drawing of tree truncks and limbs

Trees are diverse — their trunks, limbs and branches, foliage are all dependent on their type.  The best way to learn how to draw trees is to draw trees, especially bare trees in the winter.  Learn the skeletons first.  It takes a lot of observation and practice.  Begin to examine how branches grow out of the trunks. Where is the widest part of the trunk? The trunk of a tree is not straight up and down; many are distorted by the wind and natural elements.  It's much more interesting when the shape of the trunk changes direction.  Trunks are not always larger at the base either, unless they are cypress trees.  Roots serve to pull in food and give support. They get thinner as the tree grows taller and leaves congregate toward the outside air and light. But they don't get thinner until they begin to branch.  the branches follow the same pattern.  Each year is a different growth spurt, so branches and limbs grow at angles and not as ribbons or curves.

It's useful to use varied pressures while drawing tree trunks with a pencil.  Use the pencil on point and on the edge to simulate the rough texture of the bark.  Start from the ground up and "grow" the tree. Watch the direction of the light. Use light limbs against dark foliage and vice versa. Always look for the sky holes.  The value of the sky is darker inside the sky holes than the rest of the sky behind the tree.  It's a good idea to draw/paint a branch or limb inside the sky holes — it says "tree" effectively.

Think in terms of gesture drawing. What is the action of the tree? This is the axis.  If it has leaves, think of it as a solid shape.  Which side of the tree is the darkest? As a solid object, it has form and value.  It's darker where you can see through to the trunk, and the trunk darkens as it moves up.  The most important detail is the negative space.

For foliage, always think in terms of masses.  TDo not, I repeat, do not start with little leaf-life strokes before you've defined the clumps of foliage.  IF YOU CAN'T COUNT THE LEAVES, DON'T DRAW THEM INDIVIDUALLY.  SUGGEST THEM INSTEAD.   Always place some foliage in front of the trunk, not always behind.  The only places that you can suggest leaf shapes are on the edge of the tree facing the light, or in the negative spaces of the sky holes.

Warm light bounces from the ground to the underneath planes of the tree.  Trunks are cooler where they face a clearing and warmer when they reflect a forest bed. Use yellows and pale greens for sun-struck foliage and vary the hues in the foliage shadows.

About pastelanne

I am a professional artist and art teacher, receiving my formal art education at the Kansas City Art Institute and the University of Arkansas. I taught high school art and humanities, earned a doctorate in secondary education, and with my husband, reared eight children! Even after retirement in 1993, I have continued to teach children, teenagers, and adults as well as studying under well known teachers. My media are pen and ink, watermedia, pastel, and colored pencil. Because of all my experiences and guidance from my teachers and mentors, I have a lot of suggestions, tips, and techniques to share with others. This then is the reason for my blog: to pass on some of this knowledge to other artists and to 'wanna be" artists. I intend to post at least three times a week. The first group will be compositional ideas, the second group will be sketchbook ideas, and the third group will be some tips and techniques in particular media. I sincerely hope you will find some good advice in some of these posts!

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Source: https://pastelanne.wordpress.com/2014/04/30/drawingpainting-a-tree/

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