How to draw nature with a pencil step by step landscape. Master Class. Watercolor landscape step by step. How to draw a waterfall with a pencil step by step

If you decide to pick up a pencil, congratulations, you are a very brave person. Because many are terribly afraid to draw, they are even embarrassed to try: “I won’t succeed!” It will work! There's no need to be afraid white sheet paper, as a last resort, quietly throw the piece of paper in the trash or burn it in a vacant lot away from prying eyes. But remember that drawing techniques can be taught to anyone, but conveying your emotions on paper is more difficult. Therefore, if you are overly emotional and want to draw, don’t worry that the technique is lame, this is an easy thing to do. Take it and draw. In this lesson we will try to draw a simple landscape together step by step.

So, how to draw nature with a pencil? Take a sheet of paper and pencils. Regular office paper is not very suitable for pencil drawing; its surface is too smooth. Take a sheet of Whatman paper A4, for example. This is quite enough. It would be good to take three pencils - one hard HB, the second softer - 4B and the third very soft - 8-9B. The first is used for outlines and very light shading, the second and third for a soft, clear, contrasting pattern.

1. We outline the line of the path, two large trees on the left, mountains and a distant forest. Remember that in nature there are no ideal lines. Try to feel the trees, imagine how they grew over the years, how they built up their bark day after day. Under the downpours, under the summer heat, under the bitter frosts, centimeter by centimeter the trees gained strength. One more thing worth remembering. At the bottom of the trunk the branches are thicker and there are fewer of them; up the trunk there are more and more branches and they are thinner. Leonardo da Vinci once derived a formula for drawing a tree: the volume of the trunk = the sum of the volumes of the trunks of its branches. That is, if you add up all the branches, both the largest and the smallest, we get the girth of the trunk. The path also cannot be level, because it was not made by master builders from artificial materials, but by Nature. We begin to draw, according to ourselves important rule- From general to specific. Therefore, first we outline the general contours throughout the entire drawing, then the shadows, the structure of objects, and at the very end the details. If you start drawing right away from the details, the overall picture will fall apart.

   

   
   
2. We outline dark places and shadows. Be sure to mentally keep the “sun in your head”; you must constantly remember where the light source is. Objects that are directly in front of the light source will be very dark. This is called "backlight". One of our trees is only lit from the back, so it appears almost black to us. The second gets a little light, which gives it volume. It is with this light at an angle that the structure of the bark is very clearly visible. It becomes convex, all the cracks and roughness are visible. Don't forget that the trees in the background also have shadows. We draw the second plan more generally, because the human eye does not see details at such a distance and the further the object is, the more general outline he will look.

   

   
   
3. Let's start working out the details. The bark of the tree is very rough, rough and can be depicted as “figure eights” or “loops”. Remember that in the shadow there will be many such “loops”, but closer to the light there will be fewer and they will be softer, just a hint. When you're walking in the park, take a closer look at the tree bark, it can be incredibly beautiful.

   

   
   
4. We are working on the long shot. We add more contrast to the shadows from the trees, but remember that the shadows should not be darker than on foreground. Only in the foreground will there be the strongest and brightest contrast. Otherwise, the background will “climb” forward, interfere with perception and “take away” the air from the drawing. Therefore, we draw the second plan more transparently. It is important to know which type of tree has which silhouette. The birch will have its own, the spruce will have a completely different one. Practice drawing silhouettes of pine, maple and oak. This is useful so that the viewer instantly recognizes what it is based on one contour. In the background we draw spruce trees and try not to make them the same. Not only is it boring and uninteresting, it also doesn’t happen in nature. In this small sketch, one spruce is closer and darker, the second is a little further and lighter. The greater the distance to an object, the lighter and more “blurry” it seems to us. Never draw small parts in the background. They will begin to argue with objects in the foreground and the drawing will become flat. It is enough to depict the total mass, with contours or hints, shadows. The rest will be completed by the viewer’s imagination.

   

   
   
5. We return to the foreground again and draw the trees with more contrast. We make the distant tree even darker, and we will work more carefully on the tree that is closer to us. The hand should not be clamped, the brush should be moved freely and as if “fluttering” around the drawing - somewhere the line should be made rougher, somewhere easier. Practice on a piece of paper - draw one line, sometimes with strong pressure, sometimes weakly, and see how alive it becomes. By the way, when drawing with a simple pencil, place a sheet of clean paper under your hand so as not to smudge the drawing, otherwise there will be ugly dull gray spots that cannot be erased with any eraser.

