OCA D3: Drawing trees

Different trees

My four studies were of a Birch (actually, I'm not sure it is a Birch) and my larger study was a very old and characteristic oak tree, which was all twisted up, full of large knots and protruding roots.

Techniques

Very different techniques to describe both. My four-study piece started loose, but then I tightened up for the third and forth drawings, trying to describe the detail in the bark. Although, uneven and organic, the bark was relatively smooth and clean, which allowed me to maintain a nice line and controlled shading. However, the oak was very different. This old ragged tree was haggered and twisted and I approached this, quiet naturally, with a very free-flowing hand, rarely leaving the page.

The mass of foliage

Unfortunetly, these where drawn during the months of February and March, when it was cold. There was no foliage on the trees. So, my focus was on the texture and solidity in the bark, and the organic nature of the larger tree.

Handling light

My studies were made using pen and ink, and a limited-palette col-erase coloured pencils for the multiple tree exercise. The four-series pen and ink studies proved quiet difficult at first; it has taken a little practice controlling the transitional shading with a pen in this way. The light is the white of the paper and I tried to control the pen whilst wrapping around the tree to the darker areas in shadow. For my coloured pencil study I used a hockney-esc layered approach, depicting shadow using either cooler colours or darker tones.

OCA D3: Townscapes

Limited palette

The sense of depth was acceived with the inclusion of shoppers and a vehicle in the foreground. My limited palette choice was one cool colour and one warm colour. My intention was a heat map. Unfortunetely, this didn't work for me; the tonal values of my limited palette are wrong. The light was strong on this particular day; I should have selected a lighter orange and a deeper blue for my shadows. Actually, I'm just looking at the piece again..."all" wrong is a little harsh...I'm warming to it. No pun intended.

Preliminary sketches and approach

My preliminary sketches and approach, generally, follows a similar pattern when sketching for a larger work, regardless of subject matter. I will be trying to establish an interesting composition, and gather information about colour, shape and texture. I might work on further studies if I feel there could be challenging aspects to a piece...often the case with intricate textures.

Colour and atmosphere

I only created one limited palette study, but this was an enjoyable piece and I would like to experiment with more. I'm not convinced I captured the heat of the afternoon with my colour selection. I will create more of these; probably some quick 5 x 5 thumbnails sketches so I can experiment with colour temperatures.

OCA D3: Perspective

Problems executing perspective drawings?

One of the problems I find when drawing in perspective is that a lot of man-made structures have sunk and changed shape over time. So, following the window-lines of a terraced street down the receding path, might not appear so accurate. Also, I find it difficult if I visualise the drawing as a "perspective" drawing. I try to approach the drawing the same way I would approach a more organic figurative study...looking for more relationships between points; almost looking at it as a flat study.

Using rulers

Using a ruler gives a nice clean line and an overall, nicely structured drawing. This could work well for a drawing of modern city buildings. However, for what you gain in structure and accuracy, you lose in expression. I love landscapes pictures that can communicate perspective without being completely accurate.

OCA D3: Getting out

Simplifying

This is a technique I always strive to apply; it's easy to see detail and quickly get bogged down in the complexities of a study. I always use the squint to visualise the masses first. After that it becomes my decision where to use more detail.

Distance and form

In my 360 degree drawings I was successful in communicating the distance in the drawings. My vantage point was high up and I could see masses of landscape from three sides. The distance is described with receeding dimension, reduced tone and simplifications of objects in the distance. I applied a little tone to try and describe some form, however, some form is lost on distant objects, so my primary focus was on the expansive landscape.

Light and shade

Light and shade describes the light falling on an object, but also the depth in my scenes. The light in my landscape sketches is described with cast shadows and distance is depicted using lighter tone. I found the cloud formations required more effort rendering....the variations in cloud and constant change made these sketches all the more challenging.

More preliminary studies

If I was working on these sketches for a larger piece then I would benefit from sketching in the transitional view points for my 360 degree pieces. I would make some detailed studies (from closer range) and record the texture of certain elements in my frame, and I would make some colour studies.