Let's draw a willow tree. How to draw a willow: a step-by-step lesson. What you will need

Drawing is not only a fun, but also a useful activity. It develops coordination fine motor skills, observation, sense of color and shape. Many people dream of doing art, but are afraid to pick up a pencil or brush, believing that they do not have enough talent. In fact, anyone can master the skill of a painter. Our lesson will teach you how to draw a willow. Step-by-step execution will help even a beginner to cope with the task.

Where to begin

First, prepare workplace. You will need the following materials and tools:

• white thick paper with a grainy structure (that is, not glossy) A-4 format or larger;
• a few simple pencils good quality different markings (TT, TM, MM);
• soft eraser.

Beginning artists can work beyond the usual desk, but if your hobby develops into something serious, you can’t do without an easel.

If you plan to create a color drawing, then you will additionally need colored pencils or paints with a brush.

Let's imagine a drawing object

The topic of today's lesson is “How to draw a willow,” so it is necessary to outline the features of this plant.

Willow (broom or willow) is a very common tree in central Russia. It loves humidity and dampness, so it is often found near bodies of water. The appearance of the plant is characteristic: on a strong trunk there are branches lowered down, which is why the crown has the appearance of a tent. Twig-like stems with green oblong leaves grow down from the main branches. The downward branches of the willow give it the sad image of a “crying” tree, more than once sung by poets.

Step-by-step lesson: "How to draw a willow tree"

This is one of the most simple lessons. Following the advice of the master, even a novice artist can easily master the technique of this elementary sketch in just 4 steps.

Step one - draw the trunk and roots.

At the bottom of the sheet we draw a horizontal line - the “foundation” of the future tree. Let's divide the line in half and from its middle draw a line upward, diverging upward into two others (outwardly, the vertical part is very reminiscent of the printed letter "U" or a slingshot). This “slingshot” is needed to indicate the contour of the trunk and main branches.

Now you need to design the resulting “skeleton” of the tree. To do this, draw thick roots at the base, and use vertical lines to outline a strong, elongated trunk and branches. For clarity, refer to the figure above.

Step two - draw the base of the tent crown.

More experienced artists lowered branches weeping willow drawn in detail. We are interested in how to draw a willow easily and simply, so we use an unconventional technique. “Hang” two horse tails on a tree branch different lengths, using them to depict sections of the crown. We will draw the same sections (or layers) in the form of ponytails on the sides of the branches - approximately 3-4 on each side.

Step three - final design of the weeping willow crown.

Continue drawing layers of the crown as you work your way up the paper. You'll soon notice that your tree will look like a tiered wedding cake. That's how it should be. Please note that the upper sections gradually become smaller and smaller, as if slightly rounding the “tent”.

When trying to draw a willow step by step, be sure to rely on examples. With a little diligence, your picture will turn out even better than that of a professional artist.

Step four, final - detailing the work.

Using a soft eraser, you need to carefully remove all unnecessary contours and extra lines, and use auxiliary strokes to give the drawing a natural look. Check the sample: if you did everything correctly, then your sketch will look like the work of a master.

Now that you know how to draw a willow with a pencil, you can experiment with paints and paint the crown in green color, and make the trunk brown.

Willow - big beautiful tree, the basis of many Russian landscapes. Looks especially impressive near bodies of water. This is a reason to understand how to draw a willow tree over a river.

Final word

In order for your hand to become firm and your eye to become sharp and accurately identify the characteristic details of objects, you need to practice a lot. Exercise daily. Starting with simple lessons, gradually increase the complexity of the tasks. Soon you will be able to depict buildings, animals, people.

Once you feel confident, start drawing from life. This step will be the next one on the path to professionalism.

Trees may seem like some of the easiest subjects to draw. If you have never drawn, the task may be too simple...

...or too literal:

In none of the drawings do we see anything similar to real objects. The first is just a symbol of a tree, and the second suggests the definition of a tree. Your job as an artist is to paint what we see, not what we know. Drawing trees– a great exercise for developing this skill!

In this lesson I will show you, how to draw oak, pine and weeping willow trees in a simple and realistic way.

