It is hard to find something more relaxing than sitting next to a peaceful river and taking in the sights and sounds.
They can also be a stunning feature in any landscape where they are found, so they are often used in artworks and other media.
Although you have probably seen a river at least once in your life, it is possible that you don’t know how to draw one.
The guide you are about to read will help you understand how.
This step-by-step guide will help you draw a river.
How to Draw A River Step-By-Step
1st Step:
The river you are going to draw will have a tree over it. This tree will be the first thing you draw in this guide to drawing rivers.
The top of the tree will be our first focus. To create the leafy canopy, you will use a lot of curves.
These curving lines will connect to create a tree canopy that is stylistically unique.
2nd Step:
Once you have drawn the top of the tree in the river drawing, draw the trunk.
You will need to use two more curve lines that run down from the tree’s canopy. You can then add two lines to the top of the tree for the fork.
3rd Step:
Now that you have completed the tree, we will move on to the background.
You will first use a slightly curving line that runs across the photo and behind the tree. You can also use bumpy and curving lines to the right of your landscape.
These will be used as bushes in the landscape.
4th Step:
Now it’s time for you to start drawing the river portion. Simply draw a straight line down from the left side of your image.
There will then be a horizontal line connecting it with more bushes. This may sound confusing, but the reference image will help you understand.
5th Step:
In this step of we will add more river. Refer to our guide on drawing a river. Simply add another wavy line to the right of the previous one.
This will cover both sides of the river. However, there are some details you should add before you move on.
You can first add large rocks to the river’s middle using rounded shapes. You can then add grass at the base and sides of the tree by using more jagged lines.
6th Step:
The next two steps will focus on finishing off the landscape with some final details.
You will need to add more bumpy lines for this section of your river drawing.
This is it for the first step. Now you can move on to the next steps.
7th Step:
You are almost ready to color in your drawing. But before you do, there are a few details that you should add to this guide on how draw a river.
We will make the river appear flowing by adding details to it. This can be achieved by adding wavy lines, as shown in this reference image.
This is it for the first step. However, you can add any additional details before moving on!
You could also add details such as fish or ducks in the river, or even a family enjoying the river. What do you think will be the final touch to this image?
8th Step:
This brings us to the last step in your river drawing. Here you can have some fun coloring it.
Our reference image was filled with beautiful greens and blues. We also used browns, greys, and browns for the image. This step is where you can be creative and add your own twist to it.
With the colors you choose, you can create seasons such as Winter and Fall.
You can also experiment with different mediums to create your own colors.
