Project Drawing Trees: Sketching an Individual Tree

When I first started trying to sketch trees I was really struggling as I was trying to include too much detail. I started with sketches of trees in our garden and next door:

Catalpa and Kaki (Sharon Fruit)

As the exercise progressed and I drew more and more trees I found that I enjoyed identifying the different characteristics of these organic shapes from the spiky angularity of the pine to the cascading flowing shapes of the willow. 
Some of the sketches were more successful than others - for example some of the rapid;y executed sketches I tried to do with a brush and india ink at the beginning of a rainstorm were really appalling. Also I was still trying to get to drops with my new watercolour sketching kit. I tried a sketch of the willow with this and really struggled because having put in the skeleton of the tree, this dark tone showed through the foliage. From this I understood that when using translucent colour I should block in the foliage before the branches.

Norwegian Pine

Willow

Willow

I found that simplifying and breaking down trees into composite shapes was much easier with distant trees than when viewing them close up. There was an almost overwhelming temptation to draw individual leaves and twigs when looking at a tree in close proximity.

Distant Trees (Oak and others Unidentified)

Fig and Olive

Looking at negative shapes between branches (right)

 On one of my walks I noticed a tree which was light in tone against a dark background which made a good subject for looking at the negative shapes between the branches.

Various pines including Mediterranean umbrella pine

Large Cedar overhanging the road.

 There were so many different types of trees in the local neighbourhood that I got a bit carried away with the sketching. I also had another attempt at sketching using watercolour but this time putting the remaining foliage in before the trunk and the branches.There were so many different types of trees in the local neighbourhood that I got a bit carried away with the sketching. I also had another attempt at sketching using watercolour but this time putting the remaining foliage in before the trunk and the branches.