Trees come in all shapes and sizes and colours. Capturing them can be a little intimidating sometimes but the best way to conquer that is just get in there and start drawing or painting them. Look at overall shape and values then break down the tree into further shapes. Take your time and observe. You can make a drawing as complex or as simple as you like.

This challenge is to draw a tree or trees, but only from life. By studying bark, shape, colour, leaves close up you will learn a lot about the structure and texture of trees and how to render them on paper or canvas.

You can do a close up or a distant view, use colour or keep it in greyscale.

Look at the overall shape of the tree, the negative spaces between the branches, the light and shade.

Look at the colours of bark. Tree trunks are not just brown, they are shades of white, cream, greys, blues, chocolate, etc.

Leaves are affected by light and shade and the colours of green vary from yellows to purples.

Experiment, have fun and learn, but remember draw only from life, NOT photos. This challenge is unlimited in time, just add your images as you do them.

I'll start this with a drawing of an old tree in my garden. This ancient larch is knarled and covered with lichen with a lot of dead wood. It needs to be cut down, but I can't do it. I like the size and solidity of it and it will stay there until it becomes dangerous. I did this piece in pen and ink, with some coloured pencil in a 8 x 10 Moleskine sketchbook.

Click to view attachment

thats a great tree jeanette! it has come thru with thunder and lightning, but as soon as I can get outdoors I shall give it a try this should be a fun challenge

The drawing of the tree is lovely.
Here are two life-sketches of trees made with a felttip.
Painting or drawing in details trees requires patience / intelligence and I don't seem to have either right now.

Where i live the native vegetation is desert vegetation but in my neighbourhood we have trees from many places that can adapt to Southern California climate. Here is an australian eucalyptus close to my house.
I used Cp and sanguine but the don't blend so if i want to use both i need to lay down the sanguine first.Anyway it was fun.

I hope you join in Kay, its very useful to study living trees and draw them. You learn so much from it.

Sveta, these are fabulous and look like pen and ink. You must have a very fine nibbed felt tip. I love the look of trees drawn in pen or other inks, they're so dramatic.

Elena, I get the feel of the eucalyptus from this. Those pale colours of the trunk are wonderful.

Now here is a view of trees that I see when I sit on the sofa in my living room and look across the yard. The view of part of the barn and the surround of trees. I am literally surrounded by hundreds of trees so I decided I would try to capture them 'en masse'. Simple shapes and squinting to get the overall values in place first, then refining the form more seems to work well for drawing trees in a setting like this.

Click to view attachment

Thank you Jeanette. I have more varieties in the park and neighborhood. I will try to draw from life as much as i can because i love trees. I used to climb and hide up in the trees as a child and even a teeanger(until 19) and stay there in the shade and read.

I will be drawing a tree tomorrow

This is a great thread! Sveta, your felt pen trees are fantastic! Do you use a draughting pen for that? I have those and I use them on my ATC cards. I must try that. Elena, I have never seen a eucalyptus tree, I believe they were the cause of all the fires in Australia! I think I'd like to live in a house surrounded by trees! Great work girls. I'm gonna try and make some time today for some tree studies!

you guys have done some great trees..here is one of my submissions, I dont know what kind it is, it was here when we purchased the house, but I have always loved it, it is surrounded by juniper, I had no idea how to draw it..it is all soo dark and spiny..this tree is gorgeous in the fall, big reddish buds, the orange and yellow to the leaves,and completely defoliates in the winter, cept the buds they stay put. I used a HB pencil this time too, much better. the day is lovely so the thunderstorms must be for later this p.m. which is great!

Click to view attachment

Kay, that is fantastic! Me thinks thou art too modest!

I agree with Steve. The tree is great.

Jeannete, nice subject and very nice drawings so far.
I usually draw trees, mainly in graphite or ink. However, I draw "the tree" itself, and I still find difficult to draw the negative spaces.
Here are two examples that I love, from my graphite gallery.
Claudio

Great , Claudio. Love them.

Can I post a drawing of trees done when I was 12 years old?

thank you steve and elena, and claudio those trees are great

Sveta you are an amazing artist

I can't draw a tree to save my life I was never able to. I know I should try again but i'd be way too embarassed to put it up

Thank you, Kay! But I loved all the trees I've seen posted so far - and thanks to the hostess for the good old life-sketch challenge. It makes a difference, I think.

