Nature Drawing: Step-by-Step Tutorial & Easy Ideas

Every good nature drawing starts the same way: a horizon line and two or three big simple shapes, refined step by step into a finished piece. Below you'll find a complete step-by-step tutorial you can follow with any pencil and paper, plus easy nature drawing ideas — from quick five-minute doodles to more detailed studies.

  • Difficulty Medium
  • Time ~15 min
  • Tools Pencil, eraser, paper
  • Starts with a horizon line and two or three big simple shapes
Nature drawing — hand-drawn nature illustration with ink lines and soft colors
Nature drawing — hand-drawn nature illustration with ink lines and soft colors

How to Draw Nature Step by Step

How to draw nature step by step — 9-step nature drawing tutorial sheet

Step 1 of 9

Hill and canopy guides

Draw a light wide arc across the lower part of the page for the hill, then a light circle above it for the tree canopy.

See the full sheet
How to draw nature step by step — 9-step nature drawing tutorial sheet
How to draw nature step by step — 9-step nature drawing tutorial sheet

  1. Hill and canopy guides

    Draw a light wide arc across the lower part of the page for the hill, then a light circle above it for the tree canopy.

  2. Hill outline

    Trace the hill outline on the arc, then extend straight lines down to both bottom corners of the page.

  3. Tree trunk

    Draw a short thick trunk rising from the top of the hill up to where the canopy circle begins.

  4. Bumpy canopy

    Trace a bumpy cloud-like outline around the canopy circle with a few soft bumps along the top.

  5. Sun and cloud

    Add a circle with short rays for the sun in the upper right, and a puffy three-bump cloud in the upper left.

  6. Leaf texture

    Add six small curved scallop marks scattered inside the canopy to suggest clusters of leaves.

  7. Grass tufts

    Add five small V-shaped grass tufts spaced along the top of the hill.

  8. Ink the lines

    Go over every kept line with dark ink, then erase the light hill arc and canopy circle guides.

  9. Color the scene

    Fill the hill light green, the canopy darker green, the trunk brown, and the sun yellow.

Nature Drawing Ideas to Try Next

Once the basic nature clicks, run it through these variations — each one practices a different skill while staying on a subject you already know.

  • Day and night split nature

    Divide the page down the middle and render the same nature in both lightings.

  • Nature at golden hour

    Same drawing, warm palette, long shadows — light does the heavy lifting.

  • A postcard-style nature

    Frame it in a rectangle with a hand-lettered greeting — vintage travel poster energy.

  • A minimalist one-line nature scene

    Reduce nature to its simplest continuous line — modern, framable, and fast.

  • Nature with a wanderer figure

    One tiny silhouette person gazing at your big nature — instant scale and story.

  • A tiny nature in a glass jar

    The miniature-world trend: your nature scene bottled with a cork on top.

  • Nature through a window frame

    Draw a simple window and place nature outside it — built-in composition and cozy mood.

Tips for Better Nature Drawings

  • Squint at your reference until it blurs into 3–4 big shapes — draw those shapes first. Every landscape that "looks off" skipped this step.
  • Detail only the focal area and let the edges stay loose. The viewer’s eye goes where the detail is; detail everywhere means focus nowhere.

Not feeling nature today?

Let the generator pick your next subject — filtered by mood and difficulty.

🎲 Random Drawing Generator

Nature Drawing FAQ

What is the easiest way to draw nature?

Start with a horizon line and two or three big simple shapes, keeping your lines light. Refine the outline, add the defining details, then erase the construction shapes. The nine-step method above breaks this down — most people get a recognizable nature on their very first try with it.

How long should it take to draw nature?

A simple nature drawing takes about 15 minutes following this tutorial. A quick doodle version can be done in two or three minutes, while a detailed, fully-shaded study might take an hour. Speed comes with repetition — the second attempt is always faster than the first.

What supplies do I need for nature drawings?

Just a pencil, an eraser, and any paper. An HB pencil for construction lines and a 2B for final outlines is a nice upgrade, and colored pencils or markers finish it off — but nothing on this page requires special supplies.

Can kids draw nature?

Yes — nature is very manageable once you use construction shapes, and this method was written for first-timers. Kids can follow the same steps; just expect wobblier lines and more charm.