When a person first picks up a pencil to draw a forest, he is faced with a problem: how to draw a huge number of small details? As a child, I asked a similar question to my teacher: "How should I draw trees correctly - draw all the leaves or not?" To which he replied with a smile: “Of course not!” How, then, to draw a forest correctly?
1. Transfer of space and perspective in the drawing of the forest.
When artists paint interiors or city streets, then everything is clear with perspective. Rectangular, simple geometric shapes easily fit into a perspective reduction. Here it is easy to outline the horizon line and bring all sides of the buildings to the vanishing point. But how is the space organized in the forest, where it is filled with all sorts of branches, snags, foliage ... In the illustration, I specially drew a diagram of five planes, reminiscent of a room. It's easier to imagine space for a novice artist. Further, against this background distribute trees. Trees have trunks and a crown, where the forms are far from simple geometric ones. They are "clumsy" because they have many bends and kinks, and are also replete with details such as bark, small branches, etc. But, despite these "difficulties", they also subordinate linear perspective, just like rectangles. The trunks of trees in the foreground are larger, in the second they are smaller, etc. In addition, one tree covers another or one branch covers part of another branch. The trees in the foreground are so large that they do not fit in the sheet and go beyond it. Thus, the viewer finds himself inside the forest, and is not an observer from the side when the forest is built as a wall near him.
In the illustrations, I gave an example from my drawings, where the forest is drawn "from the side" and "from the inside." Therefore, you need to remember that different angles and points of view are possible. I.I. Shishkin liked to paint the forest, "placing" the viewer inside.
2. Generalization of small details into masses of large, medium and small sizes.
In the drawing of the forest, of course, you can select individual leaves, focusing on the compositional center. I devoted a separate article to this issue, which you can read. However, more often the artist has to generalize. It is generalization that is always more difficult for beginners than drawing details. But it is necessary. So what should be generalized and how? You need to generalize individual leaves and branches that form groups or masses. These groups should not be made the same size. Everything in nature is dynamic. Therefore, the drawing must be dynamic, and this is achieved through the transfer of rhythm. Rhythm is created when the artist does not make "sameness" in the drawing. Therefore, the masses of foliage will different in size- large, medium, small. But the rhythm will be transmitted not only in size, but also degree of generalization. We generalize some masses of branches and leaves, literally blurring the image. For example, it is appropriate in the background. And we generalize some groups not so much: in them one can distinguish a kind of foliage that forms a “clumsy” texture. Well, separate groups in the foreground, of course, will contain details: carefully traced leaves and branches. However, they will belong this group. But, separately located trees, branches, leaves need to be detailed with care. If there are too many such objects in the drawing, they will look "glued" to the drawing, and will not part a single whole, which will cause the effect of "cartoonism" and unnaturalness.
3. Volume in natural forms.
It is, of course, easier to convey the volume of a cylinder or a ball when we draw a still life. But in the forest, there are no such forms. At first sight. But if you look closely, then basis the shape of tree trunks lies all the same cylinder. IN basis intricate forms of foliage groups - ball. IN basis paths in the forest - tetrahedral corridor shape. And so on. realizing natural forms are easier for the artist to generalize and convey volume. Chiaroscuro can be seen on tree trunks, on masses of foliage and individual leaves, on the entire crown of a tree, and even on a whole group of many trees. As an example, I have illustrated chiaroscuro on a tree trunk. Although its shape is based on a cylinder, it still has irregularities, bends. In addition, the trunk is covered with bark, which has its own characteristics for each tree species. Therefore, hatching will not be smooth, but more textured. Here, each artist has his own hatching techniques, so let's not philosophize beyond what is necessary and create unnecessary patterns. As for chiaroscuro in general, it is built from light, penumbra, shadow, reflex and falling shadow. On a jug, in a still life drawing, it’s easier to figure it out. And how to see such subtleties in the mass of foliage? Observation is important here. No wonder I.I. Shishkin is called a naturalist. He studied nature in detail, memorizing the varieties of herbs and trees. Therefore, watching the forest, you can see all the nuances of light and shade in foliage, branches, etc. In academic drawing, this is called light-shadow modeling of the form. That is, modeling. That is, here you need to model, not copy, but understand the essence, observing nature.
In drawing a forest, of course, there are other issues that cannot be covered in one article. But the three aspects that I have listed here are the key ones. Therefore, I called them the keys to success. Keeping them in mind, you can learn how to draw a forest professionally and competently.
Every 4 seconds, an area of forest equal to a standard football field is cut down in the world. This is statistics. The fastest rate of deforestation in Southeast Asia. The Chinese are multiplying, but they have nowhere to live. And what to do? We need drawing paper! I want to tell you how to draw a forest with a pencil. It won't restore our fauna, but it's worth a try.
Forest Facts:
- Aokihara Forest, or Suicide Forest. The strange place deservedly got its name. It itself is so thick that the light practically does not penetrate there, and the compasses stop working. For some reason, this particular place in Japan has become a favorite for those who want to commit suicide (apparently, some do not have the courage to do hara-kiri).