What you will need:

- Several sheets of paper;

— Hard pencil (HB);

— Pencil of medium softness (2B);

— Soft pencil (5B or less);

- Sharpener.

Usually a pair of hard pencils (HB) is enough, but this set is not universal for all drawings. To get dark shadows, we need soft pencils. There is no need to choose expensive ones - I bought the most common ones, and they perform their function perfectly. If you doubt whether you need to draw, then a set of pencils of different degrees of hardness will not be a big loss on your budget, and drawing with these is much easier!

You will also need a sharpener. A dull tip leaves lighter strokes and does not achieve the expected effect. Always keep your pencils sharp and remember that soft pencils wear out faster!

Regarding paper: it can be anything. Regular printer paper will also work. However, you should not draw on a whole sheet - than smaller figure, the less detail you will need to add. In reality, my drawings are about 9 cm in height.

Soft pencils help make shadows darker, which cannot be said about hard pencils. Hard pencils are not as dark, even if you press hard on them!

1. DRAWING AN OAK

Step 1

The brain works in an unusual way: first it grasps big picture and then pays attention to details. Therefore, you should not start drawing with details - you will need to create a base first.

Draw the general shape of the tree with a few faint strokes and dots. To do this, use a hard (HB) pencil, do not press on it. These touches will not be part finished image– they will not be visible in the finished drawing; The camera and scanner don't recognize them (I used Photoshop so you can see them!).

Step 2

Draw the trunk. Don't forget - the lower part should expand downwards. The larger the tree, the shorter and thicker its trunk.

Step 3

Draw the branches at the top of the trunk.

Continue drawing the branches, gradually lowering the line as they lengthen.

Step 4

Add other branches to each branch (the longer, the lower they go). The strokes should be light.

Step 5

Using short, sharp strokes, draw the shape of the tree's crown. It doesn't have to be smooth and neat.

Step 6

Using the same method, draw small “clouds” of leaves inside the crown. Leave some areas empty so that parts of the branches are visible - this structure looks more interesting.

Step 7

Add thickness to the branches in places where they are not covered by leaves.

Step 8

Before you start applying shadows, determine which parts of the tree will be bright and which parts will have shadows. You can identify them by simple shading.

Step 9

Take a soft (2B) pencil (make sure it's sharp) and create texture on the trunk. Remember to also leave white areas - this is important for texture.

Step 10

Take soft pencils (2B and 5B) and darken the barrel according to the original light distribution plan. Don't be afraid to click on soft pencil to get the shadow you need, but don't overdo it! The fewer black areas in the picture, the more impressive it looks.

Step 11

Take hard pencil and sketch out the outlines of the leaves. Draw them in relaxed circles, quickly, with sharp movements.

Step 12

Each branch also has its own small crown (these are the “clouds” that you drew). They need to be shaded in the same way as if they were separate trees.

First, use a soft (2B) pencil to draw darker circles on the dark side. Don't press too hard at first so you can correct any mistakes.

Once you're sure you've got the dark sides right, add shadows and depth to them, and add some transition between the light and dark parts.

Step 13

Use a soft (2B) pencil to add some stray leaves throughout the crown and "little crowns." This will create the effect of additional, barely visible branches.

Step 14

Take the softest pencil and add some dark accents in the darkest places. The crown will be more contrasting. Also make sure that all leaves are darker than the “sky” background - leaves cannot be transparent! You can go over the lightest areas again with a hard pencil.

1. DRAWING A PINE

Step 1

Again, we start drawing with the general outline of the tree. Take a hard pencil and draw light lines.

Step 2

Draw the branches. Don't try to get them exactly right, just sketch them out.

Step 3

As with the oak tree, draw “clouds” on the branches. This time they should be narrower and even more uneven. Leave plenty of free space between them.

Step 4

Draw the outline of the trunk - long and narrow.

Step 5

Use a soft (2B) pencil to darken the barrel...

...and then a softer pencil to highlight the darkest side.

Step 6

This time there is no need to fill in the “clouds” with circles; fill them instead with sharp and chaotic strokes.

