Drawing The Mighty Tree

Drawing by Bonny

Drawing the mighty tree; particularly as it pertains to aesthetics:

We all know what a tree looks like …many of us can name different species….but when we go to draw the tree it can somehow look stilted, un-artistic, generalized.

Today we are going to learn about how to create a tree in an artistic fashion to give a detailed look, a feel of the species with elegance so that we can have a great tree drawing and work into a tree painting if we so desire.

#1 Seeing Have references available so as to rely on what is seen rather than what is remembered. The brain tends to repeat past behaviors, ways of drawing things, unless we force it to see in new ways.

#2 Thick to thin

Like many forms in nature, the tree tends to grow thick to thin; trunk to roots trunk to limbs; limbs to smaller branches; smaller branches to ever smaller branches and finally leaves. All tend to gradually dissipate outward into air and dirt.

#3 Varying directional growth and overlapping the limbs

Like the figure, we tend to want to draw the tree straight up; vertical, often missing some of the most beautiful nuances and amazing characteristics about the tree. As artists, I suggest we emphasize, over emphasize dynamic characteristics. The mighty tree takes many twists and turns, gnarly and fascinating with sometimes seemingly impossible balancing acts. Allow your tree to assume some diagonal growth and then twist back on itself. Notice how limbs grow out of the trunk in an asymmetrical manner and how some limbs may be coming out directly toward us while others grow from behind and we only see parts of them receding into the distance. Overlapping limbs and branches adds greater interest and intrigues as the drawing quality matures and builds finesse with attention to such nuances.

#4 Stay un-even Notice how the limbs emerge from the trunk at varying heights along the trunk and how the density of limbs varies from side to side. Avoid symmetry. One can even find asymmetry in the more symmetrical evergreen by looking for varying bits of shade and light throughout.

#5 Line quality

Allow the line to be your friend along with shading, cross hatching and lines that seemingly disappear into the atmosphere. One can also use the eraser to find highlights. Create darkness in some areas of limbs behind others to allow the limb in the fore to emerge more pronounced. These elements create volume and depth.

#6 Mood

Create mood with deep shadows, areas of interest accentuating unique qualities find unusual beauty contour and depth. The tree is a giver of life, honor the mood you choose to create.

#7 Make it your own

We can never exactly copy the reference, nor should we strive to, make your drawing your own by utilizing these “rules” in nature and art. Understanding these fundamentals will allow you to create trees that feel and look believable yet all your own!

Bonny Leibowitz
http://www.thebonnystudio.com/
http://www.bonnyleibowitz.com/
bonnyfineart@aol.com
214-405-5993580
W. Arapaho Rd. #262
Richardson, Texas 75080

YOUnique!

Hi friends!
This past Saturday I was listening to the radio on the drive to Austin to visit my son when a great little talk about jazz music and how the scene has changed over the years came on. At some point, they played a few notes of BB King and it started me thinking how even hearing just one note from BB King tells you it's BB!
Of course this made me translate it all to visual art. You look at many famous artists and you can often name them pretty quickly for their look. Look closer and the immediate recognition is due to a type of stroke, a color combination, a line, a subject...on and on! I am sure you could study the mark Van Gogh made that said wind or cloud or tree etc., isolate it and recognize it as his!
So, what does that mean for us? I believe we each have our own natural tendencies. Pretty amazing to think of; as many people as there are in the world and we each lay a line down in our on remarkable style. Even as beginners, you likely had a certain way of approaching a canvas or drawing all your own.
I believe we all SEE in our own way too and that a great deal of seeing is not just based on the eye, of course, but interpretation, influences and opinions from a very early age and long held beliefs and feelings concerning particular colors and subject matter etc.
One of the great acts we can take in elevating our work, taking it to the next level, is noticing our uniqueness...taking a very close look at what we do, keeping the intriguing elements, editing out those which do not serve us well and enhancing our unique qualities!! Once you start to define what it is that makes that painting yours; do whatever it takes to emphasize those qualities: elongate, brighten, darken etc; enhancing in some way to bring out the greater YOU!
For myself; I notice my organic shapes, the way a line varies, tonal variations and a tendency for strong composition and balance. I try to find ways to build and enhance those natural tendencies. What have you noticed about YOUR unique qualities?

Please share YOUR thoughts by clicking on the POST A COMMENT below then use your google account or click on the ANONYMOUS choice , write your comment and add your name at the end, if you'd like it to show; then hit PUBLISH YOUR COMMENT. Thank you , Bonny

The Creative Spirit

Hi friends!

Welcome to Bonny's Art Blog. I will choose a variety of subjects on a weekly basis for your comment and look forward to developing an exciting art dialogue with you! This is a place to ask technical questions, find resources and comment on various art concepts. This week's topic is the creative spirit. If you'd like to place a comment after reading; please click on "post a comment" below the text.

The Creative Spirit
I feel compelled to create. Ideas and solutions seem to pop in my head from everywhere. I could be working on an art piece, struggling with how to achieve a certain effect or even wondering what effect I want at all, when suddenly, a word, a circumstance or visual experience will start some train of thought which compels me to the ah ha moment! How beautiful!

There are also those times when I simply stumble upon a technique, perhaps something has gone "wrong" and in an effort to "get back" to where I was, I find some new solution and new technique which surprises, delights and opens a whole new world of creative options.

All of these moments make me feel so thankful for my creative and solution finding abilities!

But, this still does not answer the question of where it all comes from and why we create. Perhaps a great deal of creating is, in part, an effort to communicate, to find like minds, to be appreciated, to purely express. That initial spark that compels you to get to the canvas is an amazing joy we may never exactly know the source of. Thank goodness, because the mystery is the beauty. AND, so, I suggest in order to explore further and to go deeper, one must allow expression from within and restrict outside influence at times. One must ignore, to some degree, the compulsion to please, to sell, to show and come to grips with that core spirit, to live there in order to then share.

If you are excited, involved, immersed in your work, if your life and art are one and intertwine, you will likely connect with others, creating work they would like to collect naturally.

Your thoughts are welcome here! Bonny
ALSO, please visit The Bonny Studio website for info about the art and classes at: http://www.thebonnystudio.com/ and visit my personal art site at: http://www.bonnyleibowitz.com/ ! Thank you, Bonny