“A large drop of sun lingered on the horizon and then dripped over and was gone, and the sky was brilliant over the spot where it had gone, and a torn cloud, like a bloody rag, hung over the spot of its going.
And dusk crept over the sky from the eastern horizon, and darkness crept over the land from the east.” ― John Steinbeck, The Grapes of Wrath
Scientifically, sunset describes “the daily disappearance of the Sun below the horizon as a result of Earth's rotation.” Culturally, however, this frequent phenomena holds much deeper meaning
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Various ancient religions held that the sun was a god, pulled across the sky each day in a great celestial chariot. The setting of the sun indicated the god’s passage through the underworld.
Some religions, such as the worship of Amun-Ra in ancient Egypt, included rituals meant to awaken or revive the sun from its daily death.
This idea still resonates in the metaphorical application of “sunset” to the later years of one’s life.
Today, sunsets are often featured in works of art. They are also a favorite subject of photography.
Beach sunsets, such as the one featured in this drawing tutorial, are used to represent vacations, relaxation, the tropics, and ample monetary funds.
Would you like to draw your very own sunset? Doing so is easy with the help of this simple, step-by-step drawing tutorial.
All you will need is a pencil and a piece of paper. You may also wish to employ crayons, colored pencils, markers, or paints to vividly shade your finished sunset.
If you liked this tutorial, see also the following drawing guides: Night Sky, Fire, and Boat.
Step-by-Step Instructions for Drawing a Sunset
1. Begin by drawing a straight, horizontal line. This line is called the horizon line. The horizon is the point at which the ground or water meets the sky.
2. Begin drawing the mountainous islands on one side of the picture. To do so, draw a curved, bumpy line from the side of your paper to the middle of the horizon line.
3. Draw another island on the opposite side, again using a curved, bumpy line.
4. Draw the sun. Enclose a circle using a long, curved line. Notice that since the sun is setting, part of it is hidden by the horizon line.
MORE DRAWING TUTORIALS:
5. Draw the sun’s reflection on the water. To do this, draw a series of straight, curved, and zigzag lines to shade an upside down triangle shape beneath the sun.
6. Begin to draw a palm tree emerging from one of the islands. Extend two curved lines from the island across the sun, allowing the lines to meet in a point. This forms the trunk of the tree.
7. Draw leaves, or fronds, on the palm tree. From the tip of the trunk, extend several short, curved lines in pairs. Allow each pair to meet in a sharp point.
8. Draw leaves, or fronds, on the palm tree. From the tip of the trunk, extend several short, curved lines in pairs. Allow each pair to meet in a sharp point.
MORE DRAWING TUTORIALS:
9. Add final details to your drawing. Draw curved, wavy lines at an angle across the water to indicate waves. Draw a few birds flying across the sun. Each bird can consist of a simple line – a curved, loosely “M” shaped line with a downward point. This line serves as a simple reflection of the shape of a bird in flight.
10. Color your sunset drawing. Note that in our example, the islands, tree, and birds are shadowy, backlit by the sun. Finally, don’t forget to add sunset colors such as yellow, pink, purple, and blue to the water, indicating a reflection of the sky.
Scroll down for a downloadable PDF of this tutorial.
The Complete Sunset Drawing Tutorial in One Image
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Love it
I drew the sunset
Great! So glad you liked it! 🙂
I drew it to. It was fun.
😎
me two
Do u have any tips on the coloring
Colored pencils are great for coloring. You can create deeper shades by applying another, or even third, layer of color. When you transition from one color to another fill your colors in layers. Don't use too much pressure. When blending colors, test on another piece of paper first. Also, remember to keep your pencils sharp! 🙂
you are the best
Thanks! 😆
I like how colorful the picture is.
🙂 🙂
The picture that i draw it was better then that.
Just look at the name.
🙂
i kinda like it i drew it and dont like good
I'm sure your drawing is great. But maybe draw it with different colors. There are so many ways you can draw a sunset. 🙂
When I draw it I can't seem to get it right any tips
What do you don't like in your drawing?
pretty good
🙂
Loved it! Made it soo easy!! Thank you .More please!!
Thanks! There are many more landscape drawing tutorials. 🙂
what color do I color the sun with?
You can try a mix of yellow and orange 🙂
this is the best sunset i have ever drew.thank
Thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed it 🙂 !
It’s good but i think it’s just a little bit to easy keep itup
Ha ha, you might be right. If you're looking for a challenge, you could try our intermediate drawing tutorials! 🙂
Well done! Well done!
Thank you 🙂
Wouldn’t the you use the same colours for the reflection as the colours that you used for the sunset? To me that would make more sense.
Good idea. Did you try drawing the sunset like that? How did it turn out? 😎
Good step
Thanks 😎
Thanks so much!!! This helped me with my school's art contest. I edited it a bit, but this really taught me how to draw a simple sunset. Wonderful!
Happy to hear that! I hope the judges were impressed! 😎
THANK YOU‼️‼️
Can not believe I drew this. I hope you have other things we can learn to draw‼️‼️‼️‼️
Hi, of course! I have almost 1000 how to draw tutorials, what would you like to draw next? Would you like to learn how to draw a beach? Or maybe check my how to draw mountains step by step tutorial?
Fun for my 100 Days Project. This was No. 27
That's great, Cat! Good news, I have almost 1000 drawing tutorials here so you'll have plenty of choices 😎
I drew it and it was beautiful!
That's nice to hear, Skylar. ❤️
hi.
I love this drawing. It is so simple for beginner artists. It also helps you see the sunset in black and white or colorful.
hi
Easy way to teach thank u
I'm happy I could share this with you 🙂
it was very easy and fun to make i hope you have a great day/afternoon/night!!!
Thank you, Michelle! I hope you have a great day as well 😎