In this tutorial, we’ll go over how to draw a mushroom and break it down into a few simple steps.
Mushrooms are awesome. Their shapes are so quirky, which makes them both quite interesting and forgiving to draw.
Since they exist in so many shapes and sizes, you can’t really mess up. Is the line going sideways? No biggie! It just made a different kind of mushroom. (That’s how you end up with loads of mushrooms, each with their own personnality… like the ones in this post: Easy Mushroom Drawing Ideas.)
The drawing style for these doodles is loose and free-flowing. We’re making simple mushroom drawings, best described as line art or doodle art.
I’m not trying to make these shrooms look super realistic. If (hyper)realism is your goal, there are other tutorials and classes that may be more up your alley.
| Tip: Find some fantastic teachers who cover realistic florals and natural elements in this overview of the best Online Watercolor Classes. Even if watercolor isn’t the goal, a painting typically starts with a sketch or drawing. It’s a shortlist of the most excellent classes and courses (free and paid) to pursue your drawing and art. |
Line art and doodle art are a blast. Doodling is like the friendlier and less snob cousin of drawing.
Drawing takes themselves very seriously. Doodling is so much more relaxed and easygoing. More pleasant to be around, and approachable. Even if you can’t draw, you can probably doodle much better than expected!
With that said, grab a pen or pencil, a surface to work on, and let’s dive in.
Step 1: Decide On The Mushroom Hood Shape & Angle
The first thing to decide on is the shape of the mushroom’s hood or top.
Is it rounded, or flatter?
How steep a curve does it have?
What’s the angle you’re seeing it at – from the side, from below, or are you looking down on it?
When drawing multiple mushrooms, you’ll want to start with all the hoods first. That way, none of them get in the way of the stems later. (Except if the idea is to have a mushroom be seen in the distance, behind the stem of another one. In that case, it can easily be added later on.)
Step 2: Stem Shape
Next up is the stem of a mushroom. This can be anything from a stout-looking short little knob to an elongated stem balancing a hood long ways above the ground.
Stems may have dents, curves, angles, growths, variable proportions compared to the top that adorns them, and other quirks.
Give it go!
Step 3: Arrangement & Composition
How many mushrooms are you drawing today? If it’s just one, this part doesn’t matter. But with more than a single mushroom, you get to decide how they relate to each other and make an interesting scene out of the bunch.
A lone mushroom waiting to be given some further detail to shine in its full glory:
Two mushrooms together. Now we have tension.
- Will they be the same size, or is one larger than the other?
- How far apart are they – touching, or not touching, one hiding behind the other perhaps?
- Are they the same type of mushroom, or two different varieties that happen to meet?
It’s fun to experiment with all those differences and see which composition works for you at the moment.
Who knows – it may even be time to add a third one.
With four mushrooms, it’s becoming a true arrangement of different sizes, styles, and shapes.
Have you ever seen those clusters of mushrooms on forest walks? That’s what we’re going for here.
To remain in charge of the composition, I like to draw (almost) all the hoods first. You can always add a few more as you go. But you likely have a vision of what you like the end result to look like. Getting a sense of how the tops will be dispersed is a great way to start.
The stems won’t be in the way of the hoods and can be filled in going behind them.
Step 4: Markings And Texture
What will it be, classic mushroom dots, delicate grain, or another kind of distinct marking?
Using tiny specks – the size of your pen top – allows for a nice build-up. Increase the density of the dots for more shady or darker areas. Fine dots can be used on the hood, the stem, or both.
There’s nothing like larger dots – as often seen on a classic red mushroom – to add some real woodland flair to your drawing.
Thin, perpendicular lines in various densities can add shadow or darker patches. Tiny dots are great for adding grain or random speckles.
Large dots can be flat and on the same level as the hood or embossed. Because whatever happens in nature (and I don’t even know which of the two is more accurate) does not have to limit the possibilities as far as your drawing goes!
Consistency rules, though. Even when it comes to drawing fantasy mushrooms, our brains typically like to feel like they’re taken seriously on that level.
Draw The Mushroom’s Surroundings
If all these different ways to draw mushrooms don’t keep you busy enough, how about adding some scenic elements to the mushroom’s surroundings?
Bring a little gnome into the picture for some fairy tale vibes.
Feel like spiraling into the psychedelic? Go nuts with swirls, random shapes, and bold colors. And maybe check out another wildly colorful mushroom drawing in this compilation of Cute Beginner Drawing Ideas.
Or keep it natural – a doodle of a woodland creature never looks out of place next to a mushroom or three.
How To Draw A Mushroom, The Easy & Fun Way
So far this twist on how to easily draw or doodle a mushroom. I hope you got some ideas – and are drawing up a storm with some epic fungi of your own!
Oh, and by the way – cute doodles to draw also features a tiny three-step drawing tutorial of mushrooms.
For other random doodle examples and inspiration, check out cute & easy things to draw.
