Saturday, November 10, 2012

Illustration Friday: Tree



I absolutely love trees.  I can tell you, describe for you, every single tree that I've been able to see outside of every single place I have ever lived in my life--the row of 100 year old maple trees outside of my childhood bedroom window, the larch tree outside my dorm room window in college one year which I thought died in the fall, and I was so happy when it came back to life in the spring, the elm trees with their swirling yellow leaves in the fall in Minneapolis and the giant sweet gum tree that towered over the house across the street, and....I really could go on and on.


But I rarely draw trees from life.  I'm not sure why.  I think it's enough to just see them.

I often "doodle" trees though.  The top one here is a tree I made on Corel Painter while talking on the phone.  And the bottom one is one I made this afternoon with water soluable painting crayons, water color, pencil and India ink.

Actually, I had an idea about these, and, as I learned from doing (or rather, attempting to do) the 29 Faces in September challenge, making one of anything doesn't teach you a whole lot.  You have to do a bunch.  So I started a bunch, and here's the first one.  The second one is drying, but I don't like it nearly so much.  


3 comments:

  1. I like them both..I agree with multiple studies helps you learn... It reminded me of a set of rules I read that one must take into account when drawing trees...I can only remember one...it states...'one must show very clearly how the tree connects to the ground'.... for some reason this rule stayed with me and I like it. I notice your trees connect very firmly to the foot of each drawing as though it were your ground.

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  2. Lovely line work, lovely colors. I'm the same way. Trees are one of my go-to doodles, but I rarely sit down and draw a specific tree.

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  3. Love the top one - it's wild and free.

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