A maple leaf with five broad lobes

Use a five-part framework to sketch a maple leaf with an uneven natural edge. A few main veins show its structure while the leaf surface stays mostly open.

A way into the drawing

1. Lay out the five lobes

   Draw a short stem and five light guide lines spreading from its top. Let the center guide reach the farthest.

2. Join the pointed edges

   Build the broad lobe shapes around the guides, adding only a few larger notches. Let the two sides differ slightly.

3. Choose the main veins

   Strengthen the main veins and add a few short branches. A small pale accent at a curled edge adds depth without filling the leaf.

A small thing to tryFinish the large lobe shapes before adding edge notches. Too many tiny teeth can hide the leaf’s overall shape.