A clearing ringed by leaves, the middle left emptyDraw leaves pointing inward from every side. The white middle is the clearing, so do not fill it.
A fringe of leaves hanging in from the top edgeLeaves hang tip-down from the top of the page. Leave the rest empty for the next layer.
A hillside of treetops overlapping like scalesStart at the bottom. Each crown is a bumpy arc that hides the base of the one behind it.
A jungle in three layers: front leaves, trunks, far canopyFront leaves in your heaviest line, trunks lighter, the far canopy one bumpy outline with no detail.
A jungle path vanishing between layers of leavesThe path narrows and bends out of sight. Leaves overlap it from both sides, largest at the front.
A jungle scene in five layers, each in a lighter lineNumber the layers from front to back and press less for each. The last is barely there.
A monstera leaf: heart outline, slots and a few holesA heart shape first. Cut slots in from the edge toward the rib, then add oval holes between them.
A rainforest in side view: floor, understory, canopy, emergent treesFour layers from the ground up. A few very tall trees, the emergents, stand above the canopy.
A row of ferns along the bottom edge as a front layerEach frond is a curved line with short strokes down both sides. Let the fronds cross.
A wall of leaves in five shapes with no gapsHeart, paddle, hand, feather and strap. Repeat the shapes and tuck each new leaf behind the last.
Giant heart-shaped leaves on tall stalks, seen from belowVeins fan out from where the stalk joins. Plants low in a rainforest often have very large leaves.
Looking straight up: leaning trunks, crowns that do not touchTrunks lean toward one point overhead. In some tree species the crowns leave channels of sky between them.
One palm frond: a curved rib with leaflets like a combDraw the rib as one arc. The leaflets slant toward the tip and get shorter at both ends.
One tree trunk seen through a screen of leavesLeaves first. The trunk is two lines that break at every leaf and pick up again below it.
Three big leaves overlapping, the front one drawn firstDraw the front leaf whole. Each leaf behind stops where its line meets one already there.
Animals half hidden 15
A butterfly with closed wings on the rib of a big leafSide on, closed wings make one triangle. Stand it on the rib so it reads as part of the leaf.
A chameleon on a twig, one leaf across its middleHead and gripping tail show at either end. Each foot clamps the twig with two groups of toes.
A flock of parrots landing in a tree, wings among the leavesOpen wings are fans and perched birds are teardrops. Overlap them with leaves and with each other.
A gorilla sitting in thick leaves, face and shoulders clearA broad dome of shoulders with the face set low in it. Leaves overlap the arms and the lap.
A jaguar's back and tail above the ferns, head downOne low curve for the back, then the tail. On a jaguar's sides the spots open into rosettes.
A lizard on a trunk, drawn to match the barkDraw the cracks in the bark first. Fit the lizard between them so its outline shares their lines.
A macaw's long tail hanging below a branch, the bird behind a leafA few long feathers drop straight down. One big leaf covers the head and body.
A monkey on a vine: one hand, one foot and the tail showingA hand above, a foot below and the tail curled round the vine. Leaves cover the middle.
A sloth's hooked claws over a branch, the body behind leavesLong curved claws hook over the branch like coat hangers. Fur shows only between the leaves.
A tiger in tall grass, stripes lined up with the stemsDraw the grass first. A tiger's stripes are mostly vertical, so they sit among upright stems.
A toucan's bill poking out between two leavesDraw the large bill and one eye. The leaves cover the rest, so there is no body to get right.
A tree frog peeping over the rim of a leafTwo bumps for eyes and a row of round toe tips on the rim. Most tree frogs have a disc on each toe tip.
A troop of monkeys in one tree, each partly behind a branchBranches first. Fit a monkey to each fork and let wood cross an arm, a leg or a tail.
An elephant behind tree trunks, shown in three stripsThe trunks slice it into strips: an ear, a stretch of side, a back leg. The eye joins them up.
Five animals hidden in one leaf wall, for a friend to findShow one part of each: a bill, a tail, an eye, a paw, a wing tip. Keep each part small.
Rivers and vines 15
A curtain of hanging vines with one gap to look throughLong, slightly wavy lines of uneven length. Leave a gap and draw one small thing beyond it.
A cut river bank with tree roots reaching into the waterRoots are wavy lines that fork as they go down. Stop them at the waterline and add short ripples.
A liana as thick as an arm, twisted like ropeA liana is a woody vine rooted in the ground that climbs trees. Draw two strands swapping sides.
A river as an S that narrows toward the top of the pageWide at the bottom, a thread at the top. The narrowing alone says the water runs into the distance.
A river splitting round an island of treesThe water parts into two bands and joins again. The island is a clump of crowns on one bank line.