   When drawing the ground, we must remember that this is not smooth asphalt, but living soil, which means it has unevenness, convexities, concavities, mounds and holes. This can be shown by the direction of the hatching - it can be angled, curved, short, long, thin and rough. Remember that there are not only concavities and convexities on the ground, but also shadows from the foliage of trees.

   Important! Be sure to remember the texture of each item. The bark of a tree is rough and rough, it is better to draw it with short and clear lines, the grass is soft, it is better to depict it with thin strokes, trees and shrubs in the distance - with a hint, the total mass, contours, uneven ground - the strokes should be repeating the shape of bulges and mounds, spruce with protruding branches - a dark silhouette.

   

   
   
6. Let's draw a field. From the viewer and deeper into the drawing, the field will become more and more simplified - whether there are just grasses or daisies, the viewer will come up with his own idea. The main thing is to show that this is not bare ground, it is densely overgrown with grass and looks like a soft, thick carpet. And there are already flowers, bumblebees, and grasshoppers.

   Now we squint and see if everything is good in terms of tonality and composition. Isn’t something annoying, isn’t it “failing”, is something that should remain secondary coming to the foreground? If not, continue drawing...

   

   
   
7. We return to the foreground again and begin to work out the details. We draw branches and foliage. You don't need to draw every leaf. A person perceives the whole picture, as a whole, and our brain is designed in such a way that it is enough to show an outline, a slight hint, and it will mentally complete the rest. Let me remind you once again about “keep the sun in your head.” The foliage also casts a shadow on the branches, remember this.

   

   
   
8. Now be sure to sharpen your pencil so that it is sharp. We will need a thin and precise shading. Let's start drawing the sky and mountains. The clouds are very light, fluffy, they are swirled by wind currents. Show their dynamics and movement with shading. You can do another option - carefully shade the sky, make it darker, and leave the clouds completely white. The mountains also don’t need to be drawn too sharply, they are far away, almost in the haze, a silhouette will be enough.

   

   
   

Let’s squint again and check to see if anything is blocking our perception? You can clarify the details, make the shadows even more contrasting or add some small detail, a plant - if desired. The main thing is that the strongest contrast is in the foreground, and the composition is correct and balanced.

Drawing nature with a pencil is not so difficult. To do this, you need to be observant and make a lot of sketches (at the sea, in a cafe, on a walk, or anywhere). The main thing is to learn to express your feelings and emotions. Even if you draw incorrectly from the point of view of strict technique, but with love, then, believe me, it will definitely hook any viewer. Because pure technique is dry and not particularly interesting, it is much more interesting to look at the artist’s attitude to what he draws, his perception of the environment as a reflection of his own inner world. Good luck, inspiration and don’t be afraid to draw, everything will work out!

Drawing of nature is the main theme of landscape painters. Stunning paintings depicting the riot of colors of a summer forest can be seen in the paintings of Shishkin or Levitan, the most beautiful winter landscapes - in Kustodiev and Bruegel, Golden autumn depicted by Kiselev and Polenov, and the breath of spring is conveyed with the most beautiful images Tissot and Van Gogh.

In this lesson we will look at how to draw nature step by step.

1. Let's draw the surface of the summer lake and the horizon line above it.

1. On the sides of the lake we draw bushes, around the lake we draw a road going up to the horizon. We draw the scorching midday sun in the sky.

1. In the clearing behind the lake we’ll draw trees and grass—there’s nowhere in nature without them. The trees in the foreground are larger than the trees in the background. We draw the reflection of the sun in the lake.

1. Let's decorate the sky with clouds and flying birds - it's hard to imagine nature without the animal world.

1. Now let’s shade the surface of the lake with a pencil. Let's draw a sedge in the foreground. The pencil drawing of nature is ready!

“Art is like nature. If you don't let him in the door,

it will come through the window.”

Butler S.