Step 7

Use a soft (2B) pencil to draw needles along the outline of the clouds. They should be thin and sharp.

Step 8

Draw the branches and darken them with two soft pencils.

Step 9

Draw even more needles inside the “clouds” with a soft (2B) pencil).

Step 10

Use the softest pencil to darken the clouds. If you want, you can simply darken them completely - evergreen trees are usually dark themselves.

Step 11

Finally, use your softest pencil to draw in the completely dark “clouds” between the branches.

1. DRAWING A WEEPING WILLOW

Step 1

We will draw according to the same scheme. Let's draw general outline willows are something like a fountain.

Step 2

Draw the outline of the trunk.

Step 3

Draw the branches away from the trunk...

... descending with length.

Step 4

Draw the outlines of the “clouds”; this time they will look more like curtains.

Step 5

Fill in the trunk and branches with shading using a soft (2B) pencil.

Step 6

Darken the trunk and branches with the softest pencil.

Step 7

Take a soft (2B) pencil and draw ribbon-like lines along the “curtains”. They should form an arc at the very beginning.

Step 8

Darken the "curtains" with darker and wider curling lines in the spaces.

Step 9

Use your softest pencil to draw dark “curtains” on the other, darkened side of the tree. You can also add leaves to the branches to make them more detailed.

Your trees are ready!

As you can see, draw trees- an easy task; you just need to pass them on appearance, not their definition. However, this is just the beginning of learning - if you want to become a real professional in drawing trees, take a notepad with you on your walk. Observe the trees you pass by and try to make them quick sketches. This way you can develop intuitive drawing. If you prefer to stay at home, look at photos of trees on the Internet.

Translation of an article from design.tutsplus.com.

Technique for depicting a tree with just one with a simple pencil very difficult. It requires a lot of concentration and the ability to see in perspective. Before I show you how to draw a willow tree, I'll tell you about a couple important points, which will make this task easier.

In order to give your landscape clarity and display the right time of year, you need to study the properties of trees inherent in this time. Their branches covered with flowers indicate spring, and in summer their foliage becomes denser. Autumn falling leaves cover the ground. And in winter the tree is exposed, and its trunks and branches become very visible.

It will be easier for you to draw a tree if you understand their growth pattern and basic shapes. Coniferous trees are cone-shaped and usually symmetrical. They are thin and tall. Deciduous ones, on the contrary, are less slender. They have a wide crown and irregular shape. Just a willow shining example such trees. Its branches are repeatedly divided into smaller ones and end in thin branches from which leaves grow.

How to draw Willow with a pencil step by step

Step one. Let's sketch a sketch. You can do this using geometric shapes. This is especially useful when depicting conifers. Since this is a willow, you can just use clouds: Step two. Let's draw the trunk and main branches. Step three. Step four. Let's take on the small branches. There are many of them, but there is no need to rush. The crown of a tree occupies a large spatial volume; if you forget about this, you will end up with a flat and lifeless tree. Step five. Erase the auxiliary lines. Well, the sixth step. Last. Let's add shading for volume and realism. We have lessons on drawing other trees.

The technique of depicting a tree with just a simple pencil is very complex. It requires a lot of concentration and the ability to see in perspective. Before I show you how to draw a willow tree, I'll tell you a couple of important points that will make this task easier.

In order to give your landscape clarity and display the right time of year, you need to study the properties of trees inherent in this time. Their branches covered with flowers indicate spring, and in summer their foliage becomes denser. Autumn falling leaves cover the ground. And in winter the tree is exposed, and its trunks and branches become very visible.

It will be easier for you to draw a tree if you understand their growth pattern and basic shapes. Coniferous trees are cone-shaped and usually symmetrical. They are thin and tall. Deciduous ones, on the contrary, are less slender. They have a wide crown and irregular shape. Willow is a prime example of such trees. Its branches are repeatedly divided into smaller ones and end in thin branches from which leaves grow.

