A bunch of radishes just pulled, soil still onRound roots with a thin tail, tied at the leaves. Shade one side of each. Pink-red, white tips, leaf green.
A calf lying down in a field of buttercupsA bean shape with a big head, legs folded under, ears out sideways. Dot the grass with yellow. Black, white, green.
A caterpillar on a nibbled leafA chain of overlapping circles along the leaf edge, with a bite-shaped scallop taken out in front. Two greens.
A clump of snowdrops with their heads hangingEach flower is a drooping white bell: three long outer segments over three short ones marked with green.
A daffodil seen from the frontSix pointed petals in a star, then the trumpet as a frilled circle in the middle. Two yellows, an orange rim.
A daisy chain laid in a loopSmall flowers with white rays and a yellow disc, each stem threaded through a slit in the next. White, yellow, green.
A fern fiddlehead uncurlingDraw a spiral like the scroll of a violin, thick at the stalk end. Each one unrolls into a new frond. Lime, brown.
A kite high over a hill on a windy dayA diamond with a cross inside and a tail of bows, the string curving down to a small figure. Red, blue, green hill.
A nest box on a fence postA tall box with a sloping lid and one round hole, screwed to a post. Wood grain in two browns, ivy at the base.
A nest with three blue eggsA bowl of scribbled twigs with three ovals inside. American robin eggs are a blue-green known as robin egg blue.
A pair of yellow rain boots standing in a puddleTwo L shapes side by side, ring ripples round each foot and a dark reflection under them. Yellow, grey-blue.
A pansy face in purple and yellowTwo overlapping petals on top, one each side and one broad petal below. Darken the centre to make the face.
A paper boat sailing down a gutter streamFolded boat as a triangle on a trapezium, a V of ripples behind, a kerb line above. White, grey, one red flag.
A patch of forget-me-notsSmall flat flowers, sky blue with a yellow ring at the centre. Pencil ten circles first, then petal each one.
A rainbow over a wet fieldSeven bands with red on the outside and violet on the inside. Keep the ground and sky dark so the colours glow.
A raincoat and hat dripping on a hook by the doorCoat hanging from one point so the folds fall straight. A small puddle on the floor below. Yellow, grey, brown.
A rake, a hoe and a spade leaning against a wallThree long handles at slightly different angles, each with a different head at the bottom. Brick red, wood, steel.
A seed packet with a hand-drawn flower on the frontAn upright rectangle with a folded top, the plant name in capitals, a band of colour behind the picture.
A seedling with the seed coat still stuck on one leafA hooked stem straightening up, two first leaves, the husk perched on one like a hat. Show roots under the soil line.
A seven-spot ladybird climbing a grass stemRed dome, black head. Three spots on each wing case and one where the two join makes seven.
A single red tulip with two broad leavesAn egg shape with the top cut into three points. Two long leaves wrap the stem from the base. Red, yellow-green.
A trowel and a hand fork stuck upright in the soilTwo wooden handles side by side, metal disappearing into a dark mound, a worm nearby. Brown, steel grey, tan.
A watering can in mid-pourOval body, long spout ending in a round rose, a fan of dotted lines for the water. Galvanised grey or bright green.
An earthworm on dark soil after a showerOne long S-curve with fine ring lines and one smooth band part of the way along. Pink-brown on near-black.
An open window with the curtains blowing inFrame square to the page, both curtains lifted the same way, a strip of blue sky and one branch outside.
Boot prints and paw prints across a muddy pathTwo trails side by side. Tread pattern in the boots, four toe pads per paw. Dark brown on mid brown.
Five swallows on a telephone wireSmall dark birds on a sagging line, forked tails hanging below it, one just landing. Dark blue on a pale sky.
Frogspawn in the corner of a pondOverlapping circles, each with a black dot in the middle, among reed stems. Frogs often lay eggs in clumps of jelly.
Pussy willow stems in a stoneware jugFurry grey catkins dot the bare stems; they come before the leaves. Soft grey ovals on straight brown lines.
Tadpoles in a jar of pond waterRound bodies with flat wavy tails, all facing different ways, and one sprig of pondweed. Black, olive, pale blue.
