Landscaping : How to Draw Trees

 In order to draw realistic trees with pen and ink, it is important to pay attention to accuracy of the form (structure), and to learn how to create the illusion of brightness values and transitions with pens.

Bamboo

When looking at ANY tree, examine its basic shapes.

It is a good practice to draw its simple shapes first:

Once you understand these simple shapes, you can use your artistic license and your knowledge to recreate it.

                                                         

There is no point drawing every single leaf as you see it (when using a reference image as a guide).

Banana Tree

For trees with big leaves, like a banana tree, first draw a study of the leaves from different angles.

                                       

For a realistic result, make sure there is no symmetry, and that each leaf is unique.

You can use markers; they work well with pens.

Olive Tree Trunk

Look at some reference images, or actual trees, before drawing the tree trunk.

First, draw outlines to create the form (structure).

Remember:

                                              

Draw thin and gentle outlines, so they are not bold.

Last step is texture drawing.

Focus mainly on brightness values, while drawing marks with shape and direction like the reference image.

How to Draw Leaves

Drawing leaves can be challenging. Understanding their structure, and breaking the drawing process into steps, will produce a satisfying and realistic result.

Each tree leaf is in different direction, has a different degree of foreshortening, and is overlapping other leaves.

                                                                 

Simply put, the form and texture of leaves is abstract and messy.

To draw that, you need to be sketchy and loose with your marks, and to avoid any pattern!

Next step is to pay attention to brightness values. That is how you create the illusion of volume. Meaning, three-dimensional and not flat.

To create that illusion, scribble more lines for darker values, and fewer lines for brighter values:

                                       

In addition, pay attention to leaves size, depending on the tree type, and how distant it is from the observer.

For big leaves, sketch big marks, and vice versa:

                         

While the treetop is messy, at its edges you can add some indication of leaves type and size.

                                         

Photos & Contrast

When I am taking photos of a tree, I do it from several angles.

If possible, I circle the tree to get a photo from every angle.

                                           

Pine Trees

Before diving into complex texturing and rendering, if you are a beginner, you might want to practice the next step.

Draw any random tree shape, sketch some random marks to fill it up, and then draw more sketchy marks in one side and at the bottom of the tree (to create a darker value for the shadow area).

This should not take more than 5 minutes! The advanced texture you will see after this example is just a matter of many hours of practice to refine the texture marks.

                                          

Pine trees are relatively easy to draw from imagination.

They have very small, needle-like leaves.

I like to start by gently drawing the form, and then fill it with small, random marks, that are NOT in any specific direction or with reoccurring shape.

Last step is to draw more marks for darker areas, depending on the direction of light you choose.

                            

Pine trees come in many types and shapes.

Looking at a reference image can help at the beginning, just as a guide to draw the form, and to pay attention to dark and light areas.

Other than that, try to be loose and sketchy with your marks.

When drawing a close-up view, you can indicate the needle-like leaves at the edges of the tree.

Snowy Pine Tree

A pen has only one brightness value. Therefore, you have to use different techniques to create the illusion of transitions in brightness values.

One technique (or style) is to use hatching. Hatching means drawing parallel lines.

                                               

By drawing lines with different degree of spacing between them (or with different line width), you can create an illusion of different brightness values.

Another method is to use cross-hatching.

Cross-hatching means drawing sets of parallel lines in different direction. By adding more sets of cross-hatching, you can create the illusion of darker values.

                                       

You can use ANY pen for drawing. I prefer artist-grade technical pens (also fineliners). They create lines with fixed width, and their ink is made of pigments, which is very durable and lightfast.

For the snow part, you can leave it empty ("white"), or you can use hatching in some areas.

In this example, used some hatching, and some marks with very light gray marker.

       Christmas Tree

A Christmas tree is just another pine tree, but with decorations.

To add some baubles, first draw their shape, and then try different types of hatching, cross-hatching, and stippling.

Stippling is a drawing technique that uses dots. The more dots you add in one area, the darker it looks.

                                           

  You can add other decorations to your Christmas tree.

It is best to first sketch some test drawings on a different paper, to see what works, before adding them to your drawing.

Tip:

If you find it hard to draw a tree with a pen, you can always start with a pencil.

When you reach a satisfying result, you can go over it with a pen, and gently erase the pencil marks.

Drawing with White Pens

When drawing with white pens, pay attention to the same drawing fundamentals.

While with black pens you draw more lines for darker areas, with white pens you should draw more lines for light/bright areas.

  

These pens are most effective on black (or dark) paper, and for highlights.

Keep in mind:

White pens are designed for covering.

Drawing with a black pen (which has ink) over white areas (made by a white pen), may ruin the pen's nib, because it will be covered with the white substance (therefore its ink will not flow smoothly).

Aspen & Birch Trees

Aspen & birch tree trunks are easy to draw when doing it in steps.

Draw the form first:

                                   

Then, add some basic details:

      Finally, draw some brightness values, and texture:

Overlapping

Overlapping means an object that partially covers another object.

When you see an object that overlaps another object, you assume that this object is in front of the object it covers.

Overlapping is one of the most powerful ways to create the illusion of depth on a flat paper.

                                    

                                                                                   

      Because you cannot erase pen marks, it is best to draw foreground objects first!

If you want to draw a house in front of a tree, draw the house first:

                           

      Do the same for tree branches.

First, draw the branch that overlaps a tree, then the tree trunk.

                                         

                 

   For trees that have a complex structure, with many branches, you can use a pencil to draw the basic shapes.

When you are happy with the result, you can draw over it with a pen, and gently erase the pencil marks.

Transitions

Transitions are part of drawing (and painting) fundamentals. They exist everywhere!

For example, different areas of a flat plane have different relationships with any light source, reflections, and shadows.

Therefore, always look for transitions (in brightness values) for your drawing to look realistic and natural.

                                                      

First, look for light and dark areas.

Then, look for transitions within each area. Transitions from dark to light, from light to lighter, and from dark to darker.

By drawing with NO transitions (and using hard edges), you can create something that looks unnatural, as opposed to something realistic with transitions.

                                        

The same way a gardener trims bushes and trees, you can use your artistic license to create something that looks artificial or man-made:

                                   

Good to know:

Transitions are not limited to brightness values. Transitions exist in colors, texture, edges, and temperature (transition from warm colors to cool colors).

Weeping Willow

A weeping willow tree is a bit tricky to draw.

Its leaves are easy to draw at an up-close look. As you get farther away, you can see long clusters of leaves with no single leaf shape.

                                                   

You can start by drawing an outline for the tree structure. Do it gently.

Then, one way is to draw the treetop (crown), section by section.

Alternatively, like in this example, you can draw the dark values first.

    

Something to consider:

As mentioned above, a pen has one brightness value (usually black, though other colors exist, more on that later).

By drawing gently and swiftly, with a sharp angle, you can produce lines that are less defined, and therefore with a lighter value.