How to Draw: Trees

Denis John-Naylor studied natural history illustration at Bournemouth College of Art and wildlife painting, printmaking and life drawing at Swansea Institute. Denis also studied life drawing and painting privately under some well-known contemporary artists. In recent years he has won awards for portrait and plein-air painting. Over the years, he has contributed numerous articles to the Leisure Painter magazine on pencil drawing and acrylic painting. Hobbies include reading biographies and listening to music. Denis lives in Hornchurch, Essex.

Denis John Naylor suggests that by improving your drawing of trees, you will improve your ability to draw other subjects. Denis shows how to reduce the tree to basic shapes as well as how to look at your subject more carefully. Trees of all kinds are included, from flowering and fruiting trees, to trees at different times of the year, with and without leaves.-Leisure Painter If you draw landscapes or anything with an outdoors background you are sure to want to include trees. This latest entry in Search Press' popular How To Draw series shows you how to draw them. Not only trees either but features of them such as bark, roots, leaves, cones and a stump. Choose from a variety of different shapes such as oak, laburnum, Lombardy poplar, Jeffrey pine and wellingtonia (no palms, rather oddly). They are shown in spring laden with blossom, in full leaf in winter, displaying autumn tints and bare in winter. As with all the titles in this series the author devotes one page at the front of the book to tell you how to use the book and this is where you find the all-important index, for there is no identification on the pages themselves. Each page has a tree or some aspects of one rendered down to five stages. This takes the beginner artist from a rough outline through to an outline sketch, which is filled in first with pencil and finally in color using acrylics. The first five steps are easy to tackle and take much of the mystery out of what most people will agree is a tricky subject, but I would personally like to see more stages (at least one) showing how the color was added. I can see that this would make for a bigger, more expensive book so perhaps part of the learning curve is tackling this part on one's own. This is one of the best entries in this useful series, and destined for my own keeper shelf.-Myshelf.com As the title suggests this is a basic guide ideal for beginners. It shows how to draw a variety of trees including Oak, Horse Chestnut, Monterey Cypress and Eucalyptus. What is provided are a range of simple, easy to copy outlines which you can trace or draw to give you the images you require. A step by step technique is used to show how to develop an outline into the finished product, as well as an indication as to the colours and shading needed to bring it alive. An unusual aspect of this type of book is the fact that the author has gone beyond just drawing trees to include flowering trees and how to create blossom. Intricate tree details such as roots, leaves, cones and trunks are also included.-Monstersandcritics.com

• Extremely simple step-by-step drawing methodGood range of different tree species and their detailsGreat for absolute beginners or experienced artists alike