- In the Kaliningrad region there is a forest that the locals called Dancing, or drunk. No, alcoholics and drug addicts do not gather there. The fact is that pine trees grow on 1 square kilometer, which, for an unknown reason, twisted their trunks in a strange way. Some even wrapped themselves in knots. It was as if they were suffering from pain in the stomach.
- It is generally accepted that tropical forests are full of various sounds and noises. I will disappoint you - in the day the jungle is quieter than a sleeping child. The life of all animals there begins at night, and even then they behave very carefully and quietly.
Let's try to draw.
How to draw a forest with a pencil step by step
Step one. Let's start with a simple one: draw a horizon line, and draw a path with two vertical lines.
Step two. On the sides of the invented path we draw tree trunks, large and small.
Step three. Let's draw the trunks higher, and sketch their bottoms with a pencil. We will also add some grass at the foot of the trunks.
Sha fourth. Finally, draw the tops with branches, add shadows.
Step five.
It may seem that trees are one of the easiest objects to draw. If you have never painted, the task may be too easy...
... or too literal:
We do not see anything similar to real objects in any of the drawings. The first is just a tree symbol, and the second suggests the definition of a tree. Your job as an artist is to paint what we see, not what we know. tree drawing What a great exercise to develop this skill!
In this lesson I will show you how to draw oak, pine and weeping willow trees simple and realistic method.
What you will need:
- Several sheets of paper;
- Hard pencil (HB);
- Medium soft pencil (2B);
- Soft pencil (5V or less);
- Sharpener.
Usually a pair of hard pencils (HB) is enough, but such a set is not universal for all drawings. To get dark shadows, we need soft pencils. No need to choose expensive ones - I bought the most common ones, and they do their job perfectly. If you are in doubt about whether you need to draw, then a set of pencils of different degrees of hardness will not be a big loss from the budget, and drawing is much easier!
You will also need a sharpener. A blunt tip leaves lighter strokes and does not match the expected effect. Constantly monitor the sharpness of the pencils and remember that soft pencils wear out faster!
Regarding paper: it can be anything. Ordinary paper for printers is also suitable. You should not, however, draw on a whole sheet - the smaller the drawing, the less detail you will need to add. In reality, my drawings are about 9 cm high.
Soft pencils help to darken the shadows, which is not the case with hard pencils. Hard pencils are not as dark, even if you press hard on them!
- DRAW OAK
Step 1
The brain works in an unusual way: first it grasps the big picture, and then pays attention to the details. Therefore, you should not start drawing with details - first you need to create a base.
Draw the generalized shape of the tree with a few faint strokes and dots. To do this, use a hard (HB) pencil, do not put pressure on it. These strokes will not be part of the finished image - they will not be visible in the finished drawing; the camera and scanner don't recognize them (I used Photoshop so you can see them!).
Step 2
Draw the trunk. Do not forget - the bottom part should expand downwards. The larger the tree, the shorter and thicker its trunk.
Step 3
Draw branches at the top of the trunk.
Continue drawing the branches, gradually lowering the line as they length.
Step 4
Add other branches to each branch (the longer, the lower they go). Strokes should be light.
Step 5
With short, sharp strokes draw the shape of the crown of the tree. It doesn't have to be straight and neat.
Step 6
In the same way, draw small "clouds" of leaves inside the crown. Leave some areas empty so that parts of the branches are visible - this structure looks more interesting.
Step 7
Add thickness to the branches where they are not covered by leaves.
Step 8
Before you start applying shadows, determine which part of the tree will be bright and which parts will be shadowed. You can define them with simple hatching.
Step 9
Take a soft (2B) pencil (make sure it's sharp) and create some texture on the stem. Remember to also leave white areas - this is important for the texture.
Step 10
Take soft pencils (2B and 5B) and darken the barrel according to the original light distribution. Don't be afraid to press down on the soft pencil to get the shadow you need, but don't overdo it either! The fewer black areas in the picture, the more impressive it looks.
Step 11
Take a hard pencil and sketch out the outlines of the leaves. Draw them in relaxed circles, quickly, with sharp movements.
Step 12
Each branch also has its own small crown (these are the "clouds" that you drew). You need to darken them in the same way as if they were separate trees.
First take a soft (2B) pencil to draw darker circles on the darkened side. At first, do not press too hard so that you can correct the mistakes.
When you are sure that you have correctly defined the sides of the darkening, add shadows and depth to them, and also finish the transition between the light and dark parts.
Step 13
Take a soft (2B) pencil to add some loose leaves all over the crown and "small crowns". This will create the effect of additional, barely visible branches.
Step 14
Take the softest pencil and add some dark accents in the darkest places. The crown will be more contrasting. Also make sure that all the leaves are darker than the "sky" background - the leaves cannot be transparent! You can once again go over the lightest areas with a hard pencil.
- DRAWING A PINE
Step 1
Again, we start drawing with the general outline of the tree. Take a hard pencil and draw light lines.
