How To Draw A TreeMy guess is that you want to know how to draw a tree because you are a great nature lover. It is very good. We often forget about how trees are essentially important for our survival on the planet. If you are learning how to draw landscapes or nature in general then drawing trees will be an indispensable skill. I will show you a few simple examples of the process of drawing a tree with a pencil. Basically if you learn this process, which is deceptively simple, you can draw any tree you like regardless on shape or size. Before you start to draw a tree it is good to know a few simple facts about structure of a tree. I made this simple sketch in order to understand better the Tree Structure.
click the image to enlarge Knowing about tree structure will help you tremendously while you observe a tree (real or photo) as the object of your drawing.
click the image to enlarge This is a standard type of a leaf tree. You can find similar trees in any forest or park around you.
click the image to enlarge Draw the ground line first. That will be the starting point from where the trunk is coming out from the ground. Keep in mind when you draw a tree that branches of (especially) leaf trees tend to grow more upward than to the sides, as it is with coniferous trees. Begin to draw from the trunk upward. Thickness of the trunk would determine the size of the tree. Observe carefully how the branches are growing upward and copy them into your sketchbook. This is the initial sketch, so please make only weak and gentle pencil lines.
click the image to enlarge Draw a contour of the tree crown. Use your creativity here and, decide what shape of crown your tree will have. It is basically round but not too even. Often branches are popping out from the crown. Mind the total balance and proportion with the trunk and branches.
click the image to enlarge Draw wavy irregular contours of the leaves on the branches. Here too, use your creativity. You can copy my drawing and make it better. Lower part of crown is always slightly darker than the top which comes into direct contact with the sunlight. Remember that, when you draw a tree.
click the image to enlarge Darken the lower part of crown. Do it gradually, make only weak strokes first. Draw shade under the tree.
click the image to enlarge You can do some final touch now. Draw the trunk a bit darker. With the tip of your pencil draw sharper contour outline.
click the image to enlarge This tree is very similar to the previous. The crown expands more to the sides
click the image to enlarge The process of the tree drawing is the very same as above. Draw the ground line, the trunk and a couple of branches. Notice the branches here, as if they would creep up toward the sky. They are so eager to reach high out there. Can you see and feel that? When you draw plants or animals or any living thing, it is good if you can sense how that living object feels at the moment.
click the image to enlarge Shape of the crown is a little edgy. Crown expands to the both sides. This is one of the examples of how shape of the crown determines the impression of the whole tree. When you draw a tree, always watch out for this important feature. It is quite simple in fact, you only have to consciously train yourself to see it.
click the image to enlarge By irregular (still) weak pencil strokes draw the leaves. It will look like a bundle of shades but it is OK.
click the image to enlarge Darken the trunk and the branches. Gradually put more shade irregularly here and there on the parts of crown.
click the image to enlarge Finally, draw shade under the tree and make a final contour of the crown.
click the image to enlarge This is a coniferous tree example. It resembles to a huge Cedar Tree. Let’s imagine that this is an old tree.
click the image to enlarge Draw the ground line. By weak pencil line indicate the center of the trunk and its height. That center line – a kind of axis – will be your guideline. It is very easy to get “derailed” from the correct proportion balance while you are totally absorbed into your drawing. Such guideline then helps a lot. Make an approximate outline contour sketch of the crown. Be creative a little here; draw your own shape while keeping the basic conical character.
click the image to enlarge Now when you have ready the thick trunk – which is also conical – draw a couple of branches here and there. Draw them all by weak pencil lines. When you draw a tree, especially a coniferous one, notice that many of them usually have one long and high trunk that looks like a flagpole.
click the image to enlarge Now decide which branches will remain visible and which will be covered inside the crown. So go ahead and do it. Hold the pencil loose and tilted and lightly shade the entire crown, all in the same color tone. Then draw darker spots here and there in the area of crown.
click the image to enlarge Darken a bit more the trunk and the branches. Draw a sharper contour outline around the crown. Draw shade under the tree and you’re done. If you want more ideas and suggestions about how to sketch or draw a tree, visit my friend Kerry’s website. ENJOY! Write your comment about this page
Do you like this drawing? Was it helpful? Let us know what you think about it. Write your own ideas and or impressions. We HIGHLY APPRECIATE your opinion. It helps us grow and get better. What Other Visitors Have SaidClick below to see comments from other visitors to this page... very good! good drawings! Fantastic! Thank you for this amazing 'walkthrough' of drawing a simple, but beautiful tree! I used ArtRage to draw this with my tablet, and it worked out perfectly.... A Simple Thanks A few weeks ago I thought I was loosing my talent of drawing. Thanks so much for helping me rekindle cold embers into a once again sparking fire. EPIC!!! I am 13, and I have been drawing enthusiastically ever since I was about 6. I enjoy realism and sketches and this site is epic! Using the Draw Trees, Oak ...
great job!
i think its really helpful for everyone!!!! i m proud of u!!! amazing !!! wow i could never draw a tree until this page showed me how haha x x jordan wooten ummm well these trees are hard to draw. breh! it toook me thirty minutes to get the first tree down.... Nice Trees These drawings were very well done, and yes it was helpful.I really like the detail work and shadowing in the tree. i just wished you could of shown us ... tree i think this is a good drawing
Green Gold
It is really helpful for fresher step by step drawing. trees i thought they were simple !!!!!
peaceful place
am thinking about the picture which is dark and a lonely place with trees j this is a good website CC Thank you very much for this very very useful tutorial. I often draw trees and I really like doing them, but I learned it myself and I didn't know any ... thx soo much u helped me wiv my art HW :D Sketchy Sketch-up..."? i like these drawings but i think perhaps someone could encorporate some paintings of oil or acrylics maybe ...... :] gsdghfg i like these drawings as a landscape and nature drawer myself i'll like to say that you have skills, i'll also like to say that keep on drawing don't stop.... Awesome Hi
asiya
it is nice.. it helps me to draw tree with gud look.
