Instructions

1. Choose an image or an actual spruce cone you would like to draw.

2. Find a good ink pen and piece of drawing paper. (Pilot V7 or V5 pens work great and are archival ink).

3. Open the photo file or set up a still life using a blank white background to set your spruce cone on.

4. Before you begin take some notes and measure your spruce cone.

5. Count the scales, how many scales tall, and how many wide is your cone?

6. Choose one end of the cone and draw the outline of one of the scales.

7. Look closely at one scale to get an idea of the shape.

8. Observe how the scales overlap each other.

9. Continue to think about the scale shape as you draw.

10. The perspective of each scale will change as you move up and down or side to side drawing the cone.

11. If you get lost as to where you are in the drawing, count the scales to find your place.

12. Remember to look more at your spruce cone than at your paper.

13. Once you have the outline of your spruce cone and all its scales, use the drawing techniques provided to add value and texture details to your drawing.

14. If any of the seeds have fallen out of the cone you can also do a drawing of one of the seeds.

15. You could also try drawing some of the needles on a branch for fun.

Alaska Spruce Trees

Picea mariana (black spruce) Cones are 1 inch long, dark,small, and rounded, with rigid and brittle scales, and hang on short stalks

Picea glauca (white spruce) Cones are ¾ to 1 inch long, blue-green, four-angled with whitish lines on all sides, narrowly oblong, nearly stalkless, hanging down, with scales that are thin and flexible 

Picea sitchensis (Sitka spruce) Cones are light orange-brown, 2-31/2 inches long, hanging down, with papery scales

Picea lutzii (Lutz’s spruce) is a naturally occurring hybrid of Sitka and white spruce. 

For more information about Alaska trees, click here.