Cactus Drawing

A cactus drawing can be created using various techniques, such as sketching with pencil, inking with pens, or digitally illustrating, to capture the unique shapes, textures, and details of different cactus species.

This cactus drawing collection is hand-curated and made freely-available for use in your projects. To learn more, see the pages on license and attribution information for Kapwing.

Cactus drawing has been a popular art form for centuries, with the earliest known depictions dating back to the Aztec civilization in the 15th century. The Codex Fejérváry-Mayer, an Aztec manuscript from around 1450-1500 AD, features a drawing of a cactus-like plant. In the 18th and 19th centuries, European explorers and botanists, such as Carl Linnaeus and Alexander von Humboldt, created detailed illustrations of cacti during their expeditions to the Americas. In the 20th century, cactus drawing gained prominence in the works of various artists, including Mexican painter Frida Kahlo. Kahlo's 1938 painting "What the Water Gave Me" features a cactus among other symbolic elements. American artist Georgia O'Keeffe, known for her large-scale flower paintings, also depicted cacti in works like "Cactus" (1925) and "Red Canna" (1925), showcasing the plants' unique forms and textures. Today, cactus drawing remains a beloved subject for artists and illustrators worldwide. In 2019, the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix, Arizona, hosted a cactus drawing workshop led by local artist Carrie Marill. Online platforms like Skillshare and Udemy offer numerous cactus drawing tutorials, catering to the growing interest in this art form among hobbyists and professionals alike.

• The oldest known cactus drawing dates back to the 16th century and was found in the Codex Mendoza, an Aztec codex created around 1541.
• In 1820, British botanist John Gouldsbury Parkinson created the first known colored illustration of a cactus, depicting a Pereskia grandifolia.
• The famous Mexican artist Frida Kahlo often incorporated cacti in her paintings, such as 'Roots' (1943) and 'The Love Embrace of the Universe' (1949).
• In 1919, American botanist Nathaniel Lord Britton published 'The Cactaceae,' a four-volume work featuring illustrations of over 1,000 cactus species.
• The Saguaro cactus, native to the Sonoran Desert in Arizona, is a popular subject for drawing and can take up to 75 years to develop its first arm.