How to Draw a Cactus

Cacti come in many shapes and sizes, but the best known are probably the saguaro. These are the type associated with Arizona and found all over the roadrunner cartoons. You can draw a cactus with a bit of imagination and a few simple steps.

Difficulty:

Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Paper
• Pen or other drawing instrument
• Paint marker or other coloring device

1. 

   Draw the base. Make a U-shaped, flat-bottomed line to serve as the cactus stem.

2. 

   Draw the top. Make a U-shaped, flat-topped line to serve as the cactus top. Do not yet connect the base to the top.

3. 

   Create the arms. Draw two arms, one on either side of the cactus. Make sure they connect where you left openings between the top and bottom. The arms look a little more fashionable if they are not directly opposite one another.

4. 

   Add cactus details. Some cactus, like the saguaro, is not completely smooth. They have ridges, not unlike a pumpkin. Add thicker and thinner lines to mimic those ridges. Add small, thin lines throughout the cactus for the thorns. For added fun, draw a circle in the middle top of the cactus so a bird can live in there.

5. 

   Draw the bird. Make two circles with dots as pupils above a triangle shape. Shade in the area behind these shapes.

6. 

   Add a dash of color. Use a paint marker, crayon or other coloring device to add small dots of color throughout the cactus. You can use one or more shades.

Tips & Warnings

• Birds are just one of the creatures that like to live in saguaro. You can put tarantulas, snakes or other critters inside the cactus hole for variation.

• Saguaro is pronounced “suh-WAH-roe.”