I drew these two this afternoon when I was out with the dog They each took about 10 mins with 4B on a sheet of cartridge paper.

One more tree today.
This is a beauty; the street is aligned with them. They are evergreen Magnolia grandiflora or Southern Magnolia tree, natives of Southern states of USA.

THis one i drew from my studio window.Crayola crayons, 25 minutes, I colored a bit the flowers as they are white.

Click to view attachment

And this is the real thing, this one is in in front of our japanese neighbors house.
Notice the flowers and the cone-like fruit and the seeds.

Kay, seems like you do have an idea how to draw that tree after all . But i do understand, when faced with a tree it is a bit daunting as to where to start at times, but look at the overall shape, or just concentrate on a single part, take your time and really observe it before you commit to paper.

Claudio, those are interestingly shaped trees, those are the most fun to draw. Were they drawn from life or from photos?

Just a reminder that this thread is for trees drawn from life only. I want people to get out and really observe the shape, colours and texture of trees.

Get out there and try dolphin. Trees are no different than drawing anything else. Observe carefully, then draw what you see.

Norma, very nice shapes to these trees. I love weeping trees, they're so elegant and that oak (I presume) is a classic.

Elena, how great to have trees like this magnolia as local specimens. Your sketch gives a good overall impression of the tree. My only suggestion would be to perhaps add some shading and colour into those leaves to add depth, going by the images that you've attached. Stunning tree and that seed pod is just bizarre. I love the image of the bud and leaf shape and colour. A good image to add to the Inspiration Gallery hint, hint...

What a nice gallery of trees is being created here!
I'm also scared of trees to death. When I'm drawing I try to simplify them and make them looking just like unimportant piles of scribbles...
I wanted to go outside, find a nice place and draw some trees or at least some leaves. Study textures of different barks but... Just as I wanted to close the window and go out, it got terribly dark and it started to rain. So I sat looking through my window waiting for the storm to end. I somehow thought that all those trees just outside my window aren't interesting at all. And all I can see through my window are only their trunks. But finally I decided to try. And I was astonished. Drawing those two simple trunks was more interesting than I could ever imagine. Another lesson learned - simple things might be not so simple and uninspiring as they seem to be.

Click to view attachment

It was odd drawing those two different trees. Somehow I felt the first one needed a delicate touch, whereas the oak seemed to want me to be much more heavy handed. They are actually both about the same height, but drawing them felt completely different. Am I talking rubbish!!

Finaly managed to find a few minutes to myself. This is a palm tree in my back garden. About 6' tall. 2h and B pencil on A5 pad.

Click to view attachment

Thank you, Jeanette for reminding me of the values. Here they are:

before

Click to view attachment

after

Click to view attachment


And an old story of mystery regarding trees that comes back in the news.

Tunguska caused by comet

for more on Tunguska event see wikipedia.

This was the most challenging thing I think I have ever done ...I spent so long on this and it looks like a childs work ..I admire those who can draw or paint landscapes ...give me a portrait anyday .

When drawing the tree outside that is just off my deck I tried to do the strong lines first then the other lines added but it ended up looking like a mess .

I think it is a great tree..I found it quite a challenge too..but I also found I enjoyed it. so I may sketch from life alot more, thanks jeanette!

Lovely sketch of the palm tree Steve. I wish I had some of those huge tall palms in my garden. I'd love to draw them. I'm afraid I am stuck with photos for those unless I travel somewhere warmer.

Interesting link Elena. You learn something new every day. And the values do add another dimension to your tree, it looks good.

Kim, we all have things that we prefer to draw, things that we are comfortable with. When we say we can't draw something, its untrue really. If you can draw a face, you can draw a landscape. Its more that we don't enjoy drawing something; we don't find it interesting or it has too many parts and we don't know where to start. Your tree is fine, you have the shapes, shading etc. To draw something well, you have to get over the 'I can't do this, its boring' and simply see it as a series of lines and values then draw it.

But I know where you're coming from. I hate drawing flowers - I despise them. But now and then I make myself do it and I learn something each time. One, that I can draw flowers; two that I often enjoy the process.

Kay, drawing from life provides you with a whole new perspective and gives additional learning skills. You have to deal with movement at times and ever changing light. It speeds up your ability to quickly block in shapes and values and is essential for any artist.