Terracotta pots stacked on their sidesEach pot is a tapered tube with a thick rim; slot four together like cups. Orange-brown with a chalky white bloom.
Two lambs jumping in a fieldAll four feet off the ground, legs straight, ears out sideways. Cloud bodies on stick legs. Cream, black, green.
Flowers 25
A bluebell wood with a path running through it9 by 12 inch canvas. A violet-blue carpet, paler in the distance, crossed by dark trunks. Violet, cobalt, lime, umber.
A branch of cherry blossom against a blue sky6 by 6 inch canvas. Dark branch on a diagonal, then five-petal flowers dabbed in two pinks. Sky blue, white, umber.
A bumblebee queen on a crocusQueens come out of hibernation in early spring to look for a nest site. Fat oval, two wings, yellow and black bands.
A cherry tree in bloom with petals drifting offA pink cloud on a dark forked trunk, loose petals blowing to one side and a pink patch on the grass below.
A daffodil seen from the side, trumpet pointing leftThe trumpet is a cone, the six petals flare behind it, and the stem bends just under the head. Yellow, grey-green.
A dandelion in flower beside one gone to seedOne flat yellow disc of thin rays, one white globe of fine lines from a centre point. The seed head opens into a sphere.
A forsythia bush in full yellow5 by 7 inch canvas. Arching stems, then four-lobed flowers along them before any leaf shows. Lemon, ochre, brown.
A hyacinth in a glass bulb vase, roots showingA fat spike of small starry flowers above four to six narrow leaves, white roots in the water. Blue-violet, green.
A jam jar of mixed spring flowers on a windowsill5 by 7 inch canvas. Jar first with a water line, then stems crossing inside it. Yellow, violet, white, pale blue.
A magnolia branch in flower before its leavesOn deciduous magnolias the blooms often open before the leaves. Big cupped flowers on bare grey wood. Pink, cream.
A meadow of buttercups and daisies in dabs8 by 8 inch canvas. Lay three greens first, then dot yellow and white with the brush tip, larger at the bottom.
A pale yellow primrose in its rosette of leavesThe flowers sit singly on short stems in the middle of a low rosette of leaves. Pale yellow, mid green.
A spray of lilac with heart-shaped leavesA dense cone of tiny four-lobed flowers, lilac to mauve, with oval or heart-shaped leaves under it.
A tulip field in stripes to the horizon9 by 12 inch canvas. Bands of colour narrowing to one vanishing point under a big sky. Red, yellow, pink, blue.
A window box being planted upLong trough half filled, three plants in, two still in their pots on the sill, a trowel across one end.
A wood anemone on the woodland floorA small white flower of six or seven petal-like segments round a tuft of many stamens. White, soft yellow, green.
Apple blossom with pink buds and white open flowersThe buds start rose pink and turn white as they open. Five petals each, in small clusters among new leaves.
Bulbs in cross-section under the soil with shoots aboveSplit the page with a soil line. Onion-shaped bulbs and roots below, green spears above. Brown, cream, green.
Hazel catkins hanging from a bare twigLong tassels in twos and threes under a thin twig. Hazel catkins flower January to March. Yellow-green, brown.
Lily of the valley with its row of white bellsSix to twelve small bells hang from one side of an arching stem, their tips curled outwards. White, deep green.
One bluebell stem with its flowers hanging down one sideThe stem nods over at the top and the narrow bells hang from one side, tips curled back. Violet-blue, deep green.
One twig drawn four times as its bud opensTight bud, split bud, folded leaf, open leaf, left to right. Same twig each time. Brown, pink-brown, lime.
Purple crocuses pushing up through old snowGoblet flowers sitting almost on the ground, three orange stamens inside each. Violet, orange, grey-white snow.
Tulips in five colours along a white fence8 by 10 inch canvas, landscape. Stems first, fence rails over them once dry. Red, pink, yellow, violet, fresh green.
Wisteria hanging over a front door8 by 10 inch canvas, upright. Twining stems over the lintel, then drooping clusters in violet, lilac and white.
Animals 19
A barn swallow in flightLong pointed wings and a deeply forked tail with two streamers. Steel blue above, rust-red throat, off-white below.