A river tunnel of leaning trees, seen from a canoeTrunks lean in from both banks and meet overhead. The river is the pale shape left at the bottom.
A strangler fig's roots wrapped in a lattice round a trunkIts roots grow down around the tree it sits on. Draw them as ropes that fork, cross and join.
A stream seen through three layers: leaves, far bank, treetopsFront leaves frame the view. The stream is the white band between them and the far bank.
A tangle of five vines, each going over then underTreat it like a knot. At every crossing decide which vine is in front and break the other line.
A vine hanging in a loop between two trunksOne sagging line, then a second beside it for thickness. Add leaves in pairs along it.
A vine wound round a trunk like a spiral stairDraw the trunk, then slanted bands across it. Erase the trunk's edge wherever the vine passes in front.
A waterfall behind a screen of vinesVines in a firm line at the front. The fall behind is a few pale strokes that break at every vine.
A waterfall in line only: long strokes down, dots where it landsLeave the water white. A few long vertical strokes, then dots and curls at the foot.
A waterfall in three drops down a jungle cliffEach ledge has its own fringe of leaves, and each fringe overlaps the water falling below it.
Rapids between boulders, drawn with flow linesLines bend round each boulder and close up again below it. Leave white gaps for foam.
An explorer's camp 15
A backpack leaning against a buttress root taller than it isButtress roots are large, wide roots that flare from the base of a trunk. The pack gives the scale.
A camera on a tripod aimed at an empty perchThree legs, a small box and a lens. Draw the bare branch it points at and leave the bird out.
A camp table of finds: feather, seed pod, shell, magnifier, jarA still life in line. Overlap the objects and give each one a different kind of outline.
A field notebook open to a beetle sketch and a leaf rubbingTwo pages in a shallow V: a small drawing on one, a leaf outline and lines of writing on the other.
A hammock under a net, hung between two trunks wrapped in vinesOne deep curve for the hammock and a tent of fine lines over it. Spiral a vine up each trunk.
A hand-drawn jungle map spread on a crateThe crate is a box and the map a tilted sheet on top. A dotted route and one river are enough.
A lantern on a low branch, lighting only the nearest leavesA small box with a handle and a flame shape. Draw the three nearest leaves in full and no others.
A raft of logs lashed with vines, tied to a root at the bankFive logs side by side with two bands of lashing across them. A rope runs to a root on the bank.
A rope ladder up a trunk to a platform in the leavesThe rungs get closer together as the ladder climbs. Leaves hide most of the platform.
A tent seen through a gap in big leavesDraw the leaves first, as a frame. The tent is a plain triangle in the gap, and nothing else.
An explorer with a backpack pushing a big leaf aside, from behindBack view: pack, hat, one raised arm. The leaf overlaps the arm and the path shows past it.
An explorer's hat hung on a broken branchAn oval brim with a dome on it, tipped at an angle. One leaf overlaps the brim.
Binoculars and a notebook left on a mossy logBinoculars are two short tubes joined by a bar. The log is a long cylinder with ferns at one end.
The camp at night in ink: one lit tent, dark leaves around itLeave the tent white and hatch everything else. The leaf shapes are cut out of the dark.
The whole camp seen from the river: raft, fire, hammock, tentRaft at the front, fire in the middle, tent at the back. Leaves frame all of it.
How it works
These jungle drawing ideas are scenes to draw in line, each built in layers from the nearest leaves to the far canopy. The animals show a bill, a tail or a paw, and the leaves hide the rest.
Read the full guide
How to draw a jungle, step by step
Draw the nearest leaves whole, in your heaviest line. Trunks and vines come next, in a lighter line that stops wherever it meets a leaf. The far canopy goes in last, as one bumpy outline with no leaves drawn. Three layers make a jungle. One hard idea asks for five.
Where the tangle grows
Under a closed canopy the floor of a rainforest is fairly clear, because little light gets down. Dense growth belongs to river banks and clearings. Put your wall of leaves there, and leave the ground between the trunks bare.
Use a pen if you have one. A line that stops cleanly at a leaf's edge is what puts that leaf in front.
Let the front leaves run off the page. A leaf cut by the paper's edge reads as close.
Questions and answers
What is an easy jungle drawing to start with?
A monstera leaf, a vine hanging in a loop between two trunks, or a toucan's bill poking out between two leaves. Each is a handful of lines, and none needs a whole animal.
What animals can I draw in a jungle scene?
A toucan, a macaw, a sloth, a tree frog, a chameleon, a jaguar, a tiger, a gorilla, monkeys and an elephant, each partly hidden. For whole animals, see rainforest animals to draw.
What are the layers of a jungle?
A tropical rainforest has four: the forest floor, the understory, the canopy and the emergent layer, where a few very tall trees stand above the rest. One hard idea draws all four in side view.