HomeDrawing Seasons: One Tree, Four Panels Free original lessons
Drawing Seasons: One Tree, Four Panels
Learn to draw a single tree across four labeled panels showing leaf, blossom, fruit and bare branch with simple weather cues.
Free lesson
Four exercises
Worked answers
Object Drawing Lessons
This lesson teaches seasonal variation by drawing the same tree four times. Each panel shows one season with a clear label, a tree state and a simple weather cue. The four tree states are blossom (Spring), full leaf (Summer), fruit with falling leaves (Autumn) and bare branch (Winter). You will use a defined drawing convention so that valid alternatives are accepted, and you will check your work with measurable criteria rather than a single correct picture.
Practice materials: Printable downloads are not available for this lesson yet. Use the instructions and four exercises below.
Set up the four-panel plate
Divide a sheet into four equal rectangles. Label them Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter in a consistent position, such as the top-left corner of each panel. Keep the tree trunk in the same place and at the same height in every panel so the sequence reads as one subject changing, not four different trees.
Choose a simple convention for the tree: a vertical trunk, two or three main branches, and a canopy area. Record your convention in a small key beside the plate. For example, you might decide that the canopy outline is drawn as a soft cloud shape and that leaves are shown as small oval marks. Any consistent convention is valid as long as you state it.
- Draw four equal rectangles and label each season.
- Mark the same trunk position and canopy height in all four panels.
- Write a short key naming your leaf, blossom, fruit and snow marks.
- Leave space in each panel for one weather symbol.
Draw the tree state for each season
Spring: draw the trunk and branches, then add blossom marks in the canopy. Blossom can be small circles or short dashes, but use the same mark throughout. Summer: fill the canopy with leaf marks and keep the trunk visible. Autumn: add fruit marks defined in your key, plus leaf marks and a few falling leaf marks below the branches. Winter: draw bare branches with no canopy fill, and add snow marks on the upper branches if your convention includes snow.
Keep the trunk and branch structure identical across panels. Only the canopy fill, blossom, fruit and weather cues change. This makes the seasonal sequence easy to compare.
- Spring: trunk, branches, blossom marks in canopy.
- Summer: trunk, branches, full leaf marks.
- Autumn: trunk, branches, fruit marks plus leaf and falling leaf marks.
- Winter: trunk, bare branches, optional snow marks.
Add weather cues and labels
Choose one weather symbol per panel and record it in your key. For example, you might use a sun for summer, a cloud with rain for spring, a wind line with falling leaves for autumn, and a snowflake or snow line for winter. Any consistent set of weather cues is valid if stated in the key. Keep symbols simple and in the same corner so they do not cover the tree. Label each panel clearly and check that the label matches the tree state and weather cue.
Use a ruler or straight edge to check that the trunk base is at the same height in all four panels. Measure the actual equipment you use, such as the panel width in centimetres, and record it. Any numerical value you choose for panel size is a hypothetical example, not a standard.
- Draw one weather symbol per panel in the same corner.
- Label each panel with the season name.
- Check trunk base height across panels with a ruler.
- Confirm label, tree state and weather cue agree.
Worked example
A student draws four panels. Spring has blossom marks and a rain cloud. Summer has full leaf marks and a sun. Autumn has leaf marks, falling leaves and a wind line. Winter has bare branches and a snowflake. The trunk base is at 3 cm from the bottom in all panels. Check the plate against the convention.
Worked answer
The plate is valid. Each panel has one season label, one tree state and one weather cue. The trunk base height is consistent at 3 cm. The leaf and blossom marks are consistent with the stated key. No panel mixes seasons. The winter panel correctly shows bare branches.
Four practice exercises
Exercise 1
Draw a four-panel plate. Use a key with oval leaf marks, circle blossom marks and triangle fruit marks. Spring: blossom and rain cloud. Summer: full leaf and sun. Autumn: fruit marks, leaf marks, falling leaves and wind line. Winter: bare branches and snowflake. Keep trunk base at the same height in all panels.