Poets and writers express their gratitude to nature through words, composers through a combination of sounds, and artists through depicting landscapes and drawing nature. Everyone has their own unique and accessible instrument, their own individuality. One thing, perhaps, is the object of admiration (nature itself) and the unique range of feelings that this or that work of art evokes in a person.

Nature! This is what always attracts, attracts the eye, makes you stop, admire, admire.

In painting scenery- it could be general form any area; paintings or drawings depicting nature, its various types and manifestations, individual natural phenomena.

When depicting any landscape, the artist certainly puts his soul into the process. He does not strive to completely copy the plot, but passes it through his own inner world, your vision, putting a piece of yourself into the process of drawing nature. That is why they say that a picturesque landscape is not so much a painting, image or copying of nature, but rather the soul of the author of the work.

That is why the same image, made different people, will look and feel completely different.

This does not mean that there are no patterns and rules in drawing nature. They are. And it is by paying attention to these patterns that you can easily repeat almost any landscape plot that you like (of course, passing it through your inner world, your individuality) and get your own unique, holistic and “living” picture.

With your permission, we would like to offer you some important nature drawing lessons. We hope they will help you create and express yourself, creating unique landscapes and moods around you.

Where does nature drawing begin?

First of all, you need to understand what exactly you want to depict. Find and decide on the plot and composition of the future painting.

This can help you: your own imagination, a real picture of nature outside the window, perhaps someone’s already drawn plot or a beautiful photograph.

By the way, the idea of ​​drawing a landscape from a photograph is very good. In any case, you no longer have to worry about the weather changing and the colors changing. You can calmly interrupt the creative process and easily immerse yourself in it again, without trying to keep all the details of the landscape in your head. Just look at the photograph that inspired you and you're back in the process!

Skyline

As soon as this is clear, we outline and draw the horizon line on the sheet. Moreover, you spend it where you see fit (it all depends on your idea or the plot you have chosen). However, pay attention - it is better to draw the horizon line slightly above or slightly below the middle of the sheet, do not divide the sheet exactly in half. If the picture is divided into equal parts, there is a feeling of artificiality and unnaturalness of the image.

Then all other plans are drawn. At the same time, remember that the plan closest to the viewer should be drawn last. Accordingly, the background is drawn first, the plan above the horizon line. During the birth of your masterpiece, you will naturally be able to add details to any of the plans.

Why are landscapes so mesmerizing? They attract the eye and we seem to be immersed inside the picture.

What gives the viewer that very feeling of “liveness”, the naturalness of the image?

What creates the integrity of perception, where does the feeling of depth and balance come from when we contemplate a landscape?

In our nature drawing lessons, pay special attention to the following points, which will help add “liveness” and naturalness to your picture. We believe they will help you create your own unique story.

Plans and prospects

Long shot:

• cooler colors are used (usually with the addition of white and gray, gray-blue colors) - this perfectly allows you to create the illusion of depth of space in the picture;
• less bright, less saturated (including the shadows from objects are less saturated);
• details are more generalized, there is no clear depiction of objects (they are barely distinguishable, but recognizable);
• we see it as if in a haze of air, as if we were looking through a layer of air.

This is very clearly seen in the example of mountain (water-mountain) landscapes.

Medium shot:

• the image is less bright, less rich;
• less clear, without excessive detailing and drawing of details;
• significantly smaller sizes of objects;
• barely visible details.

Close-up:

• as a rule, it is painted in warmer colors;
• contrasting bright spots can be identified;
• strokes may be more expressive;
• objects, objects are drawn more clearly and clearly, larger;
• dark shadows are used.

The foreground or background differs in that, compared to the background of other plans, it takes on clearer shapes. And this can be achieved both through clear drawing of details and through light and shadow solutions.

If you draw, including some a natural phenomenon, for example, snowfall or fog, then intensifies aerial perspective. In this case, the middle and distant plans become even more uniform, more faded compared to the near (main) plan, even more blurred with barely perceptible contours.

Object size and location

This will be a certain object, the so-called center of attention and interest. Everything again depends on your idea!

As a rule, the main an object the landscape is highlighted with:

• colors - the object does not have to be brighter, but definitely more varied in color, more saturated;
• size - the object can occupy most paintings (but not necessarily - must, everything is very individual);
• location - the object is located in the near (foreground), but not necessarily in the center of the picture;
• environment - the area around the main object, on the contrary, should be a little less noticeable, less bright, less eye-catching,

The point is to focus attention first on the object!

