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

Rainforest drawings are one of the most-loved sketching subjects, and for good reason — the basic version comes together from a horizon line and two or three big simple shapes in just a few minutes. Follow the nine steps below to get the foundations right, then browse the ideas list for your next rainforest sketch.

Difficulty Medium
Time ~15 min
Tools Pencil, eraser, paper
Starts with a horizon line and two or three big simple shapes

Rainforest drawing — hand-drawn rainforest illustration with ink lines and soft colors

How to Draw a Rainforest Step by Step

Step 1 of 9

Trunk and canopy guides

Draw a tall narrow oval in the lower middle of the page for the trunk, then a very wide oval above it for the canopy.

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Trunk and canopy guides
Draw a tall narrow oval in the lower middle of the page for the trunk, then a very wide oval above it for the canopy.
Trunk and canopy outline
Trace a tapering trunk outline with root flares on the narrow oval, then a bumpy canopy outline on the wide oval.
Two branches
Add one thick branch reaching left from the top of the trunk, then a matching branch reaching right.
Large ground leaves
Add three large pointed leaves fanning out from the lower left of the trunk base, then three more on the lower right.
Hanging vines
Add one wavy vine dropping from the left side of the canopy, then a matching vine dropping from the right side.
Toucan body
Add a small rounded toucan body with a large curved beak perched on the right branch.
Toucan and textures
Add a small eye and tail feather to the toucan, then leaf-clump lines on the canopy and bark lines down the trunk.
Ink the lines
Go over every kept line with dark ink, then erase the light trunk and canopy guide ovals.
Color the rainforest
Fill the trunk brown, the canopy and leaves deep green, the vines lighter green, and the toucan black with an orange beak.

Rainforest Drawing Ideas to Try Next

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

Rainforest at golden hour
Same drawing, warm palette, long shadows — light does the heavy lifting.
A minimalist one-line rainforest scene
Reduce the rainforest to its simplest continuous line — modern, framable, and fast.
A tiny rainforest in a glass jar
The miniature-world trend: your rainforest scene bottled with a cork on top.
Rainforest through a window frame
Draw a simple window and place the rainforest outside it — built-in composition and cozy mood.
A postcard-style rainforest
Frame it in a rectangle with a hand-lettered greeting — vintage travel poster energy.
Rainforest with a wanderer figure
One tiny silhouette person gazing at your big rainforest — instant scale and story.
Day and night split rainforest
Divide the page down the middle and render the same rainforest in both lightings.

Tips for Better Rainforest 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 the rainforest today?

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

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Rainforest Drawing FAQ

What is the easiest way to draw a rainforest?

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 rainforest on their very first try with it.

How long should it take to draw a rainforest?

A simple rainforest 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 do I need to draw a rainforest?

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.

Is a rainforest easy to draw for beginners?

Yes — the rainforest 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.