How to draw Willow with a pencil step by step

Step one. Let's sketch a sketch. This can be done using geometric shapes. This is especially useful when depicting conifers. Since this is a willow, you can just use clouds:

Step two. Let's draw the trunk and main branches.

Step three.

Step four. Let's take on the small branches. There are many of them, but there is no need to rush. The crown of a tree occupies a large spatial volume; if you forget about this, you will end up with a flat and lifeless tree.

Step five. Erase the auxiliary lines.

Many stories have been invented about the willow, this interesting “weeping” tree. Why does it still “cry”? Few people know that this plant is capable of accumulating a lot of water, sometimes too much. Therefore, in the morning or at night, silvery drops of moisture collect on the leaves, they roll along the leaves, fall to the ground and it seems that the tree is shedding its tears. Some believe that the willow lowers its branches to touch the water and cries over its variability. After all, the water runs without stopping, and the tree is sad because it is impossible to “catch” it and stop it even for a moment. Willows often grow along the banks of rivers and ponds, so let's try to draw a willow over a river. To draw a willow, we will need an eraser, special paper and any watercolor paint or acrylic, gouache, whatever suits you.

The drawing is quite difficult for beginning artists, so be patient and we will figure out how to draw a willow step by step.

1. First of all, with a pencil we make a light sketch of our future landscape. We will have several “plans” of the drawing - in the foreground there is water and the willow itself, in the background there is a bush behind it and in the background there is a small grove. It is important to correctly outline the contour of the willow, to show how its branches and lashes descend in a cascade. Anyone who has held a willow in their hands or simply watched how a willow grows in nature knows how flexible its branches are. Under the weight of the leaves they will hang smoothly like a frozen waterfall. Let's denote the river bank, a small bush and a background with a solid wall of trees.

   

   
   
2. To avoid messing up anything when coloring, mark where the shadows will be. Dark areas will also be on the water and under the willow.

   

   
   
3. Let's start painting with watercolors. Using transparent paint with added water, we paint the sky. This will be a gradient from saturated of blue color to transparent soft pink with the addition of purple. We make the river with cooler shades. We paint the tree with yellow-green watercolor with small shades of green on the right, in the shadow. We draw the background in general, only in silhouette, using blue, violet and light blue shades. We outline the second plan with warm green paint.

   

   
   
4. At this stage we paint shadows, but be careful in the area where the willow branches come into contact with the surface of the water. This piece needs to be carefully written out, we need to show the structure of the branches, thin drooping leaves. Since this place in the drawing will be the brightest and most contrasting, try to make it clearer and with a thin brush. We make the shadows a little lighter throughout the tree; the thickest ones will be below, near the ground. Making a reflection in the water. We draw a slightly blurry shape of the willow, intensifying the shades of blue and blue, and also adding short strokes of dark green watercolor and ocher.

   

   
   
5. Using an almost dry thin brush, you need to show the direction of the narrow leaves of the tree, as they are lowered down. We make the shadows in the depths of the foliage more contrasting, but do not forget that the densest shadow will be at the bottom, and towards the top the shadows will be shorter and not so thick.

   

   
   
6. Wait until the previous layers dry completely. Using a soft, damp, wide brush, create a general shadow on the tree on the right; it will be a cool blue shade. We increase the contrast by foreground, the reflection in the water will be very dark. Aquatic plants usually float on the surface of the river - water lilies or duckweed, so we do not paint over the light green “islands”, but simply outline them. The water becomes lighter closer to us, add more water in watercolor. Draw the background with the bush, make it more voluminous due to the shadows below. With a thin, almost dry brush, paint the reeds on the shore, use dark ocher with the addition of blue or light blue so that the whole drawing is in one color scheme. The sky above can be enhanced by adding blue or purple. The area above the distant trees - we almost do not touch the thin strip and do not paint over it. If you go to the river bank in the summer, take a sketchbook with you to draw a willow tree or a landscape with these unusual trees that will probably be there.

   

   
   

The willow is so unusual and beautiful that it is worth capturing it as a souvenir not only with a camera. The technique will not convey the soulfulness of the drawing, and what is it worth just to draw by the river in the fresh air.