Short answer
Draw the horizon line first. Block in the largest shapes with light lines, firm up each layer from back to front, add trees, water and rocks, then shade the shadow sides and the foreground darkest. Keep detail for the last ten percent of the time.
The four steps
Step 1 of 4
Horizon and big shapes
Draw a light horizon line across the page, a little below the middle. With an HB or 2H pencil and almost no pressure, sketch the mountain silhouette, the line of the near hill and the edge of the lake. These are guide lines; you will draw over them.
Step 2 of 4
Firm up the layers
Go over the mountain outline with a firmer line. Add the bumpy tree line along the horizon on either side of the lake, then the far and near shore lines. Each layer now sits clearly in front of the one behind it.
Step 3 of 4
Trees and water
Add pines in the foreground at three sizes, biggest at the front and lowest on the page. Add a round tree on the far shore. Put short horizontal strokes on the lake for ripples. Keep the far tree small: size is what makes it look distant.
Step 4 of 4
Values and shadow sides
Decide where the light comes from (here, the left) and hatch every face turned away from it: the right side of each peak, the dark tree line, the pines. Lay a light tone over the foreground hill. Leave the sky and the lit faces of the mountains as bare paper.
Blue lines: added in that step. Gray: already drawn.
Before you start
- Two pencils are enough. An HB for the layout and a 4B for the darks. See drawing pencils for what the grades mean.
- Find the light. Note which side the sun is on before you draw a line. Every shadow in the drawing follows from it.
- Make a thumbnail. A 2 x 3 inch sketch of the big shapes takes two minutes and shows whether the composition works. See composition.
What you need
Three ways to show depth
- Overlap. The near hill cuts across the bottom of the lake; the pines cut across the hill. Whatever overlaps reads as nearer.
- Size and placement. The same tree drawn smaller and higher on the page reads as farther away. Perspective explains why.
- Value and detail. Far layers lighter, softer and simpler; near layers darker, sharper and more detailed. This is atmospheric perspective.
Common beginner mistakes
- Horizon in the dead center. It splits the page into two equal halves. Move it up for a big foreground or down for a big sky.
- Outlining everything at the same weight. Let far lines be thin and light, near lines firm.
- Shading everything middle gray. Keep bare paper for the lightest areas and commit to real darks. A value scale helps.
- Detail everywhere. Detail only at the front and at the focal point. The eye fills in the rest.
Next lessons
Each part of this drawing has its own lesson: trees, mountains, water and reflections and clouds. Want something to draw today? Use the prompt generator.
Questions people ask
What should I draw first in a landscape?
The horizon line, because it sets your eye level and where everything sits. Then the largest shapes: the sky area, the mountain or hill silhouettes, and the ground.
How do I make my landscape drawing look less flat?
Use three depth cues together: overlap (near shapes cut in front of far ones), size (repeated things like trees get smaller as they go back) and value (far layers lighter and softer, near layers darker and sharper).
What size should a beginner landscape drawing be?
Small. A postcard or a quarter of a 9 x 12 inch page is plenty. Small drawings get finished, and finishing teaches more than starting.
Do I need to draw every leaf and blade of grass?
No. Draw masses: a tree is three or four clumps of foliage with a shadow side, a field is a tone with a few marks near the front. Detail only in the foreground and at the focal point.
Last reviewed October 29, 2026. Product lines and listings change; check the details before you buy.