Here’s a simple, beginner‑friendly guide to how to draw mountains easy , plus some extra ideas that match what people are sharing in recent tutorials and forums online.

Quick Scoop

  • Start with very simple triangle shapes.
  • Add a broken “ridge” line to show the front and side planes.
  • Make edges slightly jagged instead of perfectly straight.
  • Decide where the light comes from and shade only one side.
  • Layer several mountains so some sit in front, some in back.

Step‑by‑Step: One Easy Mountain

1. Basic outline (the triangle trick)

  • Lightly draw a big triangle, or two triangles that overlap for two peaks.
  • Keep the lines soft; this is just your guide and will be refined or erased later.

Think of this as the “wireframe” of a mountain, not the final shape.

2. Draw the main ridge

  • From the top of your peak, draw a line that comes down in a loose zig‑zag, slightly off‑center.
  • This line separates the lit side from the shadow side of the mountain.

A small angle in that ridge instantly makes the mountain feel more 3D, like one side is turning away.

3. Make the outline jagged

  • Go over the triangle edges, but add tiny bumps, steps and sharp points so it looks rocky, not like a smooth pyramid.
  • Add a few small “mini‑peaks” along the silhouette for extra interest.

You can erase parts of the original triangle so only the ragged, organic outline remains.

4. Add snow caps (optional but fun)

  • Near the top, draw a zig‑zag line to suggest the edge of the snow cap.
  • Keep it simple: two or three “teeth” in the zig‑zag is enough for a cartoon or kid‑style mountain.

If you’re going for a cute, poster‑style illustration, high‑contrast snow caps make the mountain instantly readable.

5. Decide your light source

  • Pick one direction, for example: light from the right.
  • The side facing away from the light (left side, in this example) will be darker.

Many beginner tutorials show a single dividing line under the snow cap that angles down to one side; that’s your split between light and shadow.

6. Shade the shadow side

For a pencil or pen drawing:

  • On the shadow side of the ridge line, add:
    • Short, slanted lines to follow the slope of the mountain.
    • Darker strokes in crevices and at the base, lighter as you go up.
  • Leave the light side mostly white or very lightly hatched.

For color:

  • Color the light side a lighter tone (light gray, pale blue, or a light earthy color).
  • Use a darker version of the same color on the shadow side.

Building a Mountain Range (Easy Composition)

1. Draw a horizon and baseline

  • Lightly sketch a horizon line low on the page.
  • On that line, make a loose zig‑zag “baseline” where your mountains will sit.

Using a shared baseline makes it easier to place peaks so some overlap and feel like a real range.

2. Add overlapping peaks

  • Start with a big mountain slightly off‑center (your main focus).
  • Add smaller triangles behind and beside it, letting some peaks overlap in front of others.

Where a nearer mountain overlaps a distant one, let its lines pass in front and erase the lines behind.

3. Simplify distant mountains

  • For background mountains, use:
    • Simpler silhouettes with fewer peaks.
    • Softer shading and less detail.
  • Keep the darkest shading and sharpest details on the mountains in front.

This “less detail in the distance” trick is often used in landscape tutorials to imply depth without complicated perspective.

Three Quick Styles You Can Try

1. Cute / Cartoon mountains

  • Use clean triangle shapes with soft corners.
  • Big, simple snow caps and one clear shadow side.
  • Flat colors, minimal texture.

Often taught in kids’ art projects, this style looks good in posters, stickers, or simple digital illustrations.

2. Simple realistic mountains

  • Still start with triangles, but add more broken ridges and angular planes.
  • Use hatching to show rock texture, following the slope of each plane.
  • Put more contrast (light vs dark) around the main peak.

Beginner tutorials for “mountains for beginners” focus heavily on this, especially the idea that each plane has its own light and shade.

3. Fantasy map mountains

  • Draw small, stylized peaks repeated many times along a ridge.
  • Emphasize a central line (the mountain chain) and let individual peaks branch from it.
  • Keep every mountain similar in style so your map looks consistent.

Forum posts on mapmaking often show pages of different mountain “glyphs” to help people settle on a style for their fantasy maps.

Extra Tips from Recent Tutorials and Forums

  • Use real mountain photos as reference, then reduce them to simple geometric shapes (triangles, wedges, pyramids).
  • Imagine the mountain as a pyramid first, then carve out irregular paths and cliffs from that simple form.
  • Draw ridges with a smooth back‑and‑forth motion so they feel natural, not stiff.
  • Don’t over‑detail every peak; choose one or two “hero” mountains to focus on.
  • Add context: a line of trees at the base, a little valley, or clouds above to make the scene feel complete.

Simple Practice Routine

You can practice in short, focused sessions:

  1. Fill a page with just triangle variations (tall, wide, double‑peaks).
  2. On the next page, pick a light direction and draw a ridge plus shading on each triangle.
  3. On a third page, make three‑mountain scenes with front, middle, and back ranges.
  4. Try one “cartoon” mountain page and one “more realistic” page.

Doing this over a week builds confidence and makes “how to draw mountains easy” feel natural instead of intimidating.

Mini HTML Table: Simple Mountain Types

html

<table>
  <thead>
    <tr>
      <th>Mountain type</th>
      <th>Main shapes</th>
      <th>Shading style</th>
      <th>Best for</th>
    </tr>
  </thead>
  <tbody>
    <tr>
      <td>Cute / Cartoon</td>
      <td>Soft triangles, big snow caps[web:5]</td>
      <td>One flat shadow side, simple colors[web:5]</td>
      <td>Kids’ art, icons, posters[web:5]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Simple realistic</td>
      <td>Ragged triangles, clear ridges[web:1][web:3][web:9]</td>
      <td>Hatching along slopes, strong light/shadow[web:3][web:9]</td>
      <td>Sketchbooks, landscape studies[web:3][web:9]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Fantasy map</td>
      <td>Repeated stylized peaks in chains[web:2][web:7]</td>
      <td>Minimal shading, focus on silhouettes[web:7]</td>
      <td>RPG maps, fantasy books[web:2][web:7]</td>
    </tr>
  </tbody>
</table>

TL;DR

  • Start with triangles, add a broken ridge, then turn edges into jagged rock shapes.
  • Choose one light direction and shade only one side.
  • Layer multiple peaks for a range, keeping the closest darkest and most detailed.
  • Experiment with cartoon, simple‑realistic, and fantasy styles to find what feels most fun for you.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.