Managed to snatch a few minutes at lunchtime today.

Click to view attachment

Steve, your last drawing is wonderful! Bravo!

These trees I'm looking at are all drawn so beautifully - I'm sorry to say that drawing trees is not my strong point either (not sure exactly what my strong point may be).

Went out at lunch and found a shady spot. I wanted to draw a wonderful old tree and post my wonderful drawing. I scribbled, ripped out paper, crinkled it up, started over, scribbled more, ripped and crinkled more. Finally decided that I was trying to draw the perfectly perfect tree, and was instead drawing the perfectly awful tree.

So, I switched hands - began drawing with the left hand (I'm right-handed). It seems that when you move completely out of your comfort zone - even to the point of drawing with your non-dominant hand, the results can be intriguing - no matter how bad they seem.

The moral of this story is -
If your drawing is frustrating you too much, it's trying to tell you something. Listen.
Your worst drawing is better than no drawing at all.
Moving out of your zone makes the drawing work out wonderfully. Not really (I'm attaching proof) but I needed three morals for the story.

Thanks for listening - I'm going back to drawing bean fields.

Click to view attachment

I discovered today, that if you look at a tree wearing sunglasses, you can get a better idea of the tonal values! I was all prepared to start drawing a lovely tree (oak I think?) But it was just too hot where I was, so had to move into the shade where I came across the tree you see above.

That's a good idea - takes the focus off the color and puts it on the values. I'm going to try this again tomorrow when I'm in a better mood.

Dear Friends:

I love all of your beautiful trees. I decided I am gonna try my hand at it too. Give me a few days and I will post a nice original tree.
Cheers !!!

rednova

The sunglass idea is a pretty good idea I may try that .

Squinting, or half closing your eyes will take the detail out of what you're looking at and let you see where your values are more easily.

Hi! Very nice collection of trees. Very nice works (and different styles) everybody.
Here is one in ink that I drew last spring at the local park, when trees were begining to blossom.
A lot to improve yet.
Claudio

Hi, Claudio.Your tree makes a nice illustration.

Believe it or not... I just love your drawing! It gives me some nice feelings.

Thanks!

sandra, your approach of the tree is very artistic.maybe you wanted something realistic or photo realistic as the fashion is these days but you created a poem with your sanguine pencil(hope i guessed correctly your medium).

Just a ball of scribbles on a stick... And it even didn't fit in the page.

Click to view attachment

I'm also not happy with the shading... I was sitting so that the sun was right beyond the tree I was drawing (no, I couldn't change my position). so I had to imagine how the shadows would look like if the situation was a bit different. Started shading it one way, then changed my mind, then changed it again... In the end I just stopped and left it as it is for fear I might totally ruin it.

Siks, I think your tree looks solid - in a good way. Sketches are meant to be just that - incomplete drawings. Not every one will turn out as we wished, but each one will help us learn something new.

Here's a sketch of some trees that surround a small pond on my property. Pen and ink again, as it lends itself so well to trees I think.

Click to view attachment

splendid work jeanette.
Me, quick sketch in crayons of my neighbors palm tree. 10 minutes.the brownish leaves are dead.

Those are great trees! I was going to sketch my tree in the back yard, but I don't really like it, so I must wait until I find a tree I both like, and can approach without being chased or something.

I'll try to go outside as soon as I can, it keeps raining all the time here. But me and my friends are supposed to go "camping" in my dad's backyard since he has a big yard. We were actually supposed to go camping in someone else's yard and that plan all went down and I didn't want to just do nothing on a weekend I booked off. Can't wait till I have a job that I don't need to work weekends. So yeah i'll bring my sketchbook along this weekend see if I can draw anything. And let's hope it doesn't rain because if it does I don't think we'll be doing much camping lol

I love camping! Hope the rain holds off for you.

Went out today and did this sketch.

Wow! Songsparrow, I just love it!

like always Steve steals the show

Beautiful, Steve!
Here in Quebec, is also raining since monday so no outdoor sketching so far

not quite sure what kind of tree as it was given to me many years ago..it sits on my porch catching what little sun that comes its way in the summer..and sits in the window upstairs in the fall and winter..mechanical pencil..15 min..wonderful draws from you all!
Kat