How to Draw a Tree of Life

Step 1: The ring

Draw a big circle that nearly fills your paper. Draw a second circle just inside it.

Tip Draw round a plate for the big circle, then a slightly smaller plate or bowl.

Step 2: The trunk

Start in the middle of the ring. Draw 2 short lines down, side by side. Stop a finger-width lower.

Tip Leave lots of room above for branches and below for roots.

Step 3: Low branches

Start at the top of each trunk line. Draw a branch sweeping out, curling up to a point, and back.

Tip Each branch is fat at the trunk and thin at the tip.

Step 4: High branches

Start where each low branch ended. Draw a taller branch up to a point and back down.

Tip Make the right side match the left side, like a mirror.

Step 5: Top branch

Start where the left branch ended. Draw one straight branch up to a point, back down to the right branch.

Step 6: The ground

Start on the ring, level with the trunk bottom. Draw a line across, stop at the trunk. Do both sides.

Step 7: Side roots

Start where the trunk meets the ground. Draw a root sweeping out and down to a point, and back.

Tip The roots spread out just like the branches, upside down.

Step 8: 3 more roots

Start where the left side root ended. Draw 3 pointed roots down and up, to reach the right side root.

Step 9: Top leaves

Start on a high branch. Draw a pointed oval leaf and stop back on the branch. Draw 7 leaves.

Tip Put one on each tip and the rest along the sides. Every leaf touches its branch.

Step 10: Low leaves

Start on a low branch. Draw a leaf and stop back on the branch. Draw 4 on each low branch.

Step 11: Gold ring, sandy earth

Go over your lines. Colour the ring yellow and the earth around the roots sand.

Step 12: Blue sky

Colour the sky inside the ring light blue, around the branches and leaves.

Step 13: Green leaves

Colour all the leaves green.

Step 14: Brown tree

Colour the trunk, branches and roots brown, and your tree of life is done.