idk
I like themand they rlly help but i kinda have a hard time shading Lisa B. New Art Instructor I found that this lesson is great for my students. They are in prison and rarely get outdoors. I hope this will help them. Thank you for this info. tehe omg you guys r alwsome!!!! i thought i was good at drawin but not as good as u?!?!?!?!? AMAZING. I needed this for an important project! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK ... Great! I think this is a great resource. I use this site all the time. This is a great way how to teacher people to draw. Many people can teach themselves how ... Ms. Pamela Rae great lesson, easy to follow, makes drawing enjoyable. thankyou Hi Thank you! my idea's I think the pictures that were on view were three great demonstration. cool i think that some time was spent into these and they are very well drawn aesome i am 15 and i love to draw and this was the best thing ever to draw, i love to shade and draw faces but my grandma told me that i would be good at trees ... Shady Nicely drawn, and the shades made the tree look real, but can you add some of nature or living things that doesn't need shading? I'm quite bad in shading.... Pretty Good I think that this page isn't as good as the rest of your site. I feel that you missed some pretty standard tricks. I also thought that it was unnecessary ... good nice and good drawings
viji
teaching is an art in itself and teaching an art is not so easy........that too through an indirect medium..great.... maariissaaa love it ! needed a tree for a drawing and this completed it ;) Thank you. It is superb.It helped me to draw a tree.I need your drawings to draw a bush.
GREAT!
that as pips u just helped me with my work u guys are great but maybe some of them are a little hard but my tree looks fab thanks!!!
thanks
wow you helped me Daniel Its great! thank you! lauren power 14 years old my opinion on this page , isnt as good as my last review because this time the guide was hard to follow also this page has two differnt ways of drawing ... Great website! This website is really good, I have never been able to draw trees very well so now I should be able to do my textiles homework without too much trouble!... Great job it's very useful to improve all our basic drawing skill "EXCELLENT" Great Job This is a good first-timer's tutorial for drawing a tree. I believe you should add more tutorials on how to draw more things other than trees. The shading ... kinda hard i had a pretty hard time with this one...it turned out ok but it wasnt very good i also think that the trees should be a little more natural because the ...
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if they would show the sun also it would be kool!!! this is great ! i always used to draw those little sticks with the circle of a tree . . look what i can do now :D
ThanX
Lovely!!! very helpful! thank u sooo much! :) Gorillaz1234 Wow this was very helpful! I will finally have the artist ability to draw a tree. Thank you! Outstanding Job Really nice job on the variations, thanks for posting. GREAT You helped me finish an important project!!! trees i like them, but u shuld putt sum up where they dont involve shading pencils :p Nice This helped alot, thanks :3 willow tree Can you make a tutorial for a willow, specifically? I love all of your drawings and they have helped me improve significantly. Thanks so much! moe no willow trees im sorry but im trying to finish an art project and i need to draw a willow tree and i don't know how to please help p.s. the drawings ...
Trees all around
I think your drawings are great!Every drawing is FANTASTIC! realisty these trees look so realistic miss katie this was very useful and it helped me quite a lot. thanks. thxs beautiful Wow! This page was great! I loved how it made things a lot easier by using the steps. But I was wondering, can you help me draw a squirrel? I really need all ... shoflo0911 this is really good it helped me alot i love nature so thanks soooooooooooooo much! awesome i think that this website is very helpful for art classes and lessons on trees. it helped me get a good grade. Great My gosh i love this website, i have learned soooo much from it thx
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Its really nice n helped me a lot in drawing . "I wanna learn more from this. If u will include some more steps it might ec 4 us 2 draw nicely....... TREES This is a very good tutorial for drawing different types of trees! It really helped me with my homework. I really appreciate this website as well. But,... tree :) I think these drawings are really good and helped me achieve a good grade in my natural structure for my art when I copied the tree.
trees
i loved it thanks this helped me alot :) allanahs hair style allanahs hair style she did was great i loved it on me love her heeps thank her for me Amazing They were fantastic instructions. I am a terrible drawer, but my drawing looks great. Thankyou kindly! :) hey i really like this and it helps me get a general view on how to draw it but i would really like it if u could include more steps and instructions to make ... bit of a critic The carnations on the other page were awesome! The trees, on the other hand, I think need a little more definition...more detailing. In terms of, the look ...
WHOCARES?
These all look like trees, but they look like cultivated, generic, un-treeish trees. What about giant, wild masses-of-branches REAL trees? awsome this is awesome and a great help to students who want to learn this art. awesome the trees are awesome! hi Hi guys this is really good drawing but you can include more steps to make it easier thx Hiya This is so cool. i love the trees nice....!!!! nice....!!!!
helpfull
thanks alot........
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thanks alot........ Very, Very Helpful! Thanks!, this tutorial helped me a lot!!!.. Thanks so much!
excellent and fantastic
i really love this. tree drawings awsome!!! thank you so much for helping me!! pictures pictures can be larger! i dont draw, but i did i love this. I usually can't draw for the life of me, and shading is something i can EVER do, but this helped so much, THANK YOU! <3 ITS VERY NICE! Wow! it is very beautiful! you rock on! ITS VERY NICE! Wow! it is very beautiful! you rock on!
Thank you very much!
Great tutorial! Thank you very much for this. nice really very nice excellent manipulating drawn in a nice manner that others easily get understand ssssssssssssss you are an amazing artist and these trees look so realistic! i love them :) Return From Draw A Tree To Home Page. |
