Get one form that looks like the tree, rather than little pickings at the branches. Give the tree its gesture. Some trees are heavy, ample and full. In a tree there is a spirit of life, a spirit of growth and a spirit of holding its head up.
Robert Henri, The Art Spirit
Now that the trees are casting their leaves up here in Missouri, I’m pulling out the pencils and sketchbook and trying to capture some of their movement, their essence. Since I was a child, I stared at bare trees more than leafed-out ones, and I’m really not sure why. I wasn’t drawing them as a child, and when I became an adult, I foolishly drew and painted trees for years out of my imagination rather than the way I do now–gazing at them, studying them, contemplating each one’s figure and portrait.
Andrew Wyeth for years has fascinated me with his tree studies in pencil and dry brush. More recently, I have purchased a book on Leonardo da Vinci’s tree studies. I could spend he rest of my life learning this craft, I believe.
Thanks for reading.
Tags: drawing, Robert Henri, sketchbook, tree
November 26, 2016 at 1:36 pm |
These are trees with real personality, with a sense of having weathered time and come through the stronger for it.
At least that’s what I get looking at your drawings. I too prefer trees in winter — seems as if much of the essence or personality is hidden by the leaves in summer.
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November 26, 2016 at 1:40 pm |
Thank you so much for looking, and for the kind comments! I’m glad someone else enjoys looking at this subject.
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December 22, 2016 at 1:29 pm |
[…] to do more of this sort of this sort of drawing. Definitely inspired by David Tripp’s tree drawings. Generic HB, 6B, and a dry ballpoint pen to carve out the white […]
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