A bee close up at an apple blossom6 by 6 inch canvas. One flower fills the square, the bee a third of its size. Pink-white, yellow, black, leaf green.
A bird carrying a twig to a half-built nestNest in a branch fork on the right, bird flying in from the left with a twig longer than itself. Browns, pale sky.
A blue tit looking out of a nest box holeOnly the head shows in the round hole. Blue and yellow plumage on a plain wooden box. Blue, yellow, white, tan.
A brimstone butterfly resting on a bare hedgeThe male brimstone has plain yellow wings and the female greenish white. Draw it wings closed on a twig.
A butterfly drying its wings beside an empty chrysalisChrysalis hanging from a twig like a split paper lantern, butterfly clinging below with wings half open.
A ewe with twin lambs sheltering under a hedgeEwe lying down in profile, one lamb standing, one tucked against her. Cream wool, dark hedge, a strip of wet grass.
A foal standing on long unsteady legsLegs longer than the body is deep, knees knobbly, feet planted wide. Short brush mane and tail. Chestnut, cream.
A frog on a lily pad in the rainFrog in three-quarter view, back legs folded in a Z. Ring ripples round the pad where drops land. Greens, grey.
A hedgehog waking up in a pile of leavesEuropean hedgehogs may hibernate through winter. A spiny dome, a pointed snout, one eye open. Browns and cream.
A male blackbird singing from a chimney potAll black apart from a yellow bill and a yellow ring round the eye. Beak open, tail down, a pale dawn sky.
A snail crossing a wet garden pathA spiral shell on a soft wedge of body, two pairs of tentacles on the head, a shiny trail behind. Ochre, grey.
A sparrow splashing in a bird bathShallow bowl on a pedestal, bird crouched with wings half open, drops flying outwards. Stone grey, brown, white.
A toad crossing a wet lane at duskToads head for breeding ponds on warm, wet nights, and volunteers carry them over roads in buckets. Olive, brown.
An American robin tugging a worm out of the lawnBird leaning back with legs braced, worm stretched tight. Reddish-orange breast, grey-brown back, pink worm.
Baby rabbits at the mouth of a burrowA dark arch in a grassy bank, one rabbit out and upright, two half hidden. Short ears, big heads. Grey-brown, green.
Fox kits tumbling outside the denRed fox kits start leaving the den at three to four weeks, still in dark brown fluffy fur. Two playing, one watching.
Three open beaks in a nest and a parent arrivingThree wide diamond mouths pointing straight up, parent above with a grub. Yellow inside the beaks, brown nest.
Two hares boxing in an open fieldBoth up on their hind legs, forepaws out, long ears back. Hares box during the spring breeding season. Browns, green.
Weather 14
A child mid-jump over a puddle, splash frozenKnees up, coat flying, a crown of water rising from the puddle. Red coat, yellow boots, grey pavement.
A double rainbow with the second bow reversedThe outer bow is larger and fainter and its colours run the other way, with red on the lower edge.
A puddle reflecting blossom and sky5 by 7 inch canvas. Paint the reflection upside down and softer than life, then a hard dark rim of wet tarmac.
A stream running high under a small stone bridgeOne arch, water nearly to its top, grass bent over at the banks. Curved lines for the current. Greys, brown, green.
An umbrella blown inside outThe canopy becomes a cup facing the sky with every rib showing. Slanted rain lines, a hand gripping the handle.
Cloud shadows crossing green hills9 by 12 inch canvas. Rolling hills in two greens, then large darker patches that ignore the field edges. White clouds.
Dew on a spider web at sunriseSpokes first, then the spiral, then a bead on every crossing. Leave the beads white and tint the sky peach.
Icicles dripping from a gutter in sunshineTapered spikes of uneven length, a bead of water at each tip, one drop falling. Pale blue, white, warm yellow light.
The last patch of snow melting on green grassOne ragged white island with a grey edge, grass and a few shoots all round it, a trickle running off. White, greens.
Morning mist over a field with a low sun8 by 10 inch canvas. Pale bands getting lighter toward the horizon, trees as grey ghosts, one soft yellow disc.
Raindrops running down a window with a blurred garden behind8 by 10 inch canvas. Soft green and pink shapes first, then sharp drops with a highlight on top and a shadow under.
