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French Things to Draw

One real thing from France with the detail to get right: a landmark, a dish, a symbol or a word.

French Things to Draw

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  1. The Eiffel Tower from the lawn of the Champ de MarsA lattice tower of wrought iron in Paris, built from 1887 to 1889. Four legs lean in to one point.

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Landmarks 12

  • A half-timbered house in Alsace Alsace has more timbered houses than any other region of France. Dark beams cross a pale wall.
  • A rose window of Notre-Dame de Paris The cathedral on the Île de la Cité is known for its huge, colorful rose windows. Work out from the center.
  • The Arc de Triomphe, face on It stands where the Champs-Élysées ends in the west and twelve avenues meet. One big arch in a block.
  • The Eiffel Tower from the lawn of the Champ de Mars A lattice tower of wrought iron in Paris, built from 1887 to 1889. Four legs lean in to one point.
  • The glass pyramid of the Louvre, corner on A pyramid of glass and metal in the Louvre Palace's main courtyard, finished in 1989.
  • The Hall of Mirrors at Versailles Seventeen windows face seventeen mirrors of the same size along one gallery. Use one-point perspective.
  • The Millau Viaduct above its valley A cable-stayed bridge over the gorge of the Tarn, opened in 2004. Seven pylons, cables fanned from each.
  • Mont-Saint-Michel at high tide A tidal island in Normandy with an abbey at its top. Sea all around, walls low down, the abbey above.
  • The Pont du Gard across its river A Roman aqueduct bridge of the first century AD. Three tiers of arches, one row on the next.
  • The Pont Neuf over the Seine Its name means New Bridge, yet it is the oldest bridge still standing across the Seine in Paris.
  • The roofline of the Château de Chambord A Renaissance château. Its roof has towers of 11 kinds and chimneys of three types, like a town skyline.
  • The walls of Carcassonne A citadel inside 3 km of double walls with 52 towers. Draw one stretch: wall, tower, wall, tower.

Food 12

  • A basket of three croissants A crescent of laminated yeast dough, buttery and flaky. Curve each one and mark the rolled bands.
  • A bowl of ratatouille A vegetable stew from Provence: tomatoes, onions, zucchini, eggplant and bell peppers.
  • A Camembert with one wedge cut A soft-ripened cow's milk cheese from Normandy. A flat round with one wedge pulled out.
  • A crêpe folded in four A thin pancake. Crêperies are found all over France, above all in Brittany. A quarter circle, layered edge.
  • A croquembouche Choux puffs stacked in a cone and held by caramel threads, often served at weddings in France.
  • A galette des rois with a slice cut Flaky puff pastry, by tradition filled with frangipane. A small charm, the fève, is hidden inside.
  • A madeleine, shell side up A very small sponge cake baked in a pan with shell-shaped hollows, from Commercy and Liverdun in Lorraine.
  • A pain au chocolat cut across A block of laminated dough with a piece or two of dark chocolate at its center.
  • A tarte Tatin turned out of its pan A tart whose apples are caramelized in butter and sugar before baking, served upside down.
  • An éclair with one bite gone Choux pastry piped into an oblong, filled with cream and topped with icing.
  • Baguettes standing in a bakery basket A long, thin loaf known by its length and its crisp crust. Tall sticks, leaning the same way.
  • Macarons in an open gift box A sweet made with egg white, sugar and almond meal: two smooth shells with a filling between.

Countryside and animals 12

  • A barge on the Canal du Midi A canal 240 km long across southern France, one of the great building works of the 17th century.
  • A Camargue horse in shallow water A gray working horse native to the Camargue wetlands, where it lives in small half-wild herds.
  • An Alpine marmot on lookout Marmots of the Alps stand up to watch for danger and warn the colony with loud whistles.
  • The cliffs and arch of Étretat Chalk cliffs with three natural arches and a pointed rock called the Needle, 70 m above the sea.
  • The Cordouan lighthouse at sea The oldest lighthouse in France, finished in 1611, stands 7 km out near the mouth of the Gironde.
  • The Dune of Pilat Europe's tallest sand dune, by Arcachon Bay. One long pale slope with tiny people on the crest.
  • Flamingos in a Camargue lagoon The brine ponds of the Camargue are one of the few homes of the greater flamingo in Europe.
  • The Gallic rooster, drawn as an emblem A national symbol of France, by tradition shown crowing. Bold flat shapes: comb, beak, chest, tail.
  • Lavender rows in Provence Purple rows run to one point on the horizon. Leave a strip of bare earth between each pair.
  • Mont Blanc above its valley On the border of France and Italy, Europe's highest peak outside the Caucasus.
  • The standing stones of Carnac More than 3,000 prehistoric stones in Brittany, many set in long rows. Draw one row going away.
  • The Verdon Gorge from the rim A river canyon about 25 km long and up to 700 m deep, known for its turquoise-green water.

