small crane Show the cab halfway down, the pilot waving, the door already open.
in a cab that turns to follow the pilot's gaze Point the cab one way and the legs another. The eye follows the cab.
in a hammock, because the seat was never delivered A sling between two brackets, and levers lengthened with broom handles to reach it.
in a seat built too small, for the designer's niece Knees against the dashboard and head bent under the roof. Pad the roof with a cushion.
in a seat on rails that slides from side to side Draw the rail across the front and the seat at one end, the pilot leaning out to see.
in the old cab of a truck, welded on whole Keep the truck's door, mirror and mud flaps. A faded company name is past reading.
lying face down, looking through a glass floor Seen from below: a face and two flat hands behind glass on the underside.

How this list was compiled: Original list written for Draw This Next on 2026-10-16. Made up for this list: places for one pilot, placed by hull, front, back, top and underside so that each fits a frame with any number of legs. No cockpit is taken from a show, a film, a game or a model kit. The notes are our own drawing advice. Licence: own work

Markings: all 36 paint schemes

Work colors 12

black, with a yellow chevron on each foot Black metal is drawn with its highlights. The chevrons point the way it walks.
brick red with white reflectors down each leg At night, draw only the reflectors: dotted lines walking through the dark.
crane yellow with black stripes on every knee Yellow wants a blue or violet shadow. Run the stripes round the joint, not across it.

Show all 36 paint schemes (33 more)

Work colors, continued

cream and dark green, like an old delivery van Two colors split at a neat line, with a thin gold pinstripe between them.
dull green, and a white number stenciled on each side Stencil numerals have gaps in them. Leave the little bridges in the 0 and the 8.
matte blue, with reflective tape along every edge Outline it in dashes of white. In headlights the tape is all that shows.
pale gray with one red stripe along the hull One stripe makes a long machine look longer. Break it where a panel was replaced.
safety yellow below, bare metal above Put the color where people walk past it. Higher up, cool gray with hard highlights.
signal orange, with white bands round the legs Set it in fog. Fade everything else to gray and leave the orange at full strength.
sky blue with a checkered band round the hull The checks bend with the curve of the hull. Narrow them toward the edges.
two shades of gray and one bright orange arm The color marks the part that moves. Keep the onlookers on the gray side.
white all over, with a blue ring round every joint Leave the paper bare for the paint. Ink the rings and a few shadows, and stop.

Painted by hand 12

a child's blue handprints along one leg They stop at the height a child can reach on tiptoe.
a compass rose on top, where only birds see it A view from above is the only way to show it. Lay a gull's shadow across north.
a lucky number, painted larger every time it is redone Ghosts of the smaller numbers show inside the newest one.
a mural of mountains wrapped round the whole hull The painted skyline will not match the real one behind it. Use the mismatch.
a name in looping letters across the front Paint it as a sign painter would, a little uneven at the ends. You pick the name.
a painted necktie down the front of the hull Striped, with a knot at the top. Suddenly the machine is dressed for an office.
a painted sunflower as tall as the pilot Stand the pilot beside it for a photograph, level with the flower.
eyes painted on the front, a little too close together Two white ovals with black dots. The whole machine becomes a face.
flames along the legs, done carefully and badly Wobbly licks of red and yellow, all the same size, like a row of tulips.
one checkerboard foot, the other feet left plain Squares the size of a paving slab. Scuff the ones near the toe.
the pilot's dog, in profile, on one flank Life size and at dog height, so the real dog can sit beside its portrait.
small white tick marks, one for each job done Bundles of five, crossed through, in rows. The newest row is the brightest.

Worn and repainted 12

a dented hull hammered smooth and painted with a brush Brush marks show in raking light. Let the highlight wobble over the old dents.
bare steel worn silver wherever a joint rubs the hull Shiny arcs mark the reach of each limb, like the sweep of a door on a floor.
chalk notes all over it from the last repair crew Arrows, circles and a few words: tighten, replace, ask. Chalk smears where rain ran.
dust-colored, whatever it was painted before One hue for machine and ground. Separate them with shadow, not outline.
fresh paint only where the inspector looks A neat bright rectangle at eye level, and everything round it left to weather.
inspection stamps in a neat row, some long out of date Small squares with dates you invent. The newest sits a little crooked.
the last owner's name, painted over but still readable Raised letters under flat paint: draw them with shadow alone.
mud to the knees and clean above A sharp tide line of dried mud, cracking, with fresh splashes over it.
rust the color of tea everywhere but the handrails Hands keep the rails bright. Everything else gets a warm brown wash.
stickers from every town it has worked in Overlapping rectangles and circles, peeling at the corners, thickest low down.
sun-faded on one side and bright on the other Chalky against saturated. The faded side is the one that faces the sun where it parks.
three old colors showing where the newest has chipped Chips have layers. Ring each bare spot with thin bands of the older coats.

How this list was compiled: Original list written for Draw This Next on 2026-10-16. Made up for this list: colors, hand-painted marks and wear. No scheme is the livery of a real company, service or country, none is an emblem from a show, a film or a game, and none names the job, so any scheme reads beside any job. The notes are our own drawing advice. Licence: own work

Its flaw: all 36 flaws

How it moves 12

it cannot turn left without stopping first A map with a route drawn entirely in right turns, pinned beside the pilot.
it climbs well and has to be talked down At the top of a slope, feet together, with a person below pointing where to step.
it drifts to the right over any long distance Tracks curving gently off a straight road, a sharp correction, then the curve again.