Step 2
Draw branches. Don't try to be precise, just sketch them.
Step 3
As in the case of oak, draw "clouds" on the branches. This time they should be narrower and even more uneven. Leave more space between them.
Step 4
Draw the outline of the trunk - long and narrow.
Step 5
Take a soft (2B) pencil to darken the barrel...
…and then a softer pencil to highlight the darkest side.
Step 6
This time, you do not need to fill in the “clouds” with circles; fill them in instead with harsh and chaotic strokes.
Step 7
Take a soft (2B) pencil to draw needles along the outline of the "clouds". They should be thin and sharp.
Step 8
Draw the branches and darken them with two soft pencils.
Step 9
Draw even more needles inside the "clouds" with a soft (2B) pencil).
Step 10
Take the softest pencil to darken the "clouds". If you want, you can just darken them completely - usually evergreen trees themselves are dark.
Step 11
Finally, take the softest pencil to draw completely dark "clouds" between the branches.
- DRAWING A WEEPPING WILLOW
Step 1
We will draw in the same way. Let's draw the general outline of the willow - something like a fountain.
Step 2
Draw the outline of the trunk.
Step 3
Draw branches in the direction from the trunk ...
... descending as the length.
Step 4
Draw the contours of the "clouds"; this time they will look more like curtains.
Step 5
Fill in the trunk and branches with hatching with a soft (2B) pencil.
Step 6
Darken the trunk and branches with the softest pencil.
Step 7
Take a soft (2B) pencil and draw ribbon-like lines along the "curtains". They should form an arc at the very beginning.
Step 8
Darken the "curtains" with darker and wider swirling lines in between.
Step 9
Use your softest pencil to draw the dark "curtains" on the other dark side of the tree. You can also add leaves to the branches to give them more detail.
Your trees are ready!
How could you make sure draw trees- an easy task; you just need to pass in their appearance, not their definition. However, this is just the beginning of learning - if you want to become a true professional in drawing trees Take a notepad with you when you go for a walk. Watch the trees you pass by and try to make quick sketches of them. This way you can develop intuitive drawing. If you prefer to stay at home, look at the pictures of trees on the Internet.
Translation of an article from design.tutsplus.com.
Hello dear friends!
I am sure that almost all of you are interested in the topic of creating landscapes. Landscapes can be very different, showing beautiful and interesting views of different parts of our planet, in many of them you come into contact with the task of depicting trees. How to draw a living, beautiful and natural tree is the topic of our today's lesson.
Trees are not difficult to draw, only sometimes they come out somehow too drawn or flat.
Basic Mistakes
The main mistakes in drawing trees are:
Lack of volume
The lack of volume in the drawing (in color or black and white) is achieved by using paints of different tone and intensity. Even on a cloudy day, some part of the crown and trunk will be more shaded, and some less. In the thick of foliage, the colors are always darker. Think of a tree as a ball (crown) and a cylinder (trunk) to understand how shadows form on this complex shape.
The forest can be very different. For example, it may be a small forest in which it is difficult to get lost, or it may be a dense thicket. To better understand how to draw a forest, it is recommended to carefully consider the works of the greatest painters on this subject. For example, the canvases of Shishkin are very interesting, who was unusually good at conveying the atmosphere of a mysterious and enchanting forest in his wonderful works.
You can also draw a forest with a pencil from nature. Such a walk, during which you can make a series of sketches from nature, will also be very useful for health. After all, it's not a secret for anyone that the air in the forest is particularly clean and fresh. If it is impossible to go to some forest, then you can learn how to draw a forest using beautiful photographs.
Before you draw the forest in stages, you must definitely make sure that all the accessories you need for this, which are listed a little below, are nearby. So, to draw a forest you need:
1). multi-colored pencils;
2). Eraser;
3). Liner;
4). Paper;
5). Pencil.
Now you can learn how to draw a forest with a pencil in stages, and then color it:
1. Draw a horizon line first;
2. Draw the outlines of the tree trunks that are in the foreground;
3. The drawing will look more interesting if the trees are different. Therefore, draw the first tree, making it a Christmas tree;
4. Draw the second tree, which half hides the spruce. Let it be a birch;
5. Now draw more clearly the third tree, which is the largest. Let it be oak;
6. In the background, depict the trunks of other trees, without much detail;
7. In the foreground, draw blades of grass and mushrooms;
8. Circle the sketch with a liner;
9. Erase the preliminary pencil drawing with an eraser;
10. Paint over the trunks of those trees that are not birches with different shades of brown. Paint over the cones on the spruce with a light brown tone;
11. Stroke the birch trunks with light gray and gray pencils;
12. Blue-green paint the outlines of the forest in the distance. Paint the grass with light green and rich green shades;
13. Color the mushroom caps in different colors;
14. Shade the sky with a blue tone. Color the leaves of the trees in various shades of green.
Now you understand how to draw a forest with a pencil, and then colorize this picture. Of course, the forest will look most impressive if it is painted with paints.
