How to Draw Mountains: Easy Step by Step Tutorial

Here is an easy step by step tutorial on how to draw mountains, perfect for beginners.

Learning how to draw mountains is a great way to learn how to implement light and shadow into your drawings, as well as just having fun with the process of drawing.

Step 1: Draw the outline of your mountain

For this mountain, I created two peaks. Draw this outline lightly, as it is just a guideline and will be erased later.

Step 2: Draw the ridges of the mountains

One of the easiest ways is to imagine a pyramid and see where the profile lines will fall in a pyramid for each mountain peak.

Then I just make the line more raggedy, making it zig-zag a bit, and creating points along the line.

Step 3: Draw the ragged outline of the mountain

Draw the ragged outline of the mountain using the line we drew in Step 1 as guidance.

For this step, I generally like to make gradual points all along the mountain.

Step 4: Erase the original outline drawn in Step 1

Step 5: Draw little peaks

Step 6: Add little shadows along the peaks

Imagine where the sun is positioned and which side will be receiving more light. The tops of the little peaks will be receiving more light and behind the little peak will be where the shadow falls.

Step 7: Create the shadowed side of the mountain

Darken the side of the mountain that is facing away from your light source.

Near the ridge will be darker than the areas that are farther away from the ridge.

Create a gradient of shadow, from areas that are almost black to areas that are more grey in color in order to make your mountain drawing more realistic.