Learn to sketch the trunk and branches.
Tall and stately, creaking or whispering in the breeze, trees are a staple shape in the landscape and a popular subject in artwork. Learning to sketch the shape of a tree or of different types of trees can be a huge asset for adding to your drawing repertoire. Start with the fir or oak tree and move onto the more complicated forms of the crabapple or palm. Like human figures, the body of a tree can be broken down into a few necessary lines.
Instructions
1. Tape your paper to the drawing board. Lean your drawing board against something sturdy so that it is in an upright, vertical position.
2. Draw two vertical lines about 1 inch apart from each other and approximately 3 inches in length each. Draw a line connecting them at the base. This is the tree's trunk.
3. Draw a large, slender triangular shape approximately 6 inches tall and 3 1/2 inches at its base. This will be the tree's foliage.
4. Erase the two sides of the triangle partially, leaving a trace of the original line that you can see. On the left line, draw a series of tooth-like, upward-curving connected triangles, like the ridges on the back of a dinosaur, or like a tiger's fangs. These will be the boughs of the left side of the tree.
5. Draw a similar series of connected, tooth-like triangles down the length of the erased right side of the original triangle. These will be the boughs on the right side of the tree.
