How to Draw Mint

Finished mint drawing with serrated leaves, visible veins, and light hatched shadows.

There are many varieties of mint, and their leaves can differ in size and shape. Still, the pronounced veins and serrated edges are common features that are worth paying attention to when drawing this plant. Here, we will show you how to draw mint using a small group of overlapping leaves as an example.

How to draw mint step by step

Step 1: Sketch the first mint leaves

Sketch four mint leaves arranged around a common center. First, draw two small leaves in front, then add two larger ones between them. The larger mint leaves should appear to be behind the smaller ones. Use these overlaps to show which leaves are closer to the viewer and which are farther away.

Sketching four overlapping mint leaves arranged around a common center.

Step 2: Add more mint leaves

Sketch several more mint leaves behind those you drew earlier. Do not place these leaves at perfectly even distances from one another. The mint leaves should be partially overlapped by the ones in front. Direct the leaves outward from the common center, but slightly vary their direction and angle.

Adding several larger mint leaves behind the first overlapping group.

Step 3: Sketch the leaf veins

Now draw the veins inside the outlines of the mint leaves. First, draw one long line through the middle of each leaf. This central vein should follow the direction and curvature of the leaf and divide its outline into two parts. From this line, add several short, oblique veins on both sides.

Drawing central veins and short diagonal side veins on the mint leaves.

Step 4: Refine the mint leaf edges

This is a very simple step, but it requires some attention. Refine the outlines of the mint leaves to make their edges serrated. Note that the teeth on the smaller leaves are closer together and more pronounced. You can also make the veins darker.

Refining the mint leaves with characteristic sharp serrated edges.

Step 5: Add shadows to the plant

Now add light shadows to the mint drawing. In our case, they look like simple layers of hatching. Pay particular attention to the areas where one mint leaf overlaps another, since the upper leaves cast shadows onto those beneath them. This helps separate the different planes of the leaves. To make the shadows darker, simply make the hatching denser.

Adding broad light hatching to the overlapping mint leaves.

It was not very difficult, was it? The serrated edges are one of the most recognizable features of mint leaves, so pay special attention to their shape.

Of course, mint can look quite different depending on the variety and the way the leaves grow. So after drawing our example, you can find a real sprig of mint and try to draw it from life.

Here we showed you how to draw the upper part of a mint plant with several leaves. You can also try drawing the entire mint plant. Study reference photos or real plants and try to reproduce what you see in front of you.