DRAWING TREES

How to Draw Realistic Trees and Foliage Drawing Trees, Free Art Lesson by Mi e Sibley
I!"e recently been as ed by a #ew artists #or assistance wit$ t$e drawing o# trees% As wit$ &ost s'b(ects t$is one can be bro en down into easy)to) &anage *arts ) as I s$all e+*lain%%% ,alance and For& First #ind yo'r tree% T$is is not as easy as it &ig$t a**ear%%% trees $a"e a $abit o# loo ing 'nbalanced, aw ward or ('st *lain cra-y. Des*ite Nat're!s best endea"o'rs, not all trees &a e good s'b(ects% Finding one wit$ t$e a**earance o# good balance can ta e so&e ti&e% Maybe yo' *re#er to design yo'r own/ T$e sa&e r'les a**ly% 0nless a leaning or grossly 'nsy&&etrical tree is going to be o# so&e ad"antage to yo'r drawing, yo' wo'ld bene#it #ro& #irst st'dying trees and t$eir growt$ $abits to learn t$e basic r'les% 1ersonally, I nearly always wor #ro& *$otogra*$s t$at I 'se as a base #ro& w$ic$ to wor % I &ig$t occasionally draw one ('st as I saw it b't o#ten I will a&alga&ate ele&ents #ro& two or &ore trees into one% ,'t, w$ate"er yo'r a**roac$, one as*ect re&ains constant ) trees *osses t$ree)di&ensional #or&% For si&*licity I will concentrate on co&&on decid'o's trees b't si&ilar r'les and tec$ni2'es will a**ly to e"ergreens% 3"erall For& and Str'ct're

Trees are not #lat str'ct'res o# entwining branc$es% So&e branc$es will e+tend to eac$ side, so&e will recede beyond t$e tr'n and yet ot$er will be *ointing straig$t at yo'% A co'ntry wal in Winter o##ers a good o**ort'nity to st'dy t$is% Later, w$en t$e trees are clot$ed in lea"es, yo' can st'dy t$e sa&e ones again b't wit$ a #'ll nowledge o# t$eir internal s eleton%

,ro'g$t rig$t down to basics a tree in lea# is li e a lolli*o* or candy#loss on a stic ) a ro'nd or conical s$a*e on a long *ole% 4o' will see t$at t$ese basic, t$ree)di&ensional s$a*es con#or& to nor&al lig$ting e+*ectations% T$ey *osses a s$adow side, a $ig$lig$ted side and a s$adow beneat$% 4o' &ay also incor*orate re#lected lig$t on t$e dar side o# t$e tr'n i# it will $el* yo' to better s$ow it!s edge% 5ee* t$is basic s$a*e in &ind as yo' wor , co'*led wit$ t$e c$osen direction o# lig$t, and t$e tree t$at yo' *rod'ce will *ossess an o"erall reality o# #or&% Analysing What You See T$ere are, to &y &ind, t$ree &a(or as*ects o# a tree t$at &a e it w$at it is% S'r#ace te+t're and s$a*e, internal bo'g$ str'ct're and ga*s t$ro'g$ w$ic$ yo' can see t$ro'g$ to t$e ot$er side%

Texture and Shaping T$ese are two &a(or to*ics t$at I will ret'rn to later% For now ('st be aware t$at yo'r tree &'st loo as t$o'g$ it is clot$ed in belie"able lea"es% It!s w$ile yo' are drawing t$ese 6lea"es6, ee*ing t$e lig$ting direction in &ind, t$at yo' will introd'ce t$e e+ternal s$a*ing%

Texture and Shaping T$ese are two &a(or to*ics t$at I will ret'rn to later% For now ('st be aware t$at yo'r tree &'st loo as t$o'g$ it is clot$ed in belie"able lea"es% It!s w$ile yo' are drawing t$ese 6lea"es6, ee*ing t$e lig$ting direction in &ind, t$at yo' will introd'ce t$e e+ternal s$a*ing%

Holes and gaps - negative areas Holes t$ro'g$ t$e #oliage are a great boon as t$ey enable yo' to s$ow t$e #ar side o# t$e tree and add reality to yo'r drawing% And t$ese $oles and ga*s o#ten e+*ose t$e $ard edges o# t$e bo'g$s ) 'sing t$ese in star sil$o'ette 7t$ey rarely recei"e direct lig$t8 contrasts well wit$ t$e &ore enig&atic #oliage and can be 'sed to i&*art a so#ter loo to t$e lea"es%

It is only by analysing w$at yo' see t$at yo' will gain t$e #'ll 'nderstanding t$at allows yo' to draw realistically% A tree is not an a&or*$o's collection o# lea#)s$a*ed ite&s or rando& &ar s t$at, yo' $o*e, will #ool t$e "iewer!s brain into reading 6tree6% A tree is an ordered, layered ob(ect wit$ an o'ter co"ering 7o#ten *artial8 aro'nd an inner ar&at're or core% How yo' draw it, t$e tec$ni2'e yo' c$oose to 'se, is deter&ined largely by t$e *osition o# t$e tree or b's$ in yo'r co&*osition ) #oregro'nd 7w$ere eac$ lea# s$a*e is discernable8, bac gro'nd 7w$ere t$e lea"es #or& a &ottled *attern t$at describe t$e o"erall t$ree)di&ensionality8 or &idgro'nd 7so&ew$ere in

between t$e two8% For t$e basis o# t$is t'torial I!& going to c$oose t$e &idgro'nd scenario wit$ ill'strations o# t$e ot$er two% So let!s *ic '* a *encil and draw tree%%% Let drawing co&&ence%%%

