How to Draw a Simple Maple Leaf
Learn how to draw a maple leaf with this simple tutorial for beginners. When you’re done, check out how to draw step by step flowers here. This post contains affiliate links.
The Canadians are definitely onto something because, especially come fall, it is one of the most beautiful leaves. Y calls them “fire leaves”.
Today, I’m sharing with you a really fun tutorial for how to draw a maple leaf.
You can stick to just the outline for drawing the Canadian flag, or follow along with the whole tutorial for instructions for how to color it as well.
Little drawing tutorials like this one are fabulous for crafts or for journals. If you keep a bullet journal, you’ll love decorating your Thanksgiving page with loads of gorgeous maple leaves.
My favorite craft to make with these: a garland! Make loads of them and then string up your artwork.
When you’re done learning how to draw a simple maple leaf, go on and learn how to draw insects too!
There’s nothing that feels as good as showing off your drawing skills. Mount a single leaf (or a few) inside a shadow box, or simply tuck your cut-out sketch into the front plastic of your binder.
And now, enjoy learning now to draw a maple leaf with simple step-by-step instructions!
How to Draw a Maple Leaf
What you need
- Tissue / napkin
Step by Step instructions.
1. Prepare a piece of paper, use cold press art paper for best results. Use a 2b pencil. Start by drawing a plus shape as shown in the image of this step.
2. Draw 2 diagonal lines starting at the intersection and heading towards the top, centered between the vertical and horizontal lines. The diagonal lines should be a bit shorter than the vertical.
3. Draw arrow heads a bit higher than the tips of your lines, excluding the bottom one.
4. Draw 2 curves below the vertical line, emerging from the intersection, one on each side.
5. On each side of each arrow, draw a backwards or fowards J emerging from it, so that the short side connects to the arrow. They don’t need to be uniform at all; keeping them random gives the leaf a more realistic look.
6. Draw a U between each of your arrow/J’s.
7. If there’s still extra space, join the U’s to the connecting J. Draw a rectangle around the bottom line to turn it into a stem.
8. Start with a yellow oil pastel. Color in the center of the maple leaf, leaving the ends white.
9. Now, fill the tips of the leaf with an orange pastel.
10. Add some soft,random strokes to the yellow portion using the orange crayon.
11. Use a cotton swab or a napkin or tissue to smudge the center.
12. Keep smudging the center to blend the yellow color and the orange strokes smoothly.
13 Now smudge the orange tips, blending them into the yellow-orange.
14 Fill in the stem using a brown pastel.
15. Smudge the stem as well. Use a soft pencil to trace the veins of the maple leaf.
17. Trace the smaller veins as well to give the maple leaf a beautiful texture.
You’ve successfully mastered how to draw a maple leaf! What will you be making with yours? Comment below!