Show answer and check
A four-panel plate with consistent trunk base, one label per panel, one weather cue per panel, and marks matching the key, including fruit marks in the Autumn panel.
Why: The task checks that the same tree is drawn four times with only seasonal cues changing, including the fruit state in Autumn. Consistency of trunk and marks makes the sequence readable.
Check: Measure trunk base height in each panel with a ruler and compare. Confirm each panel has exactly one season label and one weather cue. Check marks against the key.
Exercise 2
A plate has Spring with blossom and sun, Summer with full leaf and rain cloud, Autumn with bare branches and wind line, Winter with snowflake and leaf marks. Identify the errors and state fixes.
Show answer and check
Spring weather cue is wrong for the stated convention; Summer weather cue is wrong; Autumn tree state is wrong; Winter mixes leaf marks with snow.
Why: Each panel must match its label and the convention. Spring should have rain, Summer sun, Autumn fruit with falling leaves, Winter bare branches without leaf marks.
Check: Compare each panel label to its tree state and weather cue using the key. Remove or replace any cue that belongs to another season.
Exercise 3
You have panels 6 cm wide and 8 cm tall. You want a 1 cm margin at the top of each panel for the label. Where should the tree canopy top start, and how do you check it?
Show answer and check
The canopy top should start at least 1 cm below the top edge, leaving 7 cm of drawing height. Check by measuring from the top edge to the canopy top in each panel.
Why: The margin reserves space for the label so it does not overlap the tree. The remaining height is 8 cm minus 1 cm equals 7 cm. These values are hypothetical examples.
Check: Use a ruler to measure the top margin in each panel and confirm it is at least 1 cm. Confirm the canopy top is below the label area.
Exercise 4
Design a key for a plate where fruit is shown as small triangles and snow as short horizontal lines. Then describe one valid alternative key and explain why it is acceptable.
Show answer and check
Key: leaf equals oval, blossom equals circle, fruit equals triangle, snow equals short horizontal line. Alternative: leaf equals dash, blossom equals dot, fruit equals small square, snow equals asterisk. It is acceptable because the marks are defined and used consistently.
Why: The convention is defined by the key, not by a single universal shape. Any consistent set of marks that distinguishes the cues is valid.
Check: Read the key and check that every mark used in the panels appears in the key. Confirm no two cues use the same mark.
Common mistakes
- Drawing four different trees instead of one tree changing. Keep trunk position, trunk height and main branch angles the same in every panel; change only canopy fill and weather cues.
- Using inconsistent marks for leaves or blossom. Write a key first and use the same mark shape and size throughout the plate.
- Letting the weather symbol cover the tree. Reserve a fixed corner for weather symbols and keep the tree inside the panel centre.
- Mixing seasons in one panel, such as blossom and snow together. Check each panel against the label and remove cues that belong to another season.
Self-check rubric
- Four labeled panels are present and in seasonal order.
- Trunk position and height are consistent across panels.
- Each panel shows the correct tree state: blossom, full leaf, fruit with falling leaves, or bare branch.
- One weather cue per panel matches the season.
- A written key defines leaf, blossom, fruit and snow marks.
- Labels, tree states and weather cues agree with no mixed seasons.
- Valid alternative conventions are accepted if stated in the key.
Questions and answers
Do I have to use the same leaf shape in every panel?
Yes, use one leaf mark defined in your key. The shape can be oval, dash or dot, but it must be consistent so the sequence is comparable.
Can I add fruit to the summer panel?
Yes, if your convention includes fruit as a summer cue. State it in the key and keep the fruit mark consistent.
How do I know my panels are the same size?
Measure each panel width and height with a ruler and record the values. Compare them; small differences are acceptable if you note them.
What if my winter panel has no snow?
That is valid. Snow is an optional cue. The required winter state is bare branches with no canopy fill.