How to Draw Thumbnails of Trees in a Forest

In this lesson, we’ll explore how to draw quick thumbnail sketches of trees and forest scenes. Thumbnails help you plan your composition, test different layouts, and get a feel for the depth and flow of the forest before creating a finished drawing. We’ll break trees into simple shapes, sketch clusters of trunks, and map out how the forest recedes into the background.
You’ll learn how to use light, shadow, and overlapping shapes to suggest depth, and how loose, simple lines can create a strong foundation for a peaceful or dramatic forest scene. Thumbnails are fast, fun, and perfect for sparking creative ideas!
✏️ Grab your pencil and let’s draw forest thumbnails together!