The desert is an amazing world where life goes on. The surface of the earth appears to be flat, but in fact there are hills and depressions on it. The sand also has different shades. Here and there strange plants that thrive even without water come across. To draw a desert is to convey the features of the landscape, flora and fauna.
Start in a straight line
It is better to draw the desert with colored pencils. Since you have to represent a large space, it is better to lay the sheet horizontally. In the desert, the skyline is visible from almost everywhere. It is with her that you should start. Draw a horizontal line approximately in the middle of the sheet, connecting its short sides. At the first stage, you can draw it with a hard, simple pencil.
The horizon doesn't have to be perfectly flat. It may have bulges and depressions.
Hills and depressions
The wind in the desert is not so rare. It transfers masses of sand from one place to another. Irregularities are formed - sandy hills, which in some regions are called dunes. The dunes can have different heights. Note that in the painting, objects that are closer to the viewer appear larger than those in the background.
On the surface of the sheet, on which the horizon line is already drawn, the near objects will be located below those in the distance. Draw several dunes on different planes. They can be depicted as obtuse angles, the tops of which look up.
The corners can be slightly rounded. Sand hills can also be drawn in the form of arcs, the convex parts of which are directed upward.
Plants and Animals
What's growing in the desert? Usually prickly dry plants that need very little moisture. It can be saxaul - a small tree with crooked trunks. If you are drawing an American desert, then, for example, a cactus will be in place. It's easy to draw. It might just be an oval on which the needles grow.
However, cacti can take on the most bizarre shapes, so there is room for the artist's imagination. A small snake or one of the rodents can sit under the bush. A caravan of several camels can also be launched in the desert.
How to convey space
Regardless of whether you are drawing a desert with a simple pencil or colored, you need to convey the features of the landscape. This is best done with shading. Apply strokes in different directions. For example, you can draw a dune with long lines extending downward. Another method will also look good - overlaying groups of strokes going in different directions over the entire surface.
In the sky, it is enough to draw a few free lines parallel to the horizon. Trees and animals can simply be outlined with a softer pencil. Keep in mind that foreground subjects appear brighter and sharper. Objects farther from the viewer appear lighter and have slightly blurred outlines.