In order for the landscape to sparkle and come to life, there are several points that you should especially pay attention to and avoid these “ sharp corners" in the image.

What to Avoid When Drawing Objects

In order for attention not to be scattered and the gaze (as presumably intended by the author of the landscape) to be focused on one object, so that a feeling of harmony (and not disharmony) arises, one should definitely avoid:

• identical lines (for example, two completely identical straight or curved trees, flowers, blades of grass, etc.),
• identical sizes and shapes (for example, two identical mountain peaks, two completely identical windows in a house, two or more identical animals, etc.).

If you conceived the central object as consisting of several objects (for example, a pair of animals or people) - introduce different shapes, give movement to these objects. One, for example, may be larger, the other smaller. One can move, the other can stand or lie still. The main thing is that they are in different poses, different sizes and so on.

If you use a river or road as an object, pay attention to the fact that the lines are not straight, but rather more curved, as if “leading” the eye into the picture.

Remember that water and roads create a feeling of movement. Then, when the lines are less straight, the gaze seems to follow the line and linger on the image. If, on the contrary, the road is too straight, then the person’s gaze does not stop on it for a long time, but as if “runs through” and quickly slips away.

Regarding straight straight lines, it is generally a very interesting and separate story, with its own rules.

Please note that if you need to use “straight lines” as an object - for example, you are drawing some kind of bridge, pillar, ship mast, wall of a house or part of a roof - then you should not draw them too straight “on a ruler”. On the contrary, make them boldly crooked (this will give a more natural look), mask too straight lines (for example, a straight wall of a house can be masked with vegetation, a bench). The straight pillars of the bridge can be slightly bent.

Squares, circles, triangles in “pure” geometric form It's better not to use it at all. This does not mean that you should always depict crooked windows and doors, and in some places you can simply interrupt the geometric shape. For example, you can put a flower in a pot on a rectangular window, which will already bring liveliness and harmony to the landscape.

Color

As for the choice of color, there are also several important advice, which (we really hope) will help you create a “living” and harmonious picture.

The main rule is to mix colors! Try to never use pure color as you have it. Allow for brightness!

Feel free to mix colors with each other! The main thing is that the color does not become dirty, with an incomprehensible gray tint. And everything else is welcome and completely acceptable.

The choice of color should also give you a feeling of harmony. When you choose it, you pass it through your inner world, through your vision of the landscape. Therefore, do not try to select exactly color scheme, which your eye perceives (if you transfer the plot, for example, from a photograph). The main thing is that you, first of all, like the color that you get when you mix paints.

Of course, Mother Nature herself teaches us a lot. In relation to shapes, colors, saturation of natural paintings and objects. The most important thing is your powers of observation and desire to create and draw. The main thing is to take it and do something, even if not very skillfully, or maybe even for the first time. Just allow yourself to try, touch.

Be inspired, first, by some landscape. Select the right colors, take a sheet of paper and determine the horizon line, mark the location of the main object...

The main thing is that you can express your inner individual world in your creativity, in the depiction of nature. Or perhaps you will create something special and magical! A picture! Which will delight and delight not only you, but also someone else!

Remember, you have the right to creative liberties!

We wish you joy and creative expression! Give yourself pleasure, just allow yourself to be an artist!

Oksana! Thank you!
It’s great that you found it very informative and useful - the most important thing is that the material can be useful! Good luck with your landscapes!

Julia, thank you very much for the article! The main ideas for depicting landscapes are expressed very concisely and clearly, and the illustrations are well chosen. Inspiring!

This is enough difficult lesson, so it may take you quite a lot of effort to repeat it. If you didn’t succeed in drawing nature the first time, don’t despair and try again. Try your best to complete this lesson. If it still doesn’t work out, you can try to complete the lesson “”. But I believe that you will succeed.

What you will need

In order to draw nature we may need:

• You need Photoshop program.
• A little patience.
• Good mood.

Step by step lesson

True nature in all its beauty can only be revealed if you draw it from life. You will be able to draw much better if you look directly at nature. If this is not possible, then ordinary photographs, which are simply in abundance in search engines, can help out.

