How to Draw Plant Roots
In this drawing lesson, you will learn how to draw plant roots. You will need a pencil, paper, and some coloring materials to begin. This lesson is designed to take about thirty minutes, giving you enough time to explore and understand two different styles of roots that plants may have (fibrous roots vs. taproots).
Remember, drawing is a skill that improves with practice. If your first drawing doesn’t turn out exactly as you hoped, that’s okay! You can always come back to this lesson and try again. Each attempt helps you learn more about how to create your own drawing of plant roots.
Materials
- Pencil
- Drawing Paper
- Crayons or Colored Pencils or Markers
- Black Marker (optional)
To create your very own drawing of plant roots, focus on how the shapes of the roots attach to each other and branch off into smaller sections. Think about how the roots spread out beneath the ground and how they connect to the plants above. Each plant has its own unique look underground because their root systems are completely different. I’m using a wheat stalk plant to demonstrate a fibrous root system (on the left) and a dandelion plant to demonstrate a taproot system (on the right).
Time Needed: 45 minutes
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Draw the Ground
First, draw a bumpy horizontal line to outline the ground surface.
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Form the Stems
Draw thin upright stems for the two plants above the ground.
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Add Wheat Grain Spikes
On the left stem, form small clusters of oval grains around the top to create the spikes of the wheat plant.
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Draw the Dandelion Flower Head
On the right stem, outline a bumpy shape of the dandelion flower head.
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Attach the Leaves
Give the wheat stalk smooth elongated leaves. Then, draw pointy, textured leaves for the dandelion plant.
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Draw the Fibrous Root
Some plants like the wheat stalk have a fibrous root system that spreading out as shown.
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Form the Taproot
Other plants like the dandelion have a long main taproot.
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Add Thinner Roots
Add shorter and thinner roots similar to the illustration.
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Color the Plant Roots Drawing
First, fill the leaves with green and the stems with a muted shade of yellow-green. Next, color the wheat grain spikes and dandelion flower head with yellow. Then, use light brown for the roots and dark brown for the soil.
How to Draw Plant Roots PDF Download
Check out the resource below! It has all the drawing steps and some extra fun stuff, like a coloring book page! You can either preview or download the PDF to keep it handy for later.