The Form of Trees.
Trees have the beauty and power to captivate us with their graceful, elegant forms. They are often a
dominant element in the landscape. This section will focus attention on trees to help you draw them
with greater understanding.Very often, beginning artists will be so fascinated by the complexity and beauty of a tree that they will overlook the large
“concept” of its form and try to draw every leaf and branch. In order to think about the form of a tree in geometric terms—that
is, to simplify its shape—one can say that the tree’s foliage comes closest to being a spherical form. The lower portion of the
sphere is normally where the darker tones are when lit from above by the light of the sky. When the upper portion of the
sphere begins to turn, its surface becomes more parallel with the sky, and it receives more light.
If you model your trees accordingly, they will appear rounded instead of as flat cutouts against the sky. The drawings on the
following pages illustrate this gradual modeling of spherical clusters of foliage.
When the tree is illuminated by direct sunlight, look for its light-and-shadow pattern. Remember, it is much easier to see the
simplicity of this pattern if you squint! This drawing of a grouping of trees, with its defined pattern of light and shadow, has a
clear feeling of roundness and light.
Study of a Tree,by Dean Fisher