Best examples of contour drawing techniques in landscape art

Real-world examples of contour drawing techniques in landscape art

Let’s start where your pencil starts: with actual, on-the-page examples of contour drawing techniques in landscape art that you can try today. Imagine you’re standing in a park with a sketchbook, looking at a line of trees, a pond, and some distant buildings.

You might begin with a continuous contour line to trace the skyline of the trees, never lifting your pencil as you move from treetop to treetop. Then you switch to broken contour lines to suggest reflections in the water, letting gaps in the line hint at light on the surface. For the buildings, you might use angular, straight contour lines to contrast with the softer organic shapes of the trees.

These simple choices are all examples of contour drawing techniques in landscape art: continuous line for rhythm, broken line for light, and angular line for man‑made structures. Each one teaches your eye to see more clearly and your hand to move with more confidence.

Examples of contour drawing techniques in landscape art for different subjects

To make this practical, let’s walk through several classic landscape elements and how contour approaches change from one to the next. Think of these as mini case studies you can borrow directly.

1. Tree lines and forests

One powerful example of contour drawing in a landscape is how you handle a dense tree line.

Instead of drawing every leaf, you:

Trace the outer contour of the mass of foliage as a single, flowing silhouette.
Add a few interior contour lines to suggest major branches or trunk directions.

For a row of pines on a ridge, you might:

Use jagged, spiky contours for the top edges of the trees.
Slightly vary the height and shape of each tree’s contour so they don’t look cloned.

In a forest scene, some of the best examples of contour drawing techniques in landscape art come from limiting yourself: draw just the trunks as vertical contour lines, letting their spacing and slight bends describe depth and rhythm. Urban sketchers and nature journalers often use this trick to block in a forest quickly before light changes.

2. Mountains and distant hills

Mountains are contour heaven because their shapes are mostly about edges and overlaps.

A classic example of contour drawing technique for mountains:

Start with the skyline contour, following every rise and dip of the peaks.
Add a second layer of contour lines where one ridge overlaps another to show depth.

You can use contour simplification here: instead of copying every tiny bump, you reduce the forms to bold, clear shapes. This is one of the best examples of contour drawing techniques in landscape art for learning to see big shapes first and details later.

In hazy, atmospheric scenes, try soft, slightly broken contours for distant hills and darker, more decisive contours for closer ridges. That shift in line quality alone can suggest miles of distance.

3. Water: rivers, lakes, and ocean edges

Water is tricky because it’s always moving, but contour drawing lets you suggest motion with just a few lines.

For a calm lake:

Use a clean horizontal contour line where the water meets the shore.
Add gentle, parallel contour lines across the surface to suggest stillness.

For a river with current:

Let your contour lines curve and meander with the flow.
Break the line occasionally to suggest highlights and ripples.

One subtle example of contour drawing technique in landscapes is how you draw reflections: mirror the contour of a tree or building in the water, but soften and slightly distort it. You’re not shading; you’re using altered contour lines to show the difference between solid objects and their reflections.

4. Rocks, cliffs, and shorelines

Rocks are perfect for practicing varied contour line quality.

For a rocky shoreline, you might:

Use sharp, angular contours for broken rocks.
Add curved contour lines to show rounded boulders.

You can thicken the contour line on the shadow side of a rock and keep it lighter on the light side. This is a simple but powerful example of contour drawing technique that hints at volume and light without any traditional shading.

Cliffs often benefit from vertical contour lines that follow cracks and strata. Those interior contours help the viewer understand that the cliff face is textured and vertical, not a flat wall.

5. Buildings in a landscape (rural and urban)

When you mix architecture and nature, contour decisions become even more important.

For a farmhouse in a field:

Draw the building with precise, straight contours for roofs and walls.
Contrast that with looser, organic contours for trees and grass.

This contrast is one of the best examples of contour drawing techniques in landscape art: the crisp edges of human‑made forms against the irregular contours of nature make both read more clearly.

In an urban skyline at sunset, you might:

Start with a single continuous contour of the building silhouettes.
Then add selective interior contours for window rows or roof details, but only where they help explain the structure.

Urban sketching communities, which have grown rapidly through 2024–2025 on platforms like Instagram and YouTube, often emphasize this contour‑first approach. It helps artists capture complex cityscapes quickly on location.

6. Clouds and sky patterns

Even the sky has contours. For cloud banks, you can:

Use soft, looping contours for fluffy cumulus clouds.
Use long, stretched contours for wispy cirrus clouds.

The trick is to keep lines light and sometimes broken so the sky doesn’t feel heavy. A few carefully placed cloud contours can balance a dense foreground of trees or buildings without overwhelming the drawing.

Before you try polished landscape drawings, it helps to practice pure contour exercises. These aren’t just art‑school gimmicks; they’re still widely taught in 2024 in college drawing programs and online courses because they sharpen observational skills.

In blind contour drawing, you look only at the subject, not your paper, while drawing a continuous line. For landscapes, you might:

Follow the contour of a tree trunk from root to branch tip.
Trace the contour of a mountain ridge from one side of the page to the other.

The point isn’t a pretty result; it’s to force your brain to truly track the edge instead of relying on symbols. Many teachers still recommend this approach, echoing ideas from classic texts like Betty Edwards’ Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain (see California State University, Northridge’s drawing resources for academic drawing guidance).