Symbols, signs and art 12

  • A bookseller's green box by the Seine The bouquinistes of Paris sell used books from green boxes along the banks of the Seine.
  • A fleur-de-lis on a shield A stylized lily from heraldry, long used on the arms of France. Draw one half, then mirror it.
  • A horse from the Lascaux cave The cave paintings of Lascaux, in the Dordogne, are put at 17,000 to 22,000 years old.
  • A Montgolfier balloon On 21 November 1783 a balloon of the Montgolfier brothers carried people in free flight for the first time.
  • A Morris column on a sidewalk A cylinder that stands on the sidewalk and carries posters, a familiar sight in Paris.
  • A ship from the Bayeux Tapestry An embroidered cloth nearly 70 m long, a record of 11th-century life. Flat shapes, a stitched outline.
  • A tricolor cockade A pleated ribbon in the flag's colors: blue in the center, white around it, red on the edge.
  • A Wallace fountain A cast-iron drinking fountain of Paris. On the large model four caryatids stand in a ring.
  • A word in braille dots Braille is named after Louis Braille, the Frenchman who created it. Each cell holds up to six raised dots.
  • An Art Nouveau Métro entrance The first Paris Métro entrances, built from 1900 to 1913, are Art Nouveau work in cast iron and glass.
  • Pétanque boules and the jack Boules are thrown toward a little ball, the cochonnet. The game took its present form in La Ciotat, Provence.
  • The tricolor on a flagpole A vertical tricolor of blue, white and red. Three bands side by side, blue at the pole.

For French class 12

  • A bicycle with the label le vélo Vélo, a bicycle, is masculine: le vélo. Two circles, then the frame as two triangles.
  • A book with the label le livre Livre, a book, is masculine: le livre. Draw it open, with the pages fanned.
  • A cat with the label le chat Chat is masculine: le chat. A sitting cat, tail curled around its paws, the label printed underneath.
  • A chair with the label la chaise Chaise is feminine: la chaise. Start with the seat as a flat diamond, then add four legs.
  • A dog with the label le chien Chien is masculine: le chien. A dog in side view: back line first, then ears and tail.
  • A flower with the label la fleur Fleur is feminine: la fleur. Five petals around a center, a stem and one leaf.
  • A horse with the label le cheval Cheval is masculine: le cheval. Build the horse from a box for the chest and one for the hips.
  • A house with the label la maison Maison is feminine: la maison. Square walls, a roof, a door, then the label.
  • An apple with the label la pomme Pomme is feminine: la pomme. One apple with a leaf, and the two words printed below.
  • An umbrella with the label le parapluie Parapluie is masculine: le parapluie. An open dome with a scalloped edge and a hooked handle.
  • The moon with the label la lune Lune is feminine: la lune. A crescent on a dark sky, a few stars around it.
  • The sun with the label le soleil Soleil is masculine: le soleil. A circle with rays, the label on a line under it.

How it works

Sixty French things to draw, each real and named: a bridge the Romans built, a tart served upside down, a rooster that stands for the country. Twelve are everyday nouns to draw and label for French class.

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French drawing ideas in five groups

Landmarks runs from the Eiffel Tower to the walls of Carcassonne. Food is the bakery and the table: a croissant, a crêpe, a croquembouche. Countryside and animals covers Provence, the Camargue, the Alps and Brittany. Symbols, signs and art holds the tricolor, a Métro entrance and a horse from the Lascaux cave.

Drawing for French class

Choose For French class under the button for the twelve nouns. Draw the thing, then write its name underneath with its article: le for a masculine noun, la for a feminine one. Le chat, la pomme, le vélo. The hint with each idea gives the gender.

  • For any landmark, find the big shape first: a triangle for the Louvre pyramid, a tall A for the Eiffel Tower.
  • A rose window is a wheel. Divide the circle like a clock face before you draw a single petal.

Questions and answers

What are some easy French things to draw?

A fleur-de-lis, the tricolor on a flagpole, an éclair, a crêpe folded in four, the glass pyramid of the Louvre and the standing stones of Carnac. For every easy idea, choose Easy under More filters.

What does the French flag look like?

It is a vertical tricolor of blue, white and red, with the blue band at the pole. The cockade uses the same three colors as rings: blue in the center, white around it, red on the edge.

What animal is the symbol of France?

The Gallic rooster is a national symbol of France, by tradition shown crowing. It is in the Countryside and animals group, with the Camargue horse and the Alpine marmot.

Is it le or la in French?

Le goes with a masculine noun and la with a feminine one: le chat, la pomme. The gender has to be learned with the word, so each class idea states it. Livre is masculine when it means a book.

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