I haven't drawn a tree in a very long time. I've had somewhat of an aversion to drawing trees ever since the first week of painting class in my freshman semester as a college art major. Our first oil painting was due the next morning and I had nothing but a blank canvas. A senior art major gave me this advice: "If you don't know what to paint, paint a tree." Great advice. Then she said "Use a palette knife so you won't get hung up on trying to make it look realistic." That first painting was such a disaster that I almost hitch-hiked home the next day rather than take it to class. Ever since then trees have not been one of my favorite subjects.
However, on the way to the Arts Material Expo at Buffalo Thunder Resort, just north of Santa Fe, when we stopped at a couple of places to take care of some errands I decided to stay outside and sketch while Robin was in an office. With the available subject matter options being parking lots, cars, and trees, I reluctantly chose trees. I think, hopefully, I might finally have closure on the tree thing.
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| Black felt tip pen on Canson sketch pad. |
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Robin reminds me that I also sketched some trees (and a water fountain) at the Roman Forum in Rome, back in 1998.
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| Just for fun: the original sketch cloned in Corel Painter, then a filter (Poster Edges) applied in Photoshop. |
