How to Draw a Pine Cone

Whether you are starting a nature journal, making winter decorations or just having fun with sketching, learning to draw pine cones is a wonderful way to record one of nature's most interesting seed containers. Pine cone has become a general word describing the woody seed holders of the whole pine family, which includes cedar, larch and fir trees as well as pines. So not all pine cones grow on pine trees---they grow on kinds of pine trees that aren't called pines. And even pine cones that grow on pine trees come in an amazing variety---scotch, white, sugar, lodgepole, ponderosa and pinon (the source of those delicious pine nuts). Follow the steps below to draw a pine cone, but be prepared to learn how varied they can be!

Things You'll Need

• Charcoal or drawing pencils Eraser (for pencil) Sketch pad or other paper Pine cones Pliers or heavy shears

Instructions

Getting Started

1. Pick pine cones you want to draw. Leave them growing on a branch or pick them off the ground. Even if you find only part of a pine cone on the ground, save it to study for your drawing.

2. Observe how your pine cone is put together before you take it apart. Woody petals surround a pithy center stem. Unlike flower petals, pine cone petals (also called scales) tend to be thin and narrow where they join the stem and thick and wide as they branch out. Observe how the outside scale-ends fit together and what shape they are. Some scale-ends are nearly oval, and others are almost diamond-shaped. Even if there is space between the scales, remember that they once fit together tightly. Looking at how that worked will make your drawing more realistic.

3. Take your cone apart using pliers or shears. This will help you see how the scales attach to the stem. It will also help you recognize if all scales are the same or different sizes. Seeing the sizes also helps make your drawing more accurate. Count the rows of scales if you have a whole cone, or count the rows on several growing cones. You will notice that, on most cones, different parts are different colors. Even a black-and-white sketch needs to reflect that.

Making Your Basic Drawing

1. Choose the angles at which you want to show your pine cones. Now that you have seen them growing and looked at them all over, you know that they may look very different from the bottom, top or side views. Lightly sketch the stem(s) first---a simple double line at the angle of your cone will start you off. Proceed to outlining scales and the overall shape.

2. Start drawing in layers of scales from the bottom up. Increase the size of scales to widen the shape, and increase the vertical space between rows as you move toward the top of the cone---scales tend to open from top to bottom. Remember that the scales on your cone get thicker and more defined in shape toward their outside ends.

3. Reverse your bottom-to-top outlining strategy if you want to show how scales radiate from the center of the top. From this point of view, your cone looks like a flower. Put in the scales the way you would flower petals.

Adding Details

1. Fill in your competed outlines to resemble your particular kind of cone. Small strokes from the base of each scale remind the viewer of the cone's woody texture and add depth to your picture. Darker-colored scales can show where they join the center stem.

2. Strengthen the lines showing scale-ends. These interesting outer points reinforce the cone's texture and the fitted-together, suit-of-armor appearance typical of pine cones. Add further shading lines to make it clear that scales are thick at the tip.

3. Add a stem and some needlelike foliage to complete your picture. Notice that stems are often scaly, rather than smooth. If you want to be accurate, count the number of needles in several clusters on your tree. Different kinds of pines have different numbers of needles in their clusters. You might as well count---a loblolly cone doesn't fit completely on a white pine branch. Then again, if you're pursuing a decorative theme, ignore this advice and put in all the needles you want.

4. Final touches can include drips of sticky pine sap or a little snow. Or more cones and needles. Maybe not a whole pine tree, but you're on your way. Have fun making some more.

Tips & Warnings

• When you find tightly closed pine cones,sometimes they stay that way, no matter what you do with tools. This is nature's design. Both Western lodgepole pines and Eastern pitch-pines (the early source of turpentine) have cones that open to release seeds only when trees go through the intense heat of forest fires. Put down your pliers and have fun drawing these unique cones just as they are.