How to Draw Trees, Shrubs, Grass & Mountains

Draw natural landscapes with greater realism and confidence in this pencil drawing lesson with artist and instructor Nancy Ellen Thompson. Through three clear demonstrations, Nancy teaches foundational techniques for creating lifelike trees, shrubs, grasses, and mountains with convincing depth, texture, and detail.

She begins by exploring shadow patterns in trees and explains how understanding your light source helps create believable dimension, whether you’re making a quick preparatory sketch or a more finished drawing. You’ll also get practical advice on selecting paper and preventing smudges as you work.

Nancy then shows how to transform simple compositional shapes into recognizable landscape elements. Follow along as she varies line quality, uses an eraser reductively, and adds details that help separate nearby forms within the scene.

To finish, Nancy demonstrates how to place mountains into a landscape without relying on hard outlines. By the end, you’ll have practical pencil techniques for drawing natural scenes with structure, softness, and realistic character.