By the way, in addition to this lesson, I advise you to pay attention to the lesson “”. It will help improve your skill or just give you a little fun.

Tip: Perform different actions on different layers. The more layers you make, the easier it will be for you to manage the drawing. So the sketch can be made on the bottom layer, and the white version on the top, and when the sketch is not needed, you can simply turn off the visibility of this layer.

As you complete this tutorial, please note that due to differences in software versions, some menu items and tools may have different names or be missing altogether. This may make the tutorial a little difficult, but I think you can do it.

I’ll start the lesson with what won’t be in it, so as not to disappoint anyone. It will not contain information about color, aesthetics, composition. The illustrations are in no way intended to be photorealistic. I just wanted to show how you can use Photoshop to create a painting that looks like a real painting oil paints. And also - describe how I draw and give some tips on creating digital images. Okay, enough chatting, it's time to get to work.

For our example, I set the size to half the normal size and the RGB color model. I usually use CMYK because I expect my work to be printed. Work at higher resolutions, even when using the Internet. In another case, say with a resolution of 72 dpi, the pixels will look coarser, areas of the image will be “compressed” and it will look like a smaller copy, and not like the original, painted with natural colors. In addition, some details will disappear - be prepared for this too.

After creating the document, I paint the background with a neutral color. I try not to paint on a white background - this disrupts the perception of colors and the relationships between them. If the image is dark, I use a dark, warm or cool color for the background that will be a good base for the other colors.

With this resolution it is better to use hard brushes of sizes 5, 9, 35, 45 and sometimes an airbrush size 100. I set the spacing to 1 to avoid the appearance of “swirls”.

In this sketch I only sketched out the outlines. For more complex images, of course, a more detailed sketch is needed. I used a small soft airbrush. The color of the brush is gray so that it stands out from the background, but not black.

Add a new layer above the background. We draw on it. This allows you to avoid spoiling the background, which can be useful. Especially if you've been working on it for a long time.

In our example, I used muted, medium colors for the rocks and foliage. But in nature everything is not so correct and uniform, so it’s worth experimenting with different colors to show the difference in lighting.

I chose an airbrush (hard brush, size 100 pixels, in the settings - Multiply). Color - the same as the background - sample (determine with the Eyedropper tool).

I want to show the shaded areas in the drawing and at the same time create more dark version, which I can later use for sampling.

Typically, when painting, I switch between the airbrush and the eyedropper by pressing the Alt/Option button.

Having created several shaded areas, set the Screen parameter in the Layers panel.

So, the yellow-brown turned out a little warmer than I wanted. Set the airbrush to Normal and make a few strokes with a more muted, lighter color.

Switch back to “screen”, sample with a pipette yellow from some section of the rock and begin to draw the shapes of the leaves of the bush with a brush of 5-9 pixels.

When working on the bush, I switched between normal and screen mode when I needed to draw in the dark and light edges of the leaves.

Draw the details (airbrush in normal mode). At this stage I simply sample the dark and light tones with an eyedropper and paint with a 5px brush.

Now we designate the long “arrows” of the grass. We start from the bottom, with quick, curved upward movements of the pencil. Use the colors you like, but don't forget to add shades to add variety.

Now let's move on to the rock on the left side of the picture. Do some rough strokes with a 35 brush to show the texture.

You can appreciate the changes - just look at the rock on the right side of the picture. Shadowed areas are brightened and smoothed with brush strokes of the sampled color.

I usually do a few strokes, sample, paint, sample again until I achieve the desired effect.

Let's increase the scale, make the image clearer and use rough strokes to create the illusion of irregularities on the surface of the rock. I usually work with the brush in a sweeping manner, using light touches to try to blend the colors, but I also make brighter, more noticeable strokes. This is one way to make an image look different from digital.

Now we sample the color of the shaded area and “smear” the brush back and forth to draw the texture.

The same with the leaves - we sample and work with the brush until the shape begins to appear.

Here I have added a few details to depict the crack and irregularities with right side rocks. To do this, use a brush set to Highlight to paint the shaded area - using back-and-forth movements, we will create the illusion of a play of shadows on an uneven surface.

We use a similar technique for the rock. It is worth changing the color and texture to make the image more interesting and different.

