This week we’ll focus on drawing trees. Watch the video – unlike last week’s video, this one isn’t in fast speed and I teach verbally throughout. The music and voice are soft – you may even need to turn your speakers up.
It doesn’t matter if you’ve never drawn a tree before. The video is a demo of one way to approach the assignment. Tips are included. Examples of quick studies are also supplied below.
Grab a pencil and drop into the spirit of the process. Don’t judge your work. Focus on the tree not your drawing. Trees are incredible. The more you look, the better they get.
I painted this palm tree in Puerto Rico a few months after Hurricane Maria. It not only survived the hurricane, it also survived a giant rogue wave. It’s a role model for all of us during this unprecedented time. My wish is that you, like this palm tree, will Stay Strong, Stay Rooted, and Stay Beautiful.
At some point, the “stay at home” directive will be a memory. When we do get there, wouldn’t it be fun if you had a natural drawing practice to enhance your life?
Still Standing, Still Rooted and Still Beautiful
If you go to a park or out into nature to draw your tree, you can bring your own folding chair to prevent contamination. You can also sketch from your car. Yes, go parking! The painting below was done while sitting in the front seat of my car this week.
8X10 acrylic. Lillian Kennedy
Life drawings in pencil smudged with tissue or hand for grey tone.
Thank you for this great lesson on drawing trees! I love your palm tree, the Vermont Middlebrook Road tree and the lovely tree trunks.
You have given us lots to think about and some great places to start.
Your beautiful artwork and wonderful teaching is greatly appreciated, especially now when we are most isolated and in need of a “drawing practice”, a way to meditate and observe nature.
Thank you Janette. Your words mean a lot to me!
Thanks, Lillian. I will do a tree this week! I met you at Marion’s for a workshop years ago and was happy to see these lessons come back. I have shared them with some neighbors who are also shut in.
Marion comes to my cabin at North Pond to paint. Sure hope we can do it again this year.
Sally, Let me know how the tree drawing goes for you and if your neighbors do one.
Marion has told me how much she loves going to “Sally’s Pond” and the work she has done there is beautiful.
Good to hear from you.
I love trees and will practice some. Thanks bunches Elizabeth A. Boulder Co.
Hi Elizabeth, let me know how it goes with the trees. Stay well!
Lillian, am I wrong or did you not once have a library of weekly art lessons/tips? There were over 100 last I remember. I have been hunting for it, to no avail, so perhaps it was not you?
Monika, You might be referring to the archived lessons. Thank you for inspiring me to get all of the archived lessons sorted and put into the CATEGORIES list which is on the home page at the right. I’ll try to do that this week. Also, if you scroll to the bottom of the page, you will see a tab that says “older lessons”. That process would be slow. Yes, there are over a hundred older lessons and I want you to be able to access them.
Enjoy your walks in Newfoundland — probably you won’t be sitting outside for this lesson with your weather now.
I can’t seem to access comment area for latest weekly art lesson on the woods and river
needless to say, it was bitter sweet given made me want to come home to Vermont!
Love your beautiful rock cropping over the river/creek
MYBFEB
T
MYBFEB T, I got your comment, so somehow you did access the right section! I will, however, try to make the comment section more obvious. Thanks for your feedback.
Thank you for the lesson.
Landscapes are very difficult for me but will keep trying.
Glad that you are back to weekly lessons.
See you soon.
Marie
Hi Marie, Your comment has inspired me to do a lesson soon on landscapes and seeing the whole.
Thanks for being glad! Lillian