Drawing Trees and Landscapes (Part 5)

Practice organic shapes in this art lesson: drawing trees and landscapes (part 5).

🎨 Studio Brief #60

Trees come in many shapes: rounded oaks, triangular pines, weeping willows.

🎯 Your mission

See the shape under the thing. Draw the shape first.

⚡ The twist

Draw with your wrong hand for the first 30 seconds.

What you'll learn

Trees come in many shapes: rounded oaks, triangular pines, weeping willows. Learning to draw trees helps you create convincing landscapes.

Get ready

Techniques you'll practise

organic shapestexturelandscape composition

Pencils (HB and 2B)Colored pencilsDrawing paperErasers

Step 1 of 4

Draw the trunk first—it is wider at the base and narrows upward. Add major branches.

Step 2 of 4

Sketch the canopy shape lightly: round for oaks, cone for pines, umbrella for tropical.

Step 3 of 4

Fill the canopy with clusters of leaves using short, curving strokes. Leave some gaps for sky.

Step 4 of 4

Add shadow under the tree and on the ground. Include grass or a path for context.

Did you know?

🤯 Mind = Blown

🤯 The pencil was invented over 400 years ago. Same idea ever since.

🌟 Artist Spotlight

🎨 Picasso said: 'Every child is an artist. The problem is staying one.'

You did it!

🎯

We'll pick an art project that matches exactly where your skills are right now.

✨ More to explore

🌍 Where you see this: Every comic, animation, and architecture started with a quick sketch.

🏆 Try this week: Sketch one thing in your house you've never really looked at before.

👨‍👩‍👧 At dinner: “Show me your sketch. What's the part you'd do differently next time?”

Send it to a parent looking for a 15-minute screen-free creative win.