Modified contour for usable sketches

Once you’ve tried blind contour, switch to modified contour drawing for your actual landscape art:

You still move slowly along contours.
But you glance down at your paper to correct proportions.

This gives you the same careful observation with a much more usable sketch. Some of the best examples of contour drawing techniques in landscape art come from artists who start with a modified contour underdrawing, then add tone or color later.

Line quality: the quiet hero of contour landscapes

Two artists can draw the same contour and get completely different results, just from line quality. Here’s how you can push that in your landscapes.

Thick vs. thin contours

Use thicker contours for objects that are closer to the viewer and thinner contours for distant forms. For example:

A foreground tree trunk might have a bold, dark contour.
The same species of tree on a far hill might be drawn with a faint, thin contour.

This is a subtle example of contour drawing technique that suggests depth without perspective grids or heavy shading.

Smooth vs. rough contours

Match your line quality to the surface:

Smooth contours for calm water, modern buildings, or distant hills.
Rough, jittery contours for bark, rocky cliffs, or tangled undergrowth.

When you look at some of the best examples of contour drawing techniques in landscape art—especially in sketchbooks by experienced artists—you’ll notice how they change the feel of the scene just by shifting how the line behaves.

Using contour drawing with modern 2024–2025 landscape trends

Landscape drawing isn’t stuck in a dusty studio. In 2024–2025, several trends make contour drawing especially relevant:

Urban sketching and travel sketchbooks: Artists often start with contour lines on location, then add quick watercolor washes. The contour provides structure; color is secondary.
Nature journaling: Hikers and birdwatchers use contour sketches to record trails, tree shapes, and rock formations in the field. Groups like the National Park Service encourage sketching as part of connecting with public lands.
Digital tablets and styluses: Apps like Procreate and Fresco let you experiment with pressure‑sensitive contour lines, mimicking traditional pen or pencil. Many online courses still teach contour fundamentals before moving to digital shading.

In all of these spaces, you’ll see real examples of contour drawing techniques in landscape art: fast continuous skyline contours, simplified tree masses, and expressive line work that stands on its own even without color.

Step-by-step: building a landscape using contour techniques

Let’s walk through how you might build a simple landscape using the techniques we’ve talked about. No fancy materials—just a pen or pencil and paper.

Start with the horizon and big shapes. Lightly sketch the horizon line, then draw the main contours of large forms: a hill, a stand of trees, a barn. Think in silhouettes first.

Next, refine each major shape using more specific contour lines. For the trees, add varied top contours and a few trunk lines. For the barn, clean up the roof and wall edges with confident, straight contours.

Then, add interior contours sparingly. On a hill, a few gently curved lines can suggest the slope. On a rock, angular interior contours can show cracks and planes.

Finally, adjust line quality for depth and focus. Thicken the contours in the foreground, lighten those in the distance. Break a few lines along the water’s edge to suggest sparkle.

If you stop right there—no shading, no hatching—you’ll already have a solid, readable drawing. That’s the power of good contour work.

Common mistakes (and how contour examples help you avoid them)

Looking at strong examples of contour drawing techniques in landscape art can help you avoid a few classic pitfalls:

Over‑detailing everything: Beginners often try to draw every leaf or brick. Study examples where artists group foliage into larger contour masses and only hint at detail.
Same line everywhere: Using one uniform line weight makes landscapes feel flat. Notice how experienced artists vary thickness and darkness to create depth.
Ignoring overlaps: If you don’t clearly show which object is in front, the scene gets confusing. Look for examples where overlapping contours are clean and decisive—one line clearly stops where another begins.

Many art departments and museums, such as those listed by the National Endowment for the Arts, share student and professional drawings online. Studying these real examples of contour drawing techniques in landscape art can accelerate your learning far more than staring at your own sketch in isolation.

FAQ: examples of contour drawing techniques in landscape art

Q: What are some simple examples of contour drawing techniques in landscape art for beginners?
A: Start with a single continuous contour of a tree line against the sky, a clean contour of a distant hill, and a horizontal contour for a lake shore. Then add a few interior contours for tree trunks or rock cracks. These give you a complete, readable scene without any shading.

Q: Can you give an example of how to use contour lines to show depth in a landscape?
A: Draw a path or river using a contour that widens as it comes toward the viewer and narrows in the distance. Combine that with thicker contours on foreground trees and thinner, lighter contours on distant hills. The change in line weight and spacing makes the landscape feel three‑dimensional.

Q: Are there real examples of contour drawing techniques in landscape art that mix traditional and digital tools?
A: Yes. Many artists sketch contour landscapes in pen on location, then photograph or scan them and add digital color later. Others start directly on a tablet but still rely on classic contour exercises like continuous line and blind contour to keep their observation skills sharp.

Q: How do contour techniques relate to more advanced drawing study?
A: Contour work is often a foundation in college‑level drawing courses because it trains observation and hand‑eye coordination. Universities like those in the U.S. and U.K. frequently include contour drawing in their introductory syllabi as a step toward more complex studies of value, form, and perspective.

Q: What are the best examples of contour drawing techniques in landscape art to study if I want to improve fast?
A: Look for sketchbook pages (in books, museum collections, or university archives) that show simple line‑only landscapes. Focus on examples where the artist clearly separates foreground, middle ground, and background using line weight and where trees, rocks, and buildings are simplified into strong, readable contours.

The best examples of contour drawing techniques in landscape art