Let's zoom out a little and see if the rock fits into its surroundings. If not, we edit further.

But I had already decided to switch to grass. There are already dark areas outlined here, but there is nothing reminiscent of a rock.

Let's sample the shadow color and darken some areas of the image so that the rocks do not stand out from the overall picture.

From bottom to top, using sharp strokes of a very small brush, I create a base for the grass.

We do as the artists on television advise - we emphasize the light with shadow and vice versa.

Now we make upward strokes over these areas to create depth.

I usually do a few rough strokes back and forth to quickly fill in the image. This creates a base on top of which I work on the details.

Now let's add long blades of grass. Then we sample several colors from the surface of the rock and make a few strokes to diversify the image and achieve unity of style.

Here is the final version. Between the rocks I painted grass. In the background I used quick upward strokes. It is worth using the Ctrl/Command + Z combination to quickly remove blades of grass that do not fit into the overall picture.

Finally, I drew a small friendly lizard behind the bushes. I didn’t tell you in this lesson how I drew it - maybe I’ll do it in one of the next ones. I can only say that its color is the inverted color of one of the rocks, so it fits into the overall color scheme.

The whole job took two hours, including the lizard. Experiment, try it different methods. Try creating a realistic planet in Photoshop from scratch. And observe the world around you - this is the artist’s source of inspiration.

Now we will look at how to draw a landscape with a pencil step by step for beginners. It will have a palm tree, a bank and a river. This lesson is for beginners and is aimed at consolidating knowledge of the technique of drawing shading. If you don't know the basics, then first you need to study, then.
Drawing a landscape sketch.

Below is a table that shows the different shades of shading by number.

Look at what we will draw and with what type of shading. In each paragraph, a number will be indicated in brackets, which tone to use.

Use pencils of varying softness to create a specific tone to create strong contrast. The author begins by applying light colors (1) near the sky and water with a 2H pencil.

We make diagonal strokes from the upper part of the sky (2), make the bottom of these lines lighter by loosening the pressure on the 2H pencil. We make horizontal shading in the foreground of the water (2), creating the illusion of ripples. Remember to remove the horizontal horizon line in the island before you start shading.

Shade the farthest mountain (shore) (3), which is located in the distance with an HB pencil (press the pencil lightly). At the island (where we had to erase the line) we make shadows with HB and 2B pencils, and shade a small part of it in the foreground with 2B and 4B. The light colors (4) of the island were made with an HB pencil. Take your time. If you start to get tired or feel frustrated, take a break. When you return to the lesson, you will look with fresh eyes and be able to correct what you were unhappy with.

Using an HB pencil, draw the reflection of the island in the water (5). We use a tone darker than the island itself at this stage. Make the hatch lines horizontal, not at an angle. You may find it easier to add hatching lines by turning the drawing (sheet) sideways. We paint over the ground in the foreground (7), make strokes with a 2B pencil. The author writes that this style of sketching is currently her favorite. However, you are a unique individual with your own preferences. Those. you need to experiment with different techniques in drawing until you find the style that suits you best!

Use a 4B pencil to draw some squiggles in the foreground. These lines will imitate small shrubs and foliage. Draw a trunk.

Add strokes with a 2B pencil along the bottom of the island (6). The upper part of the island has light areas, the lower parts are darker. The author left a tiny horizontal strip of light where the land meets the water. She also used a sharpened HB pencil to draw several small trees and shrubs on the island. We draw the branches of the palm tree with a 2B pencil.

Use sharpened HB and 2B pencils to draw small branches on the top of the palm tree. The branches that are in the foreground are much darker than those further away.

Step away from the drawing and look at the shading. You may need to make some areas lighter or darker. To make it darker, simply add additional lines between the other hatching lines. To make it lighter, take a soft rubber band and carefully walk over it. Sign your name, write the date and set the drawing aside with a smile.

Don't be afraid to use different shading techniques. You shouldn’t draw in a way you don’t like, problems may arise later, you need to look for new methods. If you made even a very terrible drawing, you can repeat the approach again! Keep in mind, the more you practice sketching, the faster and better you will become. On a good day, you can draw several different and wonderful sketches within an hour!
Author: Brenda Hoddinot, website(source)