How to Draw a Holiday Tree with Markers

Plan the design. Use a sheet of heavy watercolor paper or white cover stock. Hold it in either orientation and using a pencil, sketch a large triangle. Add another next to it and a smaller one slightly behind.

Go over the pencil lines with black marking pen.

Place the chisel tip markers next to your paper to have quick and easy access to them.

Give each tree one small trunk or base to stand on, in black marker, beneath the triangles.

Give the tree on the left a series of red dots and connect them with bumpy green lines to form swags going from top to bottom

Paint it yellow and add more red circles and small red dots. Along the outside edges draw more dots and circles to represent ornaments.

On the tree next to it make a series of fat, red lines going from side to side. Over that, draw zig-zags in black. At the bottom of the triangles, put black dots. Add black dots along the outside edges of the tree.

Work vertically, on the third, smaller tree, by dividing it into three sections with orange marker lines. Draw a series of green circles, starting large at the bottom and gradually getting smaller as they climb the tree. Put red dots inside each green circle. Make red dots along the outside edges of this tree.

Create tree toppers or large accents at the pointed tip of all three triangles. Make a pink or red circle on the yellow tree and outline it three times to represent a lacy doily. On the tree on the right, make a five-pointed star and outline it in red with orange dots. On the small tree create a doodle of repeated circles from the center point.

Do the bases of each tree. On one make the trunk look like old-fashioned, high-heeled boots. On the other create warm socks with stripes. Finish the bases with an ordinary green trunk sitting on a red rug.

Tie all three trees together with a loopy line in black marker on the page, a third of the way up from the bottom. Repeat with another curved line closer to the top. Thicken those lines with an orange marker that looks like ribbon.

Do this project again. This time, make it your own design. Be free and have fun decorating these trees any way you desire. Do not overthink it but let whatever comes to mind go on the page. As when you doodle. Compose your white paper by drawing three (or less or more) triangles to represent Christmas trees. Position them any way you wish. Decorate with a whole array of colors or keep to a plan and use only a few, carefully chosen, that coordinate.

Have fun with this free-wheeling colored marker exploration. There are no rules when you draw, other than to enjoy the process.