T$in o# yo'r tree not as a drawing b't as a sc'l*t're ) a t$ree)di&ensional s'r#ace wra**ed aro'nd an internal ar&at're% T$e #irst (ob t$en is to create t$e ar&at're wit$ indications o# w$ere t$e &a(or &asses o# #oliage will be a**ear% T$is tree was *$otogra*$ed wit$ a 9::&& -oo& lens at a distance o# abo't ;<: &etres% T$e lac o# detail is not i&*ortant ) indeed it is a bon's as it concentrates attention on t$e #or&s wit$in t$e tree% T$e internal str'ct're is nicely sil$o'etted allowing t$e eye to #ollow t$e &a(or li&bs t$ro'g$ t$e str'ct're% I incor*orated t$is tree into t$e co&*osition o# &y drawing Done ,alin!% T$e internal str'ct're $as been e+*lored to so&e e+tent, t$e &a(or $oles t$ro'g$ t$e #oliage &a**ed o't and t$e &ain areas o# s$adow noted% Note t$at t$e tree originally $ad two tr'n s% 3ne $as been re&o"ed and t$e e&*$asis *laced on t$e centre and rig$t o# t$e tree as t$e co&*osition re2'ires ot$er trees to o"erla* t$e le#t side%

T$is is not drawn on t$e #inal wor ing s'r#ace b't is a se*arate s etc$ #or later trans#erral% T$e bene#it o# t$is is t$at it allows 'nli&ited e+*loration o# t$e #or& ) in t$is case t$e &asses o# #oliage tend to $a"e ro'nded to*s w$en "iewed straig$t on and ot$ers to t$e side swee* downwards as t$ey decrease in de*t$% We can *'t t$is 'nderstanding to good 'se later%

T$e co&*leted tree as it a**ears in Done ,alin!% Note t$at t$e le#t)$and side is in"ented, t$e rig$t $and side con#or&s only to t$e *$otogra*$!s o'tline and so&e o# t$e $oles t$ro'g$ t$e #oliage $a"e been closed% 3nly t$e 6s*irit6 o# t$e tree $as been 'sed to de*ict it ) t$e act'al str'ct're o# t$e #oliage &asses $as been altered to better s'it &y re2'ire&ents% 1$otogra*$s can *ro"ide detail b't t$ey are better 'sed as co&*endi'&s o# o"erall in#or&ation ) t$ey gi"e a 6#eel6 #or t$e str'ct're and add realis& to yo'r in"ention% Demonstration... To &a e li#e easy t$e 6clot$ing6 o# a tree can be bro en down into a collection o# si&ilar ele&ents% ='st e+*eri&ent wit$ s&all sections 'ntil yo' arri"e at a te+t're &ost rese&bling t$e e##ect yo' wis$ to attain% In t$is case t$e tree is in t$e &idgro'nd so t$e 6lea"es6 only need to a**ear as $ig$lig$ted *oints w$ere lig$t re#lects #ro& t$eir "ario'sly angled s'r#aces%

T$e basic g'idance drawing% T$is e+ercise &eas'res 96>9?6 and was co&*leted in ('st o"er ; $o'r%

Here I!& establis$ing t$e dar est and lig$test tones and beginning to get a #eel #or t$e #or&% Don!t add tone yet to t$e w$ite, negati"e *oints%

W$en yo'!"e establis$ed and delineated t$e s$adow and $ig$lig$ted areas add o"erall tone to *ro"ide lig$ting t$at con#or&s to yo'r c$osen direction%

My tec$ni2'e 7as s$own abo"e8 in"ol"es t$ree stages@

Ma* o't a loose #ra&ewor #or t$e internal and e+ternal str'ct'res% Wor ing in rando& *atterns, create a #lat de*iction o# de*t$% ,y t$is I &ean "ary t$e weig$t o# yo'r *encil &ar s, grad'ating #ro& dar to lig$t, lea"ing &ore negati"e s*ace between t$e &ar s as yo' *rogress% T$is &et$od in"ol"es a co&bination o# negati"e and *ositi"e drawing ) t$e s$adows rely on t$e *ositi"e, weig$ty *encil &ar s and t$e $ig$lig$ted areas are *rod'ced by drawing aro'nd t$e w$ite 6lea"es6% More lea#, &ore $ig$lig$t% Less lea#, &ore s$adow% Wor 2'ic ly ) s*eed #ools t$e brain% Ta* into yo'r creati"e side by wor ing too 2'ic ly #or yo'r logical side to ee* '*% Finally, rein#orce yo'r dee*est s$adows 7lea"e no negati"e s*aces8 t$en add o"erall tone as re2'ired to eac$ area o# #oliage so it *ossesses a ro'ndness t$at con#or&s to yo'r c$osen direction o# lig$ting% Ad('st&ents can be easily &ade wit$ ,l')Tac , w$ic$ is w$y I ad"ocate laying t$e #inal s$a*ing) tone on to*% ,l')Tac can li#t t$is o## so gently t$at t$e detail below is le#t 'ndist'rbed and can be contin'ally ad('sted and re)ad('sted wit$ little $ar& to t$e 'nder)drawing% Wit$ *ractice so&e o# t$e early stages can be dis*ensed wit$% For e+a&*le, t$e trees to t$e le#t o# o'r e+a&*le tree 7see below8 &erely $ad t$eir *ositions &ar ed in &y line drawing% T$e trees t$e&sel"es grew organically as I wor ed% I $ad only to decide w$ere t$e s'n wo'ld catc$ t$eir to*s be#ore starting o't%

Done ,alin! A li&ited edition *rint

Trees and Foliage e+a&*les%%%

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