How to Draw Fall Scenery: Easy 10-Step Landscape Guide

Capture the magic of autumn with this beginner-friendly landscape tutorial, perfect for artists ages 5 and up. All you need is a pencil, an eraser, and your favorite markers or crayons to bring this cozy scene to life. Follow along to master simple shapes and create a vibrant, seasonal masterpiece.

10 Steps

🎯 Final Result

A vibrant, finished fall landscape drawing featuring a tree, falling leaves, and fruit.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Sketching the Horizon Line

Pencil sketch showing two curved lines forming the horizon on a blank page.

Draw two long, gentle curved lines to establish your horizon. Teacher's Tip: Keep your pencil pressure light here; this creates the 'ground' for your scene and helps you plan your composition without committing to dark lines yet.

Step 2: Forming the Tree Trunk

Drawing the main tree trunk with roots spreading out at the bottom.

Draw two vertical, slightly curved lines to build the trunk, then add small, root-like curves at the base. Teacher's Tip: Trees aren't perfectly straight in nature, so don't worry if your lines wobble—it actually makes the tree look more realistic!

Step 3: Adding Branches and Foliage

Adding U-shaped branches and cloud-like leaf clusters to the tree top.

Create 'U' shaped branches at the top, then use connected, cloud-like curves to form the leaf canopy. Teacher's Tip: Overlapping your leaf shapes creates a sense of depth, making your tree look full and healthy.

Step 4: Sketching Falling Leaves

Detailed sketch of individual leaves falling from the tree.

Draw small, pointed leaves drifting down. Start with a stem line, then outline the leaf shape around it. Teacher's Tip: Vary the angles of the leaves to show movement, as if a gentle autumn breeze is blowing them through the air.

Step 5: Texturing the Ground

Adding texture to the ground with grass tufts and fallen leaves.

Add tufts of grass using short, jagged lines and scatter more leaves on the ground. Teacher's Tip: Use different sizes for the leaves on the ground to create a sense of perspective—larger ones are closer to the viewer!

Step 6: Adding Seasonal Fruit

Drawing round fruits on the tree and ground with motion lines.

Draw small circles to represent fruit on the tree and ground. Add a few vertical lines near one falling piece to show motion. Teacher's Tip: These little details are what make a drawing feel like a story—imagine the fruit is an apple or a pear!

Step 7: Detailing the Harvest

Adding texture to the fruit scattered on the ground.

Add more fruit on the ground and use short, light lines to add texture to the fruit skins. Teacher's Tip: Keep your lines simple; you don't need to draw every detail, just enough to suggest the shape.

Step 8: Building the Background

Sketching distant bushes and shrubs to fill the background.

Fill the distance with cloud-like shrubbery shapes. Teacher's Tip: Draw these background elements smaller and higher up on the page to create the illusion of depth in your landscape.

Step 9: Final Touches and Wind

Adding final details like wind lines and extra leaves to complete the composition.

Add more leaves and draw wavy, flowing lines to represent the wind. Teacher's Tip: The wind lines should follow the same direction as your falling leaves to make the scene feel cohesive.

Step 10: Bringing it to Life with Color

The completed fall scenery drawing, fully colored with vibrant autumn tones.

Time to color! Use warm oranges, reds, and yellows for the leaves. Teacher's Tip: Try using two different shades of orange on the same leaf to give it a realistic, multi-tonal autumn look.