Show all 36 flaws (33 more)

How it moves, continued

it has no reverse, only a long way round A wide loop of footprints in a town square, where a car would have backed up.
it leans a little, and nobody can find out why Tilt every vertical a hair. A plumb line hung from the hull shows the gap.
it sinks to the ankles in anything softer than gravel Planks carried under one arm, to lay ahead of itself across a field.
it stops dead whenever it steps on a manhole cover One foot frozen on an iron disk, and the pilot's hands thrown up.
it stumbles on the first step of every morning Dawn light, one knee buckled, and a mug spilling in the pilot's hand.
it sways in any wind strong enough to lift a hat A flying hat, and the mech bent the same way as the trees.
it takes a full minute to sit down A sequence of four poses, each a little lower, with someone checking a watch.
it walks a beat slower than the pilot expects The pilot leans forward, already at the next step.
one foot always lands harder than the others One deep print in each set of tracks. Follow the line of them down a road.

Controls and power 12

an arm answers half a second after the lever moves Draw the hand in dotted line where it was meant to be, and in ink where it is.
the brake and the horn share a pedal Startled birds lifting off at every stop.
the compass points at the engine A compass needle aimed at the pilot's own feet, and a paper map in use instead.
the fuel gauge reads half full at all times A needle dead center, and a dipstick kept within reach for the truth.
the gauges are all correct and all mislabeled Dials with paper labels pasted over the printed ones, in three people's writing.
the heater is either off or far too hot A pilot in a winter coat with the window open, or in shirtsleeves in the snow.
it overheats on any hill and has to rest at the top Steam from every vent, panels propped open, and a view over the valley.
it starts on the fourth try, never the first three Three puffs of smoke drifting away, and a fourth just leaving the exhaust.
its grip is feather-light or crushing, never between A crushed barrel beside an untouched egg.
its lamps point a little away from where it is going Two pools of light on the verge, and the road ahead in the dark.
the manual is for another model, two sizes smaller A thick book open on the pilot's knee, with half the diagrams crossed out.
one lever does two things, depending on the weather A handwritten tag on the lever: rain, see other side.

Noise and habits 12

birds nest in it every spring and may not be moved Straw sticking out of a joint, and the mech parked with a sign hung on it.
children follow it through every town, slowing the work A tail of small figures behind it, one on a bicycle, one walking backward.
it creaks before rain, a full day ahead Blue sky, a farmer with a hand to one ear, and laundry coming in early.
it drips one drop of oil at every stop, like a signature A dotted trail of dark spots that shows everywhere it paused.
it frightens horses and fascinates cows A fence line: horses at the far end, cows crowded against the near rail.
it is slightly too tall for its own shed A notch cut in the top of the door frame, in the exact shape of the hull.
it leaves footprints that fill with rain and stay A chain of small ponds across a field, with ducks on the oldest.
it rattles every window in a street as it passes Wavy lines round each windowpane, and a row of faces looking out.
it settles overnight and is never quite where it was parked Chalk outlines of the feet on the yard floor, and the feet a stride outside them.
it smells of hot pennies whenever it works hard Smell is drawn as a thin curl. People nearby wrinkle their noses.
it whistles through a gap nobody has found A mechanic with one ear against a leg, and a rag stuffed in the wrong hole.
its lamps draw every moth in the county A soft cloud of pale flecks round each light, and bats at the edge of the glow.

How this list was compiled: Original list written for Draw This Next on 2026-10-16. Made up for this list: faults in how a walking machine moves, how its controls behave and what it does to the neighborhood. Each is a nuisance and none is a danger: nobody is hurt in any entry. The notes are our own drawing advice. Licence: own work

How it works

This mech idea generator deals a piloted walking machine as a short drawing brief. Every mech has a job and no weapon: it rescues, builds, surveys or works a harbor.

Read the full guide

Seat the pilot first

A mech is sized by the person inside it. Mark where the pilot rides, in a wicker chair bolted to a platform on the back or behind a round porthole at the front of the hull, and draw that figure before anything else. Then build the machine round it.

The flaw sets the pose

A machine that works perfectly is a diagram. One that cannot turn left without stopping first has a pilot who plans every route in right turns. Put the flaw in the pose, and let the paint say how long the two have worked together.

Add one thing at human scale to every drawing: a ladder, a lunch pail, a coat on a hook.
Plant the feet flat and give them weight. A mech that floats above the ground reads as a toy.

Questions and answers

How do you come up with a mech design?

Decide three things in order: how many legs, what the job is and where the pilot rides. The job picks the hands, such as a scoop for dredging silt from a harbor mouth between tides. Paint and one flaw come last.

What is the difference between a mech and a robot?

Usually the pilot. In science fiction a mech is a giant machine, typically a walking one, driven from a cockpit, where a robot acts for itself. Every result here has a pilot. For a machine with its own mind, deal a robot character instead.

Does this mech generator make a picture?

No. It deals a short written brief in five parts, and the drawing is yours to do.

Are these mechs from an anime, a game or a model kit?

No. Every frame, job, seat, paint scheme and flaw was written for this page. No machine, pilot or world from a show, a game or a kit appears, so a design built from a result is your own.