How to Draw a Marsh

Just follow along with the nine drawing steps outlined below, and soon enough, you’ll have a beautiful marsh scene on your paper! As you create your drawing, you might want to think about adding some bold outlines to your pencil work using a thin black marker. This can help make your drawing stand out even more! Now, let’s get started on this fun project and see how all the elements come together to create your very own marsh artwork.

Time Needed: 45 minutes

1. Form the Tall Grass

   

   First, draw tall patches of grass along the bottom of the drawing to create the foreground.

2. Add the Cattails

   

   Draw thin cattail stems with thick flower heads near the tips. Don’t forget to erase any overlapping lines.

3. Draw the Bird’s Head

   

   Let’s draw a bird in the marsh by first creating a rounded head and a pointed beak.

4. Form the Body and Legs

   

   Form the bird’s body and wing. Then, attach the legs beneath its body.

5. Add More Grass Patches

   

   Add more patches of grass behind the bird as shown.

6. Create the Distant Foliage

   

   Draw a horizontal line to form the horizon. Then, create a bumpy outline to add some foliage above the horizon line.

7. Outline the Mud

   

   Draw a wavy outline of the mud around the grass patches and the distant foliage.

8. Draw the Clouds

   

   Draw fluffy clouds high up in the sky.

9. Color the Marsh Drawing

   

   First, fill in the sky with a vibrant blue shade and the clouds white. Use light green for the grass. Now, color the cattail stems and background foliage with dark green. Next, use orange for the cattail flower heads, the bird’s beak, and the bird’s legs. Then, color the mud brown. Finally, use a lighter shade of blue to shade the marsh water.