Draw An Outdoor Scene
Draw an outdoor scene using pencils, crayons, or markers; include sky, trees, animals, and foreground details to practice observation and composition.
Step-by-step guide to draw an outdoor scene
Step 1
Choose an outdoor place to draw from memory or pick a photo to use as your reference.
Step 2
Place your paper on a flat surface in either landscape or portrait orientation.
Step 3
Lightly draw a horizon line with your pencil to separate the sky from the ground.
Step 4
Sketch the sun and clouds in the sky area using simple circles and puffy shapes.
Step 5
Draw basic tree shapes with trunks and round or pointy canopies where you want them.
Step 6
Sketch animals as simple shapes like circles and ovals in the spots you chose for them.
Step 7
Add foreground details such as grass flowers rocks or a path with short simple strokes.
Step 8
Erase any extra pencil lines you do not want in your drawing.
Step 9
Add texture details like leaves on the trees bark on trunks and fur marks on animals.
Step 10
Choose your colors and color each part of the scene smoothly and neatly.
Step 11
Outline the important parts with a darker pencil or a marker to make them stand out.
Step 12
Write your name and the date in a corner as your artist signature.
Step 13
Share your finished outdoor scene on DIY.org
Final steps
You're almost there! Complete all the steps, bring your creation to life, post it, and conquer the challenge!
Help!?
What can we use if we don't have colored pencils, markers, or a smooth flat surface?
Use crayons, watercolor paints, or torn magazine collage for coloring and a clipboard, hardcover book, or the floor as your flat surface while following the instruction to color each part smoothly and neatly and outline important parts afterward.
My trees and animals look messy—how can I fix them without starting over?
Follow the step to sketch animals as simple shapes and lightly draw tree shapes with pencil, then erase extra pencil lines and refine proportions before adding texture details like leaves, bark, or fur.
How can I adapt this activity for younger or older kids?
Have younger kids draw one animal and use stickers or crayons for simplicity, while older kids can add horizon perspective, detailed textures, shading, and more complex foreground details from the instructions.
How can we enhance or personalize the finished outdoor scene?
Add real materials like pressed flowers or small pebbles to the foreground, create a seasonal series, carefully outline important parts with marker, sign and date the corner as instructed, and then share the photo on DIY.org.
Watch videos on how to draw an outdoor scene
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Facts about landscape drawing for kids
☀️ The sky can shift colors in minutes — practicing quick studies helps you learn how light changes a scene.
✏️ Crayola sold its first box of 8 wax crayons in 1903 — crayons are still a favorite for bright, portable outdoor drawing.
🐦 Animals that move fast (like birds) are best suggested with quick gesture lines to show motion, not tiny details.
🌳 Artists usually simplify trees into trunks and rounded or triangular canopies to keep proportions and speed.
🎨 En plein air painters (like the Impressionists) often finished works in a single session to catch changing light.
How do I guide my child to draw an outdoor scene step-by-step?
What materials do I need to draw an outdoor scene with my child?
What ages is drawing an outdoor scene suitable for?
What are the benefits of drawing outdoor scenes for children?
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