Sunbeams breaking through a rain cloud9 by 12 inch canvas. Dark cloud top, a bright gap, pale rays fanning down to a lit strip of land. Greys, gold, green.
Umbrellas seen from above on a wet streetCircles and octagons of different sizes, a few feet showing at the edges, puddles between. Any colours on grey.
Washing blowing on a lineLine sagging between two poles, sheets and shirts all bellied out the same way. White, pale blue, a strip of grass.
Garden 10
A bicycle with a basket of cut flowers8 by 10 inch canvas. Two circles and a diamond frame, leaning on a wall. Mint green bike, a basket of yellows and pinks.
A garden gate open on a path lined with daffodils9 by 12 inch canvas, upright. The path narrows to the gate, yellow heads crowding both edges. Yellow, green, grey.
A garden shed with its door open8 by 10 inch canvas. Plank lines on the walls, tools as dark shapes inside, a pot of tulips by the step. Blue-grey, red.
A greenhouse with misted glass and trays insideDraw the frame as a grid, then smudge green and terracotta behind it. One pane wiped clear. White, green, orange.
A wheelbarrow loaded with compost and potsOne wheel in front, two legs behind, handles toward you. Heap the load above the rim. Green barrow, dark compost.
Bean poles tied in a wigwam with the first tendrils climbingSix canes meeting at a knot of twine, a seedling at the foot of each, one tendril already wrapped round.
Garden gloves and a ball of twine on a potting benchGloves flopped palm up, twine with a loose end curling off the edge, a few labels and a pencil. Tan, green, cream.
Muddy boots by the back door beside a pot of crocusesBoots slumped against each other, mud to the ankle, a small bright pot beside them. Green, brown, violet.
Seed packets on sticks marking the rows of a vegetable bedLow view along the bed: four rows of tiny seedlings running away from you, a packet on a cane at each row end.
Seedlings coming up in an egg box on a windowsillTwo rows of cups, a pair of round leaves in each on a thin white stem, all leaning toward the glass. Grey, lime.
How it works
Between the last frost and the first hot day a lot turns up, and these spring drawing ideas cover it: bulbs and blossom by name, nests, lambs, rain boots and seed packets. Each of the 100 subjects comes with a way to begin, and the plant details are checked. Deal three, then pick a group.
Read the full guide
Spring things to draw, in the order they arrive
Spring comes in stages, and a sketchbook can keep up. Hazel catkins bloom from January to March, and snowdrops are among the first bulbs to flower. Pussy willow catkins appear before the leaves, and so do the blooms on a deciduous magnolia. Try One twig drawn four times as its bud opens, then date the page.
Spring painting ideas with the palette already chosen
The To paint group holds 17 subjects. Each hint gives a canvas size in inches and the colours to mix. A bluebell wood with a path running through it goes on 9 by 12: violet-blue carpet first, dark trunks last. Spring canvas painting ideas can be small: A branch of cherry blossom against a blue sky needs a 6 by 6 and two pinks.
Count before you draw. A daffodil has six petals behind its trumpet, a cherry blossom usually has five, and a snowdrop has three long segments over three short.
New leaves are yellower than summer ones. Mix lemon into your green, and keep a grey-violet ready for rain clouds and wet roads.
Easy spring art ideas for a class sit under Easy, 32 of them. A pair of yellow rain boots standing in a puddle is two letter Ls.
Questions and answers
What are some spring art ideas that are not flowers?
Choose Animals, Weather or Garden. Two hares boxing in an open field is a real March sight, because hares box during the spring breeding season. A double rainbow with the second bow reversed tests your eye: the outer bow is fainter and its colours run the other way.
How do I tell the spring bulbs apart on paper?
By the outline. A crocus is a goblet sitting almost on the ground. A snowdrop hangs its head like a bell. A tulip is an egg with a pointed top, and a hyacinth is a fat spike of small flowers above four to six narrow leaves.
Does the list include Easter or Mother's Day?
No. This page keeps to the season, so there are no decorated eggs, no baskets and no cards for a named day. Easter has its own list, linked below. Here you get weather, plants and young animals, which stay useful from the